BaySail's info

BaySail's Mission

To foster environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay Watershed and the Great Lakes ecosystem and to provide personal development opportunities for learners of all ages through ship board and land based educational experiences.

Sponsors

The Appledore Tall Ships

Appledore Schooners

The Appledore schooners are owned and operated by BaySail, a private, non-profit organization. BaySail, supports its Environmental Education and Youth Development programs through public sails, private charters and group tours.

About the Schooners

Appledore IV was sold to Bay Breeze Yacht Charters in Traverse City where she was chartered to private groups and used as a floating bed & breakfast. She sailed out of Charlevoix for several years and, during the two years prior to being purchased by BaySail, sailed out of Erie, PA. BaySail brought her home to Bay City in the spring of 1998.

Appledore V was making her home in with the Traverse Tall Ship Company, who sailed her under the name of Westwind, in Traverse Bay. BaySail acquired her in October of 2002, where she was rechristened spring of 2003 back to Appledore V.

According to Herb Smith, the person who commissioned each of the 6 Appledore schooners, the name Appledore came from an island off the Maine coast. This island was the first one that Herb sailed out to as a teenager. His future wife, Doris, was living there as a lobster man's daughter.

As Herb tells BaySail, in the 1980's, there was a bit of low interest money floating around for new businesses. Herb found as steel ship builder, Mark Treworgy, in Palm Coast, Florida that was reasonable. He had the hull built there and motor sailed it up to Maine, alone, in five and a half days, where it was finished. Dave Bierig of Erie, PA built the original sails out of Dacron. Herb and Doris took Appledore IV to Barbados one winter and sailed in the islands but didn't have the funds to continue around the world. Herb and Doris then used her in the coastal day-charter trade out of Boothbay Harbor, Maine for the next two years. They eventually sold the ship to try dairy farming.

In the September/October 1991 issue of "Ocean Navigator," Herb Smith tells the story of selling Appledore IV to The Traverse Tall Ship Company. The article recounts the voyage as Herb delivers the ship to Traverse Bay.