This past week, two members of the BlooSee team had the privilege of sitting down with Sausalito based boat builder Alan Olson and discussing his plans to build a 140 foot wooden sailing ship for the San Francisco Bay Area. Alan explained the vision behind the Educational Tall Ship and what he hopes to accomplish with its creation. BlooSee left with a better understanding of the modern Tall Ship community as well as learning about what it takes to start a project of this magnitude.

Alan Olson at his boat shop in Sausalito

History, Innovation and Education: The Life of a Tall Ship

Tall Ships’ value stand the test of time. With a few surviving over a hundred years, these national treasures are perfect examples of sound construction and design. For example, The Star of India was built in the U.K. in 1863 and is still a seaworthy vessel, sailing regularly in San Diego. What ship builders were capable of in the 1800’s is still relevant today. At any given time there are typically one or two modern Tallships being built in the United State. The San Francisco Bay Area will soon be sailing a new Tall Ship of its own through the supporters of  the Educational Tall Ship (ETS) project. The vessel will be a beacon of educational experience for generations to come and it plans to  launch in time for the 34th America’s Cup.

“Building a Ship, Building a  Community”
Alan Olson built his first boat when he was 20 and sailed it down the Mississippi River to the Caribbean. As one of the founders for the non-profit Call of the Sea, he has been teaching sailing and restoring sailboats his whole life. Influenced by Matthew Turner, a founding member of the San Francisco Yacht club and the prominent Pacific boat builder of the 1850’s, Alan plans to use the ETS as an experiential platform for the Bay Area community. Merging history with modern design, the ETS will provide an on the water and shore-based classroom for students of all ages, both during the construction phase and after its completion. The program will focus on marine ecology, sustainability, teamwork, leadership and the vibrant maritime history of the Bay Area. The ETS will be able to accommodate 40 people on overnight voyages and around 80 for day trips. The project is funded through donations and is aiming for an 18 month construction timeline.

One of the many pictured sailboats in Alan's office.

Sustainable Construction
The ETS will be implementing the most sustainable construction practices possible. Wood is the primary building material and will be purchased within a 750 mile radius from Forest Stewardship Certified lumber. Construction will take place either in Sausalito or San Francisco and will rely on the work of community volunteers. Much attention has been focused on ensuring that rest of the construction materials (paints, glues, sails, metals) are eco-friendly. The ETS will power itself by using a state of the art hybrid engine that is capable of harnessing regenerative power through a combination of propulsion, solar panels and wind generators. By embracing the newest hybrid design technology, the ETS will not be reliant on fossil fuels and will have a waste management system that will repurpose, recycle and reduce all waste. The ETS will stand tall when compared to the technologically streamlined catamarans that dominate the America’s Cup. The extensive history of the America’s Cup began with the racing of Tall Ships and it will be a testament to the institution’s decorated past to see the ETS on the Bay during the upcoming event.

BlooSee is thoroughly captivated by this project and will be following its progress closely. As construction begins we will be updating you with the project’s milestones as well as showing you the people behind the ETS. We will also have some posts examining the lives of other modern Tall Ships and discussing the communities that have made them possible.

For more information on the project please go to educationaltallship.org and callofthesea.org.

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