Shenandoah, The Next Generation | Phase One

Martha’s Vineyard’s esteemed tall ship, Shenandoah, is an iconic community asset. Shenandoah has catalyzed transformative growth for over 6,000 Vineyard children. However, the vessel is currently operating on borrowed time.

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has mandated significant repairs that would require the dismantling of Shenandoah’s hull. According to several experts, including shipwrights at the Mystic Seaport Museum shipyard who rebuilt Shenandoah’s stern in 2020 and specialize in historic preservation, these repairs are too costly to justify. Furthermore, the lengthy downtime required for repairs would disrupt Shenandoah’s services that families rely on. While the Coast Guard has permitted Shenandoah to continue operations, the need for overdue repairs is evident, and time is of the essence.

Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy aims to address this challenge by constructing a new hull. Captain Douglas, the designer of Shenandoah, has provided plans for Shenandoah II, which comply with all current USCG regulations for a sailing school vessel. Shenandoah II promises enhanced safety, expanded services, and the preservation of a historic cultural asset.

With your leadership and generous contributions from various supporters, the construction of Shenandoah II will commence in a commercial shipyard this fall. By the fall of 2026, seasonal programs aboard Shenandoah will conclude, and the vessel's interior and rig will be dismantled to outfit Shenandoah II. We anticipate the new hull to be ready for service the following spring.

Ocean Academy has partnered with the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation to procure wood for Shenandoah II's interior, deck, and spars. The interior and deck wood will be sourced from Martha’s Vineyard’s forests, while the spars will be harvested from forests in New Hampshire that have produced masts since the 1600s.

Ocean Academy’s partnerships with Island schools, facilitating weeklong voyages for Island students, will continue each summer aboard its successor. During the winter, Ocean Academy will increase its impact by hosting young adults on 14-week semester voyages, allowing them to earn academic credits while plotting a course for their adult lives.

Ocean Academy's student body mirrors the socio-economic and ethnic diversity of the Island's year-round working-class community. Facing heightened demand in 2024, Ocean Academy has already secured $200,000 in grants and gifts for its Annual Fund, ensuring additional voyages and removing financial barriers to access.

In light of post-pandemic data, the need for mental health promotion interventions, such as Ocean Academy’s voyages, to address the youth mental health epidemic is paramount. We urge community leaders to invest in Shenandoah, protecting a unique cultural asset and fostering the development of healthy, stable adults.