Look at the Highlander Sea and you see a living example of the height of American fishing schooner design development; an evolution that can be traced about 100 years from 1830 until 1935 when it was rendered completely obsolete by the proliferation of the marine diesel engine.

The gaff topsail schooner rig evolved from the needs of the East Coast fishermen who sailed one thousand miles from Gloucester, Massachusetts to fish the bountiful Grand Banks of Newfoundland and back, to deliver their catch to market as quickly as possible. In the spring and fall, when gale force winds in the northwestern Atlantic are frequent, the rig could be shortened by un-shipping the ´appendages´ so to speak. The bowsprit and both topmasts were removed to improve vessel stability. This lowered the vessel´s overall center of gravity and the sail’s center of effort, and reduced its sail area. A schooner, so rigged was called a ‘knockabout’. The extra spars and associated sails were replaced in the spring to improve speed when prevailing winds were lighter and storms less frequent.

Highlander Sea´s designer, William Starling Burgess, still a well-known name in yachting design, is the designer of three early America’s Cup defenders, Rainbow, Ranger and Enterprise. He also designed the fastest and most elegant fishing schooners ever built in the United States: Mayflower, Puritan, and Columbia. Highlander Sea closely resembles Puritan in her lines and dimensions and was launched in 1924, the year after Columbia, the last Burgess’ designs, competed in the International Fisherman’s Cup races.

It has been rumored Highlander Sea was originally conceived as a racing schooner to challenge the great Nova Scotia schooner Bluenose in the International Fisherman’s Cup. As the story goes, she was sold by her racing-minded syndicate when the race was cancelled and before construction was completed, but this has not been confirmed. What can be said is that Highlander Sea was born from a racing heritage and blessed with the lines of the fastest and most graceful schooners ever built.

Highlander Sea built by J.F.W. James & Son, was launched on October 2, 1924, for the A.D. Story shipyard in Essex, Massachusetts. Originally christened Pilot, her owners, the Boston Pilots Association, had her ‘knockabout’ design modified from the typical fishing schooner to best suit their purposes. They needed a fast, maneuverable ship with good sea keeping qualities that could race harbor pilots out from Boston Harbor to meet, board and pilot visiting ships safely into the harbor. Accommodations for eight pilots, five apprentices, the engineer and cook were necessary. They had no need for a spacious fish hold, but auxiliary power was necessary to handle the ship in light winds or when the wind blew from the wrong direction. The below decks arrangements aboard Highlander Sea reflect these modifications; a large engine room in the middle of the ship where the fish hold might have been, separates two large accommodation spaces, forward for the crew and aft for the pilots.

The Pilot’s Association also modified the stern and transom to accommodate a pilothouse. The tall pilothouse could not handle a large, low main boom, nor could a small crew handle a large boom. The main mast carried a trysail instead of the massive gaff sail and the 65’ long, 2000-pound boom she carries today. A boomed staysail, located where the current foresail is, cleared a 5’ high engine exhaust funnel. Remarkably, with her knockabout rig, just four men were all that was needed to work the ship. Highlander Sea continued her role as Pilot for nearly 40 years.

In the 1970’s Highlander Sea was purchased by a consortium of two doctors and two lawyers to circumnavigate the globe. Modifications were made to the vessel to make her the full-rigged gaff topsail schooner she is today. She sailed as far as the South Pacific and was sold in 1976. Her new owner, Norman D. Paulsen of California, renamed her Star Pilot and used the schooner for marine biology classes based out of Santa Barbara in the winter and San Pedro in the summer. This is when Jacques Cousteau was aboard, as part of Catalina Island School. High Hunter took possession of the boat in 1985 and brought her to Hawaii and then to Boston and the 1986 Chesapeake Schooner Race. Mr. Paulsen then repossessed the boat in Boston and brought her back to Los Angeles via a yard period in Glouster.

In 1998 Mr. Paulsen sold the boat to Fred Smithers of Secunda Marine Service. The ship was sailed to her new home in Nova Scotia, Canada. The ship was renamed Highlander Sea and a refit was completed so the ship could be used to train young seafarers.

In April of 2002, Acheson Ventures, LLC purchased Highlander Sea as a part of its Vision. The ship would offer opportunities for character development, teamwork, and community citizenship for the people of Port Huron, in particular its youth, through leadership and training. As Port Huron´s flagship, the ship berths in this maritime capital, sails the Great Lakes and Eastern Seaboard, and is available for public tours, educational programs and special events.

In the summer of 2003, Highlander Sea participated in the ASTA Tall Ship Challenge on the Great Lakes. She was given the Black Pearl award at the fall 2003 ASTA conference.

During 2004, Highlander Sea continued her mission as an ambassador for the City of Port Huron with trips to Mackinac Island and Georgian Bay and as a participant at Kenosha WI.´s Days of Discovery Festival. In October she celebrated her 80th Birthday.  

During 2005, Highlander Sea underwent an extensive refit at MCM Marine in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Please see news and information page.