The S/V Denis Sullivan, the three-masted schooner with its distinctive green wooden hull, has been a common site in the waters along Milwaukee’s lakefront and throughout the Great Lakes since being launched in 2000.
After being docked since 2019 due to a variety of challenges, the Denis Sullivan’s next trip will be a farewell to Milwaukee as its home. Discovery World, which had owned and operated the sailing vessel, announced that it has sold the Denis Sullivan to World Ocean School, a non-profit educational sailing organization based in Boston.
The deal will allow the Denis Sullivan to set sail again this fall and continue its mission of connecting students to the natural environment, according to a statement issued by Discovery World’s staff and Board of Directors.
The sale to World Ocean School will provide greater opportunities for the tall ship to sail year-round while supporting its financial sustainability, the statement said.
“We are excited to find a partner in World Ocean School that is well positioned to ensure the Denis Sullivan will continue to provide educational opportunities for students around the world and further the ship’s original mission,” Discovery World CEO Bryan Wunar said.
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The Denis Sullivan has been the flagship of both the state of Wisconsin and of the United Nations Environment Programme. The wooden schooner is powered by two diesel engines and boasts a scientific laboratory, computer workstations and modern communication and navigation equipment. It’s designed to carry up to 50 passengers on day sails and 20 for overnight excursions.
The 137-foot ship, touted as the world’s only replica of a 19th-century three-masted Great Lakes schooner, hasn’t sailed since 2019. It was docked in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discovery World decided not to sail the Denis Sullivan again in 2021 due to lingering concerns about COVID-19 as well as financial issues and the struggle to replace the vessel’s longtime captain, Tiffany Krihwan, who landed at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy after being furloughed by Discovery World during the pandemic.
The Denis Sullivan remained docked again this year mainly because Discovery World still hadn’t found a replacement for Krihwan, who prior to her departure had been director of marine operations at Discovery World since 2014 and senior captain of the Denis Sullivan since 2008.
Now, the vessel has a new home with plans on having it set sail once again.
“As we look to expand the impact of World Ocean School’s unique programs to more students, we are honored to welcome the Denis Sullivan to our fleet and to become stewards of its history and commitment to exceptional experiential education,” World Ocean School President and Executive Director Eden Leonard said.
