Key Largo: The Schooner “Yankee” Entering Ocean Reef

The sight of a larger schooner under sail and close at hand is an encounter which will touch the emotion of even the experienced sailor. The power and grace of a 50 ton sailing vessel as she glides along will also likely astound those whose regular familiarity has been with power driven craft.

Built in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1982, the schooner “Yankee” has sailed from many ports, from Eastport, Maine to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. Designed to carry 46 passengers, she is 80 ft. overall, with a beam of 16 ft., draws 6 1/2ft. of water and is 64 ft. tall.

In many instances passengers on the coastal schooners are invited to volunteer their muscle power to help crew the vessels, thereby building for themselves a first hand knowledge of the skills and procedures involved in preparing to get under way, hoisting sails, coming about, and dealing with sudden changes in the weather. This kind of on-hands participation in working a ship under sail can be an unforgettably invigorating experience. This view shows the “Yankee” arriving at the harbor mouth of Ocean Reef following an off-shore moonlight cruise.

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