Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Sunday, Jun. 21, 2009

Zodiac mixes fun with learning on schooner outings

It's hard to imagine that a vintage schooner with masts 12 stories high and with a massive mainsail could fly under the radar, so to speak, but Tim Mehrer says that's the case with the Zodiac.

"We're the best kept secret in the Northwest," says the Bellingham skipper.

Based at Bellingham Cruise Terminal spring through fall, the Zodiac offers groups and individuals the chance to learn hands-on sailing skills while cruising the waters of Puget Sound, the San Juan islands and British Columbia.

During the off-season, the Zodiac moors in Seattle for repairs and ongoing restoration.

"Any wood boat, the second it's launched, it starts to rot," Mehrer says.

That's true, but the Zodiac isn't just any wood boat.

Built in 1924 as a private yacht for the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical family, the vessel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

She was modeled after the design of Atlantic fishing schooners, known for their stability, their large size - the Zodiac is 127 long at her deck - and their speed, she reaches 12-plus knots in a good wind.

Fast? Indeed; she placed fourth in a famous 1928 schooner race from New York to Spain.

In 1931 the Zodiac was sold, renamed "The California," and used as a pilot boat at the entrance to San Francisco Bay.

Sold again in 1972, her new owners donated the vessel to Karl Mehrer, a longtime Northwest sailor who was master of the Adventuress, another vintage schooner. After nearly 20 years of fundraising and restoration work, the re-named Zodiac was again seaworthy and certified, and began sailing out of Bellingham in 1993, said Tim Mehrer, Karl's son.

The Mehrers now live in Bellingham, in part because it's close to the San Juans and to Canada, and because Tim's wife, June, hails from Bellingham.

Zodiac charter outings range from day sails, to a few days, to nearly a week. Many are educational in nature, with school groups aboard.

The Zodiac also has been a floating home for business retreats, weddings, reunions and funerals. Some outings are organized for people with particular interests, such as photography or painting, or for visiting wineries or breweries.

The Zodiac can handle up to 49 passengers for a day sail, and about two dozen for longer trips. The crew typically is eight people, including a cook and several experienced volunteers.

Whether the sailing is for a few hours or several days, for students or retirees, passengers help by raising and lowering the sails, and are taught the basics of navigation, steering, and manning the bow.

Sehome High School history teacher David Hageman has been taking students on Zodiac outings for about 15 years.

"I saw the boat sailing across the bay and I said, 'I've got to get on that boat,'" he said.

To make the trips educational, students must research a related topic that they can present to other students while aboard during their three-day outing. Having the students learn the ropes of sailing is a useful ice-breaker, Hageman said.

"It develops rapport with the kids that otherwise wouldn't be talking to each other, wouldn't know each other," he said.

About two-dozen students typically go, plus four or five faculty members. This year, the Sehome group sailed in early May.

Hageman mixes learning with fun for the students, with a talent show, races with 8-inch-long boats, and jumps into the brisk waters of the sound.

"They love the idea of learning how to sail this large ship," Hageman said, "and they love the friendships they get to make."

MORE INFO

What: Sailings aboard the schooner Zodiac, moored at Bellingham Cruise Terminal.

When: Some longer outings are still available this summer, and several day trips are planned. Day trips cost $40 per person.

Details: (877) 831-7427.

Online: schoonerzodiac.com or starsailcruises.com.