“GOTTA WEAR SHADES…”

What’s new at Call of the Sea in 2023? 

• More education scholarships
• New schools, communities, and kids
• Vessel upgrades
• New, exciting voyaging destinations

What makes Call of the Sea special? I say, “it’s the people!” 

Sure, we have two magnificent vessels, the brigantine Matthew Turner and schooner Seaward. Plus, our home is one of the most beautiful seaports on earth, San Francisco Bay. 

But what inspires me the most is the people who make up the Call of the Sea community. As Alan Olson likes to say, “we didn’t just build a ship, we built a community.” 

Of course, it’s spring, and the most important people in our community are coming back - the kids we serve! And, this year, thanks to your support of COTS’s scholarship program, we are working hard to share the tall ship experience with hundreds of new young people from school districts and community organizations across the Bay Area, including those with the fewest resources and greatest need. 

Education Director Steve Kielar and Director of Community Development Sylvia Stompe are leading this outreach, and also expanding our middle school, high school, college, and maritime career-development curricula. These advances have been powered in part by a $125,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, one which includes funding for buses, a game-changer for new schools.  

As for our vessels, Seaward is ready to go, and Matthew Turner is back from her biennial haul out. We are now installing new gear in preparation for the ultimate goal of stretching MT’s sea legs and taking her voyaging to Monterey this summer and beyond in 2024. 

None of this happens without your generous support. Like you, COTS feels the pinch of inflation and we need your help more than ever. Please plan to join our April 29 Tall Ship Celebration, renew your COTS membership today, and check our website for a community sail. With your continued support, the future is bright!

Mark Welther

CEO, Call of the Sea

Join the Call of the Sea Community!

Tall Ship Celebration

Saturday April 29, 11 am-3 PM

At the Bay Model Visitor Center

Activities for all ages!

• Matthew Turner & Seaward Tours
• Interactive Sailing Science Exhibits
• Knot tying & Sea Chanteys
• Old time tunes and guitar picking
• Food and Beverages for purchase

Help us raise funds for scholarships for our educational sailing programs!

Meet Director of Vessel Operations Anthony Lloyd Arrow

Tony comes to Call of the Sea with over 30 years of professional experience in the maritime world, and has sailed extensively in and across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean. He is a skilled tall ship captain and educator, holding a 1600 Ton Master license with Auxiliary Sail Endorsement. Tony grew up in the San Jose area, where he enjoyed movies and spending time in nature. He became known locally as a pizza-maker extraordinaire, at a young age. Tony first got into sailing when his father signed both of them up for a week-long apprenticeship aboard the charter schooner Mystic Clipper, and eventually made his way onto boats engaged in education at sea. Coming from a non-traditional education background, this experiential learning environment resonated with him, and he made it his career.

Tony has a knack for keeping crew spirits high during challenging moments. In the late 90s, he had two seminal and transformative jobs that further shaped his approach to educational tall ship sailing and leadership, working on the HMS Surprise, (formerly Rose), and with Ocean Classroom Foundation. Aboard HMS Surprise, Tony held every job title except Engineer, and was heavily involved in designing and implementing the sailing and maneuvering shots for the filming of Master and Commander. During his time with Ocean Classroom Foundation, Tony led 4-month semester-at-sea programs with high school students, sailing from Venezuela to Nova Scotia aboard the schooner Westward. Students, friends, and colleagues might say that Tony applies his experience and talent as a stand-up comic to work and everyday interactions.

Introducing Education Manager Mikaela Legarsky

Mikaela grew up boating and scuba diving in and around her hometown of Port Townsend, Washington. She spent most of her childhood exploring beaches and forests throughout the Pacific Northwest. Her explorations and plethora of experiential education oppor-tunities played a significant role in her earning a Master of Science in Natural Resources with an emphasis on Conservation Social Science from the University of Idaho. For the last seven years, she has taught marine and environmental science programs for organizations like the Seattle Aquarium, multiple Conservation Districts, and Pacific Marine Research. In 2019, she traveled and taught Environmental Science 101 in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia to incoming college freshmen. 

On land, Mikaela enjoys hiking, cycling, and museums. At sea, she enjoys scuba diving, hunting for agates, whale watching, and all things bioluminescence. She aspires to further develop her scientific communication skills around deep sea exploration, sharks, and marine animals.

Mikaela is currently developing educational systems to best support our educators and curricula that are phenomenon-based and align with Next Generation Science Standards for 4th-12th grade.

Upcoming MATTHEW TURNER Sails

Check out these Special Events:



• 4/22 Earth Day Sustainability Sail
• 4/23 Tall Ship Photography Sail
• 4/23 ALOFT Seamanship Sail
• 4/30 Opening Day on the Bay
• 5/27 Master Mariners Regatta

Volunteer of the Month, Frank Schlosser

Frank Schlosser is a cabinet & furniture maker who has given 18 years of service as volunteer firefighter in his community. He lives in Woodland during the week and on his Erickson 27 in Sausalito on weekends.

He always liked wooden boats. Frank built his first boat at age 18, a strip canoe. He wanted to learn to sail so he built a Herreschoff lapstrake dingy. He learned about Educational Tall Ship building Mathew Turner, so he started volunteering, when they were half way through putting up the frames. He was and still is one of the Saturday volunteers.

"I really enjoy volunteering, doing things that make a difference. Love opening kids eyes to new things, and teaching about sustainability of the oceans. The best part of volunteering to help build and maintain the tall ship is all the Amazing people I have met and learned from!"

Frank Schlosser on Matthew Turner, routing

out for blocking between floor timbers

Highlights from our spring training at Call of the Sea!

Some new folks, & some returning folks came together to help steer the course of our spring sailing season. They are holding artwork created by a former Call of the Sea crew member Nick Vaughan. 

Here is a link to the artwork Nick created to help educate folks around the local marine food web.

1.Before shot of our dockside Fouling Communities Education Station

2.And here it is one Year Later!

3.Matthew Turner's Chief Engineer Rob Charde and our new video microscopes

Seaward Captain Greg Terry and Seaward Chief Mate Morgan Hayman getting Seaward ready for the season.

Director of Education at a camp fair. We are excited to announce new opportunities to get involved this season. 

2023 Summer camps and Overnights

Don't wait, Summer Sailing camps on Seaward are filling up fast! There will also be be a weeklong summer camp and overnights on Matthew Turner this year. Check them out at the links below!

Now booking School and Youth sails for Spring, Summer and Fall!

Call of the Sea