About Lake Superior Tall Ships Inc.
OUR MISSION
To teach youth seamanship, personal responsibility, teamwork and self esteem, while building skills in leadership and citizenship.
To inspire all generations to be responsible stewards of Lake Superior.
To promote awareness, appreciation and preservation of Lake Superior's marine communities and maritime heritage.
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Our Positive Impact
Since 2014 Lake Superior Tall Ships Inc. has been providing positive, life-changing outdoor sailing adventures to kids and adults in the Apostle Islands/Chequamegon Bay area aboard the Schooner Abbey Road.
Our trips are “Un-plugged” experiential learning voyages. Teamwork is required which fosters acceptance of others, cultivates personal responsibility and helps develop leadership skills. Longer trips can be physically and emotionally challenging for some participants—although not dangerous. As controlled risks are overcome by participants they discover hidden strengths, acquire new skills and increase self-confidence. We are very proud that we’ve had over 5,000 participants onboard the Abbey Road.
Our Challenge
The 52’ Abbey Road is an excellent platform for small groups and we will continue sailing her into the foreseeable future. In 2023 we acquired the Zeeto to take more kids sailing on Lake Superior. However we would like to acquire a vessels that can carry more than six participants on an adventure.
Our Vision
Short-Term: Acquire A Larger Vessel
We are constantly checking the sailboat listing sites in the hopes of expanding our programs by acquiring a larger schooner. We may rename this vessel the Algonquin, after a vessel that was brought to Lake Superior in 1842. Our preliminary budget to purchase and renovate a used steel schooner is $250,000.
Long-Term: Build a Larger Vessel
Our goal from the start has been to build the Alice Craig, a replica of a US Revenue Cutter that sailed Lake Superior from 1859 to 1887. But it could be several years before we are in a financial position to lay her keel. The estimated cost to build the Alice Craig is two million dollars.
Our Future
With the Abbey Road, the Zeeto, and eventually the Algonquin and/or Alice Craig, we will:
-Extend our programs to more communities on Lake Superior.
-Support more groups that cater to kids.
-Provide area schools two platforms for S.T.E.A.M. educational programs.
-Increase environmental awareness and stewardship of Lake Superior.
-Present historical interpretations.
-Feature job opportunities in maritime trades.
We know that bringing a Tall Ship to Lake Superior will not cure cancer, feed the hungry, or house the homeless. But our hope is that kids who sail with us will be inspired to do great things in the future because they were able to see the world and themselves a little differently from the deck of a schooner.