.gif)
Denis Sullivan (schooner)
Encyclopedia
The S/V Denis Sullivan is a replica
three-masted, wooden, gaff rigged schooner
from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. She is a flagship of both the state of Wisconsin
and of the United Nations Environment Programme
.
which would serve as a platform for educating people about the Great Lakes
. Community involvement was welcome in the project, and almost a thousand people donated almost a million volunteer hours toward the Denis Sullivans construction. Through the efforts of both professional shipwrights and volunteers, the Denis Sullivan was partially completed and launched in June 2000. She departed Milwaukee for her first sail to the Caribbean in November 2000.
schooners of the 19th century. Like many of those schooners, she carries a raffee, a square-rigged fore topsail
which is triangular in shape.
In designing the Denis Sullivan, architects Timothy Graul Marine Services looked to several nineteenth century Great Lakes schooners for inspiration, including the Rouse Simmons
, Clipper City
, and Alvin Clark. Above the waterline
, the Sullivan closely resembles these earlier vessels. Her shape is that of an efficient cargo carrier, and her rigging
and deck
arrangement are likewise authentic. She differs from her predecessors, however, below the waterline. Traditionally, Great Lakes cargo schooners were built with a fairly flat bottom to minimize draft
and permit sailing in shallow waters. They carried a centerboard to compensate for this when sailing to windward. The Denis Sullivan strayed from this tradition to meet both modern Coast Guard
safety requirements and the practical considerations of a passenger vessel. She has a relatively deep hull
and weighted keel
, which provide greater stability to the vessel and allow for 6 in 4 in (1.93 m) of head clearance in the below decks accommodations. An additional concession to safety regulations was the division of the traditional cargo hold into watertight bulkhead
s.
Ship replica
A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...
three-masted, wooden, gaff rigged schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. She is a flagship of both the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and of the United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
.
History
The construction of the Denis Sullivan was first proposed in 1991 by a group of Milwaukee residents and volunteers from other states. Their plan was to build a tall shipTall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....
which would serve as a platform for educating people about the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Community involvement was welcome in the project, and almost a thousand people donated almost a million volunteer hours toward the Denis Sullivans construction. Through the efforts of both professional shipwrights and volunteers, the Denis Sullivan was partially completed and launched in June 2000. She departed Milwaukee for her first sail to the Caribbean in November 2000.
Design
The Denis Sullivan is not a replica of a specific vessel. Rather, her design is inspired by that of the Great Lakes cargoCargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
schooners of the 19th century. Like many of those schooners, she carries a raffee, a square-rigged fore topsail
Topsail
A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.- Square rig :On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried...
which is triangular in shape.
In designing the Denis Sullivan, architects Timothy Graul Marine Services looked to several nineteenth century Great Lakes schooners for inspiration, including the Rouse Simmons
Rouse Simmons
The Rouse Simmons was a three-masted schooner famous for having sunk in a violent storm on Lake Michigan in 1912. The ship was bound for Chicago with a cargo of Christmas trees when it foundered off the coast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, killing all on board....
, Clipper City
Clipper City (schooner)
Clipper City is a modern replica of a nineteenth century cargo schooner.-The original Clipper City:The first Clipper City was a cargo clipper schooner built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1854. Manitowoc soon became known for its shipbuilding industry, and "Clipper City" was adopted as a nickname for...
, and Alvin Clark. Above the waterline
Waterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
, the Sullivan closely resembles these earlier vessels. Her shape is that of an efficient cargo carrier, and her rigging
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
and deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
arrangement are likewise authentic. She differs from her predecessors, however, below the waterline. Traditionally, Great Lakes cargo schooners were built with a fairly flat bottom to minimize draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
and permit sailing in shallow waters. They carried a centerboard to compensate for this when sailing to windward. The Denis Sullivan strayed from this tradition to meet both modern Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
safety requirements and the practical considerations of a passenger vessel. She has a relatively deep hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
and weighted keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
, which provide greater stability to the vessel and allow for 6 in 4 in (1.93 m) of head clearance in the below decks accommodations. An additional concession to safety regulations was the division of the traditional cargo hold into watertight bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
s.