Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation

News and Updates

Welcome to the new Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation (CCOAF) monthly newsletter! We hope you will enjoy hearing from us. Please don't worry; we will not overwhelm your mailbox. We only want to share some of the latest happenings from our experiential classroom, the schooner Mystic Whaler, and how she is changing the lives of the young people and the members of the community who are coming on board.

October Experiential Education in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara county students were “Sailing Through Time” during the month of October out of Santa Barbara Harbor in a new and exclusive educational program developed by CCOAF for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The 5-hour program took students from the present into the past. Using skills such as math, science, and technology, as well as teamwork, determination, and problem-solving, students were presented with a series of challenges, from raising sail to navigation. This program was designed to not only instill a connection of empathy and understanding with our past but to encourage pride in hard work well done and inspire ambitions in personal education and growth.

Pacific Coast Commissioning of CCOAF's Mystic Whaler

October 15, 2023, was a bright and sunny day; a perfect day to commission Mystic Whaler for her Pacific Coast Educational Mission!

Friends and supporters of Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation joined CCOAF principal founders Roger and Sarah Chrisman, the CCOAF Board of Directors, Executive Director Captain Christine Healy, and the crew and staff of Mystic Whaler and CCOAF for a beautiful ceremony onboard Mystic Whaler. The celebration then moved into the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum for a special toast and presentation. The wonderful entertainment for the celebration was provided by Ariana Horner Sutherland, soprano, and tenor Matthew Peterson, singers from the Chrisman Studio Artists program, accompanied on keyboard by Kostis Protopapas, general director of Opera Santa Barbara. Honored guests included Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, and Wendy Motta, who was representing US Congressman Salud Carbajal.

Mystic Whaler is truly the heart of all we do at CCOAF, and we were so proud and happy that she was honored with such a special day!

What is STEM?

Part of CCOAF's Mission is to promote STEM comprehension. So, what exactly is STEM?

The acronym "STEM", was originally coined as an education term by the National Science Foundation in the early 2000s. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The need for STEM programming in education developed out of concern that future generations were lacking the critical skills needed to succeed in the current and future economy.

STEM programming teaches innovation, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, among many other skills proven to lead to success.

Critical thinking development is especially important (or critical!) as we consider the challenges that we and our communities will face in the future, including changes in our environment and climate.

Mystic Whaler FAQs

Ship’s Specs:

• 110’ Sparred length

• 85’ On deck

• 97 Gross registered tons

• Representation of a late 19th-century cargo schooner

• Carries 3,000 square feet of sail

Mystic Whaler was built in 1967 in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and designed by V.B. Crockett. She is a representation of a late 19th-century cargo two-masted schooner. In 1995, she went through a significant overhaul. Mystic Whaler then operated on the East Coast for the next 26 years, conducting educational programs and charters throughout Long Island Sound, Connecticut, and the Chesapeake Bay. She started her three-month journey to California in October 2021 and was donated to CCOAF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in January of 2022. 

Wishing you a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving Day!