The History of the Staysail Schooner 'Utopia'
Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2022 12:00 pm
The legendary staysail schooner Utopia was designed in 1945 by Fred J. Peterson of the famed shipbuilding firm, Peterson Builders, Inc. of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Looking at the build card for the 1940s, Peterson Builders, Inc. launched several vessels including 110’ wooden sub chasers, 40’ wooden launches, 85’ aircraft rescue vessels, and in 1946, the 65’ staysail schooner Utopia.
Fred’s vision for Utopia was for a boat that could cruise for extended periods of time, including global circumnavigation in comfort. To that end, Utopia was built with a steel double bottom for strength and durability and wooded hull sides for warmth and beauty. Fitted with twin Detroit diesels, fuel tank capacity of 10 tons, and freshwater capacity of 5 tons Utopia is capable of extended cruising!
Utopia was launched in 1946; rigged and made ready to sail in July 1947. Her maiden voyage took her from the Great Lakes, through the St. Lawrence River crossing the North Atlantic to Spain via the Azores. After spending a few months in the Mediterranean Utopia made her out through Gibraltar down the coast of Africa before crossing the Atlantic in 19 days to the Canary Islands. From there she stopped at the Virgin Islands before cruising to Cuba, Miami, up the east coast and back into the Hudson River, and eventually back to the Great Lakes. Not a bad shakedown cruise!
For the next 8 years, Utopia sailed Green Bay and Lake Michigan while preparing for the round world voyage. In November of 1956, Utopia left her berth in Sturgeon Bay and traveled south down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and St. Petersburg Florida, her last stop in the U.S. for nearly 3 years. Her circumnavigation included a several-month layover in Malaya before finally finishing in Sturgeon Bay on October 22, 1959.
Unsurprising to those of us in the Great Lakes, of all the places around the globe, Fred Peterson indicated the waters of Northern Lake Michigan are some of the finest cruising waters to be had. We couldn’t agree more!
The schooner Utopia competed in several Chicago to Mackinac races and has served as a goodwill ambassador to thousands of people around the Great Lakes. Utopia is currently under the steward of the Inland Seas Education Association of Suttons Bay, Michigan.
About the Inland Seas Education Association:
Since 1989, Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) has provided learners of all ages with hands-on experiences aboard traditionally-rigged tall ship schooners, along the shores of the Great Lakes, and in local rivers, streams, and wetlands. As a non-profit organization located in Suttons Bay, Michigan, our mission is to inspire a lifetime of Great Lakes curiosity, stewardship, and passion in people of all ages.
