Tall Ship Commissioned for Educational Adventures

On October 15, the Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation (CCOAF), a relatively new nonprofit, commissioned its Mystic Whaler tall ship for her new purpose of providing extraordinary at-sea experiential education to area youth. Guests enjoyed the ceremony from their dockside seats at the Santa Barbara Harbor, followed by a celebration at the S.B. Maritime Museum.

The 110-foot schooner, built in 1967 as a representation of a late 19th-century cargo ship, was purchased by Foundation founders Roger and Sarah Chrisman. It arrived from the East Coast to its new home in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, in January 2022. This very impressive vessel carries 3,000 square feet of sail.

At the event, Executive Director and Captain Christine Healy related how programming on Mystic Whaler provides STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, and that STEM education is very important for developing critical-thinking skills. CCOAF’s programming, she explained, also provides the opportunity for social and emotional growth. Participants practice effective communication, efficient organization, courage, and self-discipline. 

Mystic Whaler did its first programming in Santa Barbara last October, followed by a spring visit, and then did five weeks this fall. The Foundation is committed to future programming for school groups and the community in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Through a partnership with the S.B. Maritime Museum, which handles the bookings, CCOAF held programming for 17 public school classes this fall. Most of the classes were at the 4th-grade level, with 19 to 35 kids on board at a time. 

The Sailing Through Time programming, which ran this year, is a living history program. With staff in costumes and character, it starts dockside with STEM activities and, weather permitting, sailing thereafter. The program teaches the historical uses and methods for sailing a tall ship and challenges the kids to operate the vessel.

While the stated cost to the schools is a hefty $3,700, so far, all kids have come either for free or for half that cost, depending on the income classification of the school population. This has been thanks to generous grants from, most notably, the Chrismans, whose philosophy is “No child left ashore.” A few foundations have stepped up as well. A total of 762 Santa Barbara County students have participated, with kids from six out of the nine participating schools attending for free.

Healy shared that kids are very excited to be on board. It seems inconceivable but is true, Healy related, that some kids who attend school so close to the Pacific Ocean have never actually been to the sea, “much less experienced it from the deck of a beautiful and majestic sailing ship.”

According to Maritime Museum Executive Director Greg Gorga, the hands-on, experiential program is fantastic for youth who have learning and language challenges. Students learn communication skills, teamwork, and leadership. They use math skills previously only known from a textbook, and they accomplish major tasks, such as raising a sail, plotting a course, and learning mechanical advantage. These tasks, according to Gorga, also build self-esteem and confidence.

There’s a fun factor here, too. Kids get particularly excited, Gorga related, about raising the sails and doing a tug-of-war exercise with the block and tackle. According to Healy, a favorite activity is being lifted in the bosun’s chair, an activity that teaches mechanical advantage and builds teamwork.

Interest in the programming ran high among Santa Barbara County schools, but constraints in the Santa Barbara harbor limit its time here. The ship is also available to groups other than schools, with bookings handled by the Museum.