Sail and Life Training Society

Last updated
S.A.L.T.S. Sail and Life Training Society
Founded1974
Focus Sail Training
Location
Area served
British Columbia
Key people
Loren Hagerty
Executive Director
David Eggert
Director of Development
Revenue
$3.3 million in 2012 [1]
Website http://www.salts.ca/

The Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS), founded in 1974, is a non-profit Christian organization based in Victoria, British Columbia. SALTS provides sail training and life lessons for 1,700 young people each year on tall ships [2] and provides a valued link to the area's maritime heritage. [3] Currently, SALTS administrative offices are located on Herald Street in downtown Victoria, with a shop space located nearby in the Rock Bay area.

Contents

Programs

Young people ages 13–24 are given the experience of learning to sail a tall ship, which the organization describes as "life-changing." [2] In addition to learning a large set of sailing skills, they face fears (for example when climbing the rigging 115’ in the air on a moving ship) and learn teamwork, responsibility and interpersonal skills, which results in increased confidence. [2] > A bursary program is offered with help from other group partners, to make the program affordable to young people who are at risk, in low income households, or experiencing challenging life situations. [2] [4]

In the spring and fall, 4- and 5-day group sails are made with school and community groups. Ship Point Wharf in Victoria, British Columbia is the start and end point to the trips that travel through the Gulf Islands. [2] [5] 10-day summer sails circumnavigate Vancouver Island, sail along the central coast of British Columbia and the Great Bear Rainforest, and explore Haida Gwaii. [6]

In the past, offshore voyages to ports around the world were held, where youth participated in selected legs of the journey. [7] Due to new Canadian regulations for offshore vessels which the current tall ships do not meet, these trips are on hold until a new schooner is completed. [7] All progress on the New Schooner Project can be followed along on their website.

Group programs are offered with over 30 public and private schools, [8] university programs, and youth groups bringing 20 - 30 young people and their adult chaperones. [9]

Day sails are also made available to interested sailors of all ages. [10]

Fundraising

SALTS is a registered Canadian charity. [11] A large portion of program costs are funded through boat donations. SALTS arranges a third-party appraisal for the value of the tax receipt issued, and handles moorage, transportation and broker's fees. [12]

A major campaign is underway for the capital cost of a new 116' Pilot Schooner. [13] As of April 2019, approximately $3 million remains in the fund balance. [13]

Ships

SALTS Heritage Shipyard above and below Victoria's Johnson Street Bridge (Pacific Swift in port) JohnsonStBridgeOpen.jpg
SALTS Heritage Shipyard above and below Victoria's Johnson Street Bridge (Pacific Swift in port)

SALTS owns, maintains and operates two traditional [14] tall ships, Pacific Swift and Pacific Grace. Both were built by the Society in a shipyard at the former Coast Guard base on Victoria's Upper Harbour.

A new 116' Pilot Schooner the "Leonora" had been custom designed to be built for offshore voyages. As of September 2022, its construction was cancelled due to regulatory hurdles and inflation.

Pacific Swift

The wood hull of Pacific Swift was built as a working exhibit at Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is based on the brigantine Swift of 1778. The society had built another brigantine, Spirit of Chemainus, in 1985. Pacific Swift has made four off-shore voyages, which have included visits to Expo 88 in Australia and Expo 92 in Seville, to the West Indies and to the remote communities of Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. Pacific Swift has a total sail area of 510 sq m and weighs 71.45 gross tons. [15]

Pacific Swift Pacific Swift 1.JPG
Pacific Swift
Characteristics [16]
Sparred Length111' or 34 m [15]
Overall Length81'
Beam20' 6"
Draught10' 6"
Displacement98 Tonnes
RigTopsail Schooner
Accommodation37 Berths
Coastal Complement6 Crew, 30 Trainees
Offshore Complement6 Crew, 21 Trainees

