Mystic Whaler News and Updates

The Official Tallship of Santa Barbara!

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse officially declared the schooner Mystic Whaler the Official Tall Ship of Santa Barbara during a special ceremony at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club on Sunday, October 12. The pronouncement recognizes the vessel's significant contributions to the community through its role as a floating classroom and as an ambassador of maritime heritage.

The mayor’s visit to the Santa Barbara Yacht Club event underscored the city's commitment to ocean-based education and marine conservation. Mayor Rowse, a longtime advocate for local community organizations, arrived at the club to make the official announcement in front of Mystic Whaler’s friends and supporters.

The Santa Barbara Yacht Club, with its deep roots in the city's maritime community, provided the perfect backdrop for this historic declaration. Mayor Rowse praised MOA for its work and the Mystic Whaler's role in connecting local youth to the ocean. The declaration solidifies the ship's place as a key cultural and educational landmark for the City of Santa Barbara.

The event concluded with wonderful live sea chanteys by the Ojai-based group The Dead Whales.

Pictured (from L to R): Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, MOA Co-Founder Sarah Chrisman, MOA President Nancy McAleer Golden.

A Legacy Reclaimed:

Steve Machesney's Return to the Mystic Whaler

Mystic Whaler was recently honored with a very special visitor! We are so happy to share Steve Machesney's reflections on greeting an old friend...

"My tall ship experience started back in 1990. As a 20-year-old taking a break from college, I signed on as a galley steward aboard the Mystic Clipper, sailing out of Mystic, CT, for Captain John Eginton. Over the next few seasons, I worked my way up the rigging to deckhand and relief mate—learning the discipline and reliance that only a traditional tall ship can truly teach.

That chapter closed when the Clipper was sold in 1994. Captain John immediately set his sights on the Mystic Whaler, then languishing in a Providence, Rhode Island, boatyard. She was a ghost of a vessel—yard-owned, her interior gutted, steel plating half-replaced, and covered by a tattered, forlorn shroud. She had been abandoned, but Captain John saw her potential. He bought the Whaler, and the race to restore her began.

I eagerly rejoined the crew to help with the refit and restoration. I even became the Whaler's first office manager, trading the old reservation system of golf tees, a pegboard, and paper for a database and, eventually, an online system. For the following two decades, I helped with marketing and sailed the vessel whenever I had the chance.

Fast forward to October 3, 2025. My son, Liam, recently moved to Orange County and arranged for me to see the Whaler again, now operating under Mystic Ocean Adventures and new stewardship. Truth be told, I was nervous. It was hard to imagine she could be as immaculate as she was under Captain John and Captain Pat's exacting care.

My anxiety vanished the moment I stepped aboard. I was astounded. Under Captain Healy’s command, the brass sparkled, the new galley gleamed, and the refurbished deckhouse tops glowed. She has never looked better.

The real gift of tall ship sailing is self-reliance. The moment you leave the dock, you and your crewmates are wholly responsible for every person and every piece of equipment. You learn to make it work, no matter the challenge, and you come out stronger for it. That lesson is still with me.

Thank you, Mystic Ocean Adventures, for carrying on this essential American maritime tradition."

Learn More About Mystic Whaler

We invite you to check out our video about Mystic Whaler and her experiential learning programs for local youth here!

Maritime Sayings: "A Clean Slate"

The phrase "clean slate" originated from the maritime practice of sailors using a slate tablet to record navigational information such as speed and course. At the change of each watch (shift), the slate would be wiped clean with a wet cloth, erasing all previous entries and allowing the next crew to start fresh with a clean surface. 

Sailors would write important details on a slate board, often called a "log-slate," using chalk during their watch. When a new watch of sailors took over, they would erase the board to begin with a clear record. This literal "clean slate" represented a fresh start for the new shift, free from any errors or information from the previous watch.

Over time, the term evolved into a figurative expression for starting over in any context without the burden of past mistakes. 

Mystic Whaler is a proud member of: