In the summer of 2007, a group of eight young Rhode Islanders, ages 14 to 17, sailed in to the dock in Newport aboard the sail-training schooner Virginia . Most of these kids had never been on a boat before they boarded the schooner in Baltimore. And after 10 days at sea, 400 miles of hard work, rain, rough seas and seasickness – along with dolphin sightings, a midnight sail around the Statue of Liberty, cannon salutes, and many more adventures – they all had grown in ways they never could have imagined.

Sail training offers incalculable benefits to kids – they learn not just seamanship, but also responsibility, communication, and teamwork. They overcome fears and discomfort and stretch their concept of their own capabilities. They learn about maritime history and the ocean environment, make new friends and discover new worlds. And when they take part in races organized by the Sail Training Association, as these kids did, they meet youngsters from far-off foreign lands, a priceless and eye-opening experience.

In 2008, Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island (OHPRI) sent another 12 youngsters on a five-day sail-training voyage aboard the Spirit of South Carolina . The goal of OHPRI is to continue to make this kind of seagoing experiential education accessible to more of our state's schoolchildren, every year, all year round.

Nicole Beede and Blaine Lucas were two of the eight Rhode Island students who sailed on the schooner Virginia in 2007, an experience made possible by OHPRI. “Why would you not want to be on the schooner Virginia?” asked Nicole.   “It was the best 10 days of my life!” added Blaine.

A 2007 study by the University of Edinburgh found that “Sail training does what it claims to do.” The researchers found:

•  Young trainees who participate in offshore sail-training programs show measurable improvements in social confidence and their ability to work with others, and those benefits are sustained long after the voyage experience.

•  The positive value of the sail-training experience transcends national and cultural boundaries.

•  Conclusion: “It is clear from the data that participants respond in overwhelmingly positive ways to their sail-training voyages.”

WE HAVE THE SHIP...

OHPRI has already acquired a steel hull for the ship, which is currently undergoing work at Promet Marine Services in Providence, RI. Much of the hull construction has been completed. Fuel and water tanks are installed, as well as shafts and propellers for its twin-engine propulsion system. Steel platforms await her twin generators. All the work will be done in Rhode Island, taking advantage of the deep pool of maritime expertise found here.

SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be Rhode Island's own sail-training vessel, providing our state with a showcase three-masted square-rigged tall ship, 196 feet from bow to stern, a unique resource not found anywhere else in North America. The SSV Oliver Hazard Perry can carry up to 30 seagoing cadets for educational voyages up to a semester long.

Plans are underway to complete the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry by 2013.

WE HAVE THE TEAM...

In 2007 and 2008, OHPRI worked with Rhode Island Educational Talent Search, a program based at Rhode Island College, to select the youngsters who would benefit most from the sail training experience. Students from Chariho High School's marine trades program were among the cadets, as well as students from Newport and Providence. OHPRI has already developed partnerships and guidelines for creating world-class sail-training experiences.

Educational institutions across the state are eager to join with OHPRI in developing programs and sending students to sea. We are working with URI's state-of-the-art Inner Space Center to maximize the potential of Internet education to bring exciting real-time marine encounters into every Rhode Island classroom. Our board of directors and advisors includes some of the most experienced marine educators and tall ship sailing experts in the world.

LET'S GO!

OHPRI is ready to work with you now to develop seagoing programs that will meet your objectives and the needs of your students. Our experienced educators can design customized programs from a week long to a full semester, for up to 30 students at a time. Topics from maritime history, to navigation, to ocean exploration, to marine science, and more, come alive when taught at sea. We plan to spend the winter in the Caribbean, and the summers in Southern New England waters.

Students from age 12 to 18 benefit most from these seagoing experiences. Younger children can benefit from dockside visits, and we will work with you to offer pre-visit lessons to be sure they get the most from the trip. Older students may find a berth in our intern or gap-year programs. And our extensive online education programs will bring the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry experience into every classroom and home in Rhode Island.

The SSV Oliver Hazard Perry is operated as a nonprofit corporation, with a mission to educate every Rhode Island child about our maritime heritage and the science of the sea. We will work with you to keep costs as low as possible.