A Sailor’s Life
How did the ship come to be named?One of the ships the Denis Sullivan is designed after is the Moonlight, a Great Lakes schooner from 1874 to 1903 that was captained by Denis Sullivan, and whose home port was Milwaukee. His greatgrandson made the first big donation to fund building the ship, and had the naming rights. But Northwestern Mutual Life, Harley-Davidson and North Sails all funded contributions to this ship that is now valued at about $4 million.
What makes this
historical schooner a great sailing vessel?
There are
only six to eight Great Lakes schooners of any note left, and the Denis
Sullivan is the only three-mast schooner that travels. It was built using
techniques from the 1860s, 137 feet long, and all hand-built over five years.
The crew works, lives, eats and sleeps on ship, and it has great educational
programming.
We work around the science programming for Milwaukee Public Schools. Sometimes it’s half-day trips for third- or fourth-graders. Usually urban high school kids who have never been outside of Milwaukee take a two-week cruise that involves science and education. The two-week trips can really change their lives. They gain a sense of responsibility they may have never had before, being away from cell phones, computers and televisions. It’s just them, the boat and the stars.
What was the most
exciting trip the S/V Denis Sullivan has made?
Definitely
last year—March 21, 2007— around midnight in the Gulf Stream near Florida, where we sail in the winter. We hit an incredibly bad
storm with sometimes 8-foot waves. We were sinking and had students aboard. But
we hand-pumped the 6 feet of water on deck and rescued three men out of the
water whose boat had sunk. Scott Hooper, one of our crew-members, jumped in to
save them and received the Silver Lifesaving Medal from the U.S. Coast Guard,
similar to the Silver Star in the armed services. The Denis Sullivan
received a medal as well, for meritorious service.
Are you ready for
another season of sailing on Milwaukee’s lakefront?
I’m always
ready to sail, but I don’t ever need to see another night like March 21. As a
captain, one experience like that is enough.
The Sullivan’s June 7 homecoming to its port at Discovery World will be marked by a celebration throughout the facility. Live music, food, children’s activities, tours and much more will be available between 3 and 7 p.m. For ticket prices and information, call (414) 765-9966 or go to www.discoveryworld.org.
Capt. Hugh Covert |
Photo by Corey Hengen
Also in Off the Cuff:
- Fri
10 - Sat
11 - Sun
12 - Mon
13 - Tue
14 - Wed
15 - Thu
16
Eighteen-year-old Ian Lafferty sets out on a cross country drive with his best
friends Lance and Felicia in order to lose his virginity to a red-hot babe he
met on the Internet. But the journey, filled wi
"Body of Lies" is based on "Washington Post" columnist David Ignatius' 2007
novel about a CIA operative, Roger Ferris, who uncovers a lead on a major
terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of J
Ry Cooder's California trilogy started purposefully and thematically with Chavez Ravine, turned old-time-radio wistful on My Name is Buddy, and now takes a complete header into the deep end for the concluding I, Flathead. Assuming the point of view
Genesis skipped Wisconsin during last year's reunion tour, but the three-DVD box set When In Rome 2007 spectacularly captures what we missed. Although original
frontman Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett passed on this tour,
the incarnation
Michael Polaski’s Umami Moto is already a familiar dining spot in Brookfield, where it has gained note for its menu of Asian fusion. A second Umami Moto opened in downtown Milwaukee this summer, located on Milwaukee Street in the former Eve. This ti
The Painted Parrot (8028 W. National Ave.) is a fun, colorful restaurant that follows a Caribbean theme. Jamaican murals cover the walls and reggae music blasts from behind the large bar. The menu wanders through the Caribbean with a few Louisiana touches
|
|
| Dining | |
| Contests | |
| Events | |
| Music | |
| A & E | |
| Film | |
| Film Times
|
|
| The New Economy
|
|
| Blogs/Voices | |
| Sports | |
| Weather | |
| Health Express | |
| Best of the City | |
| Free Classifieds |