Pacific Grace

Pacific Grace was built at the S.A.L.T.S. Heritage Shipyard in Victoria, launched in October 1999 and commissioned in May 2001. Her total sail area is 740 sq m. and weighs a total of 94 gross tons. [15] She is based on the Grand Banks fishing schooner Robertson II, one of the last fishing vessels to have been built in Canada [17] which the society operated from 1974 to 1995. After two seasons of coastal sailing, she departed in September 2003 on her first offshore voyage: down the coast to Costa Rica, west to Galapagos and Pitcairn, and back through the Marquesas and the Hawaiian Islands. From June 2007 to June 2008, she made a longer voyage, to the South Pacific, calling at: Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Okinawa, Shanghai, Osaka, Hawaii.

Pacific Grace Pacific Grace 1.JPG
Pacific Grace
Characteristics [16]
Sparred Length138' 7" or 42 m [15]
Overall Length115'
Beam22'
Draught11' 6"
Displacement175 Tonnes
RigGaff Schooner
Accommodation38 Berths
Coastal Complement5 Crew, 31 Trainees
Offshore Complement6 Crew, 24 Trainees

Staff/Crew (2024)

Office and Shipyard Staff
Loren HagertyExecutive Director
Marita AtwoodFinance Manager
David EggertDirector of Development
John AndrachukBoat Sales Manager
Sam VaaleOperations Manager
Tina BergumCommunications and Development Manager
Sherilyn ThomsonAdministration Manager
Dana WayBooking Manager
Glynis GittensRegistration Coordinator
Patrick SharmanShop Foreman
Chris BarrittShoreside Support Manager
Ship's Crew [18]
Tony AndersonMaster - Pacific Grace
Taylor McDonellFirst Mate - Pacific Grace
Vanessa McRaeWatch Officer - Pacific Grace
Annika RebelWatch Officer - Pacific Grace
Annika LassenBosun - Pacific Grace
Becky LubbersCook - Pacific Grace
Tristan HedleyMaster - Pacific Swift
Brock McNeillFirst Mate - Pacific Swift
Trinda McNeillWatch Officer - Pacific Swift
Julia HoodWatch Officer - Pacific Swift
Theodore FenskeBosun - Pacific Swift
Daphne VegterCook - Pacific Swift

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References

  1. "Financial Statements: Year Ended Dec. 31, 2012" Archived 2014-07-26 at the Wayback Machine , accessed July 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "About SALTS", accessed July 20, 2014.
  3. "Educational Heritage Attractions", Victoria Heritage Attractions Information Directory, accessed July 20, 2014.
  4. For example, "S.A.L.T.S. - Tales from the Tall Ship", Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria and area, August 3, 2011.
  5. Account of one voyage: "Sail and Life Training on the tall ship Pacific Grace" Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine , Aviva Shtull, Power to Be, June 5.
  6. "Summer trips", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Past Offshore Voyages", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  8. For example, "Experiences", Maple Ridge Christian School, accessed July 20, 2014; "Tall Ships 2014" Archived 2014-08-10 at the Wayback Machine , Handsworth Secondary, North Vancouver School District, accessed July 20, 2014; "Tall ship sailing expedition was awesome!", Kai, grade 7, Island Pacific School, Bowen Island.
  9. "Group Sailing Trips - The Ultimate Field Trip", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  10. "Day Sails for All Ages", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  11. "Make a donation", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  12. "Donate a boat", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "New Schooner Project", SALTS, accessed July 20, 2014.
  14. Saracuse, Tara (2011). Island Kids . e-book: Brindle & Glass. ISBN   978-1897142431.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Rowe, Nigel (2014). Tall Ships Today. London: Bloomsbury. p. 118. ISBN   9781472903488.
  16. 1 2 SALTS official site
  17. Schauffelen, Otmar (2002). Great Sailing Ships of the World. NY: Hearst Books. p. 35. ISBN   1588163849.
  18. http://www.salts.ca/site/about-us/meet-the-crew.html SALTS crew list

48°25′46″N123°22′23″W / 48.42939°N 123.37307°W / 48.42939; -123.37307