For more than three decades, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute has quietly anchored one of the most ambitious and enduring maritime education programs on the West Coast. Operating directly from the working waterfronts of San Pedro and Long Beach, the Institute blends hands-on learning, youth development, workforce training, and historic preservation aboard a fleet of tall ships that continue to sail rather than sit idle at the dock. Rooted in Los Angeles Harbor and shaped by the belief that meaningful education happens through experience, LAMI has become a living bridge between Southern California\u2019s maritime past and its future.<\/p>\n
At the center of that mission is a deliberate choice to keep tall ships active in one of the busiest ports in the world. In an era when historic vessels are often preserved behind ropes or converted into static exhibits, LAMI\u2019s ships remain under sail, their rigging worked by students, volunteers, and crew.<\/p>\n
According to Alice Taylor, that visibility matters. \u201cAs one of the easiest ways to get hands-on maritime skills, our sailing programs offer a number of different groups access to our training programs,\u201d she explained. \u201cMonthly sails with the University of Southern California\u2019s Nautical Science Program, Orange Coast College\u2019s Maritime Program and LAUSD\u2019s office of Outdoor Education provide a wide range of students a firsthand experience aboard our tall ships.\u201d<\/p>\n
For students of all ages, Taylor emphasized, the experience is far more than a novelty. \u201cFor all ages of students, it is an easy way to see Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in action,\u201d she said. That relevance is only growing. \u201cAn exciting development is the renewed interest in sail power as even cargo ships look to add sails and go carbon free,\u201d Taylor added, noting how traditional seamanship is once again influencing modern maritime innovation.<\/p>\n
That philosophy is embodied in LAMI\u2019s flagship vessels, the twin brigantines Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson. Designated the \u201cOfficial Tall Ships and Maritime Ambassadors of the City of Los Angeles\u201d at their launch in 2002, the 110-foot, traditionally rigged wooden ships were designed to last a century. Their form reflects decades of youth sail-training experience from founder Captain Jim Gladson, an LAUSD science teacher who understood that operating a complex sailing vessel could unlock curiosity, teamwork, and leadership in ways a classroom alone could not.<\/p>\n
Named for legendary sail-training pioneers Captain Irving and Electa \u201cExy\u201d Johnson, seven-time circumnavigators who famously sailed the world with youth crews aboard Yankee, the brigantines were constructed in San Pedro Harbor by crew and volunteers. Built to meet and exceed U.S. Coast Guard requirements, the ships were created with one purpose in mind: to serve as working classrooms for generations of students. Each sail reinforces LAMI\u2019s belief that maritime history is not something to be observed from the dock, but something to be experienced underway.<\/p>\n
That immersive learning environment is precisely what sets tall-ship education apart. Taylor described how even basic shipboard tasks become meaningful lessons. \u201cLearning to use or read a nautical chart, raising a sail, utilizing block and tackle, climbing the rigging, all add meaning to math, physics, science, geography, history, physical education, and other components of school curriculum,\u201d she said. Beyond academics, leadership development remains central. \u201cA hallmark of our 34-year-old TopSail Youth Program is a focus on leadership and teambuilding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Institute\u2019s connection to Los Angeles Harbor is not incidental; it is fundamental to its mission. Operating from a working port shapes how LAMI prepares students for real maritime careers. \u201cWorkforce development plays a bigger and bigger role in what we offer students,\u201d Taylor explained. \u201cWe are able to provide maritime industry career technical education to train the next generation of maritime workers.\u201d That training is not abstract. \u201cWe are employers of deckhands on a regular basis, many of which join us to receive their sea time hours on a path to becoming a sea captain or mate,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are one of the most economical and prolific way to earn your licensing credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
LAMI\u2019s broader fleet further reinforces that real-world connection. The three-masted schooner American Pride, now the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach, carries a working-vessel pedigree that spans coasts and careers. Built in 1941 at Muller Boat Works in Brooklyn as a white-oak eastern-rigged trawler, she spent more than four decades fishing the demanding waters of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and the Grand Banks. Over time, she sailed under multiple names before being converted into a passenger schooner and joining the Maine Windjammer Fleet.<\/p>\n
After a 7,500-mile voyage through the Panama Canal in the 1990s, American Pride eventually found her way to Southern California, where she served youth programs in Long Beach for more than two decades. When LAMI assumed ownership in 2018 through its Long Beach division, the Children\u2019s Maritime Institute, the vessel underwent a modern stem-to-stern restoration. By March 2019, she was once again U.S. Coast Guard certified and back under sail as a hands-on educational platform.<\/p>\n
