To the delight of several dozen people, a replica of the historic sailing vessel America pulled up to Mattapoisett’s Long Wharf on May 31. People patiently waited for a local fuel supplier to pump over 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel into the massive sailing vessel’s tanks, after which tours were conducted below deck by the ship’s captain and owner Troy Sears of San Diego.
On the wharf, people spoke enthusiastically about the beauty of the 138-foot double-mast yacht. Gale Broderwick of Rochester, a former Mariner Girl Scout from decades ago, said that seeing the ship reminded her of her sailing days aboard the schooner Brigadoon Yankee. Of today’s events she said, “Suddenly the fog lifted and there she was!”
Descending down the steps of the America into the below deck spaces, one found a rich interior décor of varnished wood and thick leather couches. Bunks were double sized and stainless steel sparkled. The walls of the common room were graced by many half-hull sculptures.
Sears said that his mission is to give young people the opportunity to experience classic sailing and “to reach a younger audience about the America’s Cup races.”
The original America won the first America’s Cup race in 1851.
Sears and his business partners purchased the America in 2006 as part of their fleet of touring vessels primarily used in San Diego for special events and whale watching tours.
Sears said that he came to Mattapoisett as part of an east coast tour that included stops in Marion, MA, Newport, RI, Bar Harbor, ME, and Galveston, TX.
The current crew of six – hailing not only from San Diego, but also from Alaska and San Francisco – began their journey in April coming eastward by way of the Panama Canal. They will return to San Diego sometime in June 2017. The ship and crew will participate in promotional activities associated with the America’s Cup and Newport to Bermuda races and reach 100 ports of call on the east coast.
Sears said, “There’s a generational shift in sailing,” and noted that tradition leans toward overcoming navigational challenges while younger sailors look for speed.
Regarding the history of boats such as the America, Sears said that the original America was built to showcase American “superiority in naval architecture.” In 1851, that boat sailed across the Atlantic to participate in the World’s Fair in London.
He said that the original America serviced in the Civil War, but by 1942, it was abandoned and rotting and subsequently crushed when a roof caved in on it during a winter storm. In 1995, the current yacht was built for a private owner.
During his presentation, Sears shared that the word yacht meant “a boat for fun” in the world beyond the USA. He said that only here was it a term that seemed to separate the “haves and the have-nots” of society. Sears told the youngest in the group that he began sailing at the age of 9. He urged them to continue and noted, “Sailing will teach you self-reliance and confidence.”
By Marilou Newell