Completing the Institute\u2019s historic trio is the beloved Swift of Ipswich, a 92-foot wooden topsail schooner built in 1938 in the style of a Revolutionary War privateer. Designed by naval architect Howard Chapelle and once owned by actor James Cagney, Swift has long been a familiar sight along the California coast. As the original vessel of LAMI\u2019s TopSail Youth Program, she proved especially well-suited for younger students. Once restoration is complete, Swift will again serve upper elementary and middle school students in Wilmington, reinforcing LAMI\u2019s commitment to neighborhood-based access to the water.<\/p>\n
While the ships capture attention, it is the Institute\u2019s programming that gives them lasting purpose. The award-winning TopSail Youth Program remains the cornerstone of LAMI\u2019s educational mission. Designed for upper elementary, middle, and high school students, TopSail uses every aspect of operating a traditionally rigged sailing vessel to bring science, engineering, mathematics, and environmental awareness to life. Students set sails, learn navigation, examine marine life, test water quality, and work together to operate the ship, developing communication skills, critical thinking, and confidence along the way.<\/p>\n
That sense of access is intentional. Many of the students LAMI serves have never been on the water before. As Taylor put it, \u201cSo many of our school field trips include students who have never been out on the water or even seen the coast.\u201d She summed up the program\u2019s philosophy with a line that has become foundational to the organization: \u201cTopSail does not train youth for life at sea. We use the sea to educate youth for life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leadership pathways continue beyond TopSail through programs like Sea Scouts Ship 1992. Based in San Pedro and open to youth ages 14 to 20, the co-ed Scouting America program allows participants to sail tall ships, handle small boats, and practice maritime skills in preparation for regional Sea Scout rendezvous. \u201cThey not only sail our tall ships but sail our fleet of small boats and practice maritime skill building activities,\u201d Taylor explained, emphasizing how transferable those skills become across the maritime world.<\/p>\n
LAMI\u2019s commitment to inclusion is perhaps most visible through the Maritime Youth Leadership Ambassadors of Wilmington program. Offered free of charge to youth ages 12 to 18 who live in or attend school in Wilmington, MYLA blends sailing, marine ecology, and career exploration with leadership development. Transportation, gear, and even opportunities for parents and caregivers to sail alongside their children are built into the program. The goal is not just participation, but comfort and confidence for families experiencing the ocean for the first time.<\/p>\n
Community engagement extends well beyond youth programs. \u201cFor San Pedro and Wilmington communities we strive to take as many local schools on day sails and weeklong voyages as possible,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cFor the general community we offer monthly sunset sails, marine ecology Explore the Coast sails, and special holiday sailing events throughout the year.\u201d LAMI\u2019s ships have also become familiar backdrops for storytelling. \u201cWe are popular filming locations for movies, TV programs, and documentaries,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
As waterfront access continues to evolve, LAMI\u2019s presence is expected to grow even more visible. \u201cOnce the West Harbor development is completed, the community will have even easier access to all our resources,\u201d Taylor said. Volunteers remain essential to that mission. \u201cLAMI has a robust volunteer program both for at sea and land-based opportunities covering every aspect from serving as deckhands and officers to maintenance and restoration of our four classic tall ships.\u201d She added with pride, \u201cKids are our passion. Volunteers are our superpower. Sailing is our tool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, global events may offer new opportunities for engagement. With Los Angeles preparing to host the Olympic Games, LAMI is exploring how its ships and programs could contribute. \u201cWe are looking at a number of options for LAMI\u2019s involvement,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cWe have actively followed LA28.org and the opportunities they have presented to date especially for local youth involvement.\u201d With San Pedro and Long Beach both positioned along the waterfront, \u201cthere are some unique options that we can be involved with,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The future of LAMI is also closely tied to the changing face of the LA waterfront itself. \u201cAs the West Harbor Development nears completion here at the Port of Los Angeles, our tall ships will be front and center as a dockside and sailing attraction,\u201d Taylor said. Plans are already taking shape. \u201cPlans are in the works for a seaside-learning center alongside our dock to host school groups and adult community groups interested in maritime traditions and careers.\u201d Even adult learners are finding new entry points. \u201cWe are just finishing up a very popular eight-week knot-tying evening class for all those interested in upping their skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond education and workforce training, LAMI\u2019s ships also serve as places of celebration and reflection. \u201cWe host a variety of at-sea celebrations including weddings, retirement parties, and pirate birthday parties for youth of all ages,\u201d Taylor said, \u201cas well as celebrations of life with burials at sea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taken together, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute represents more than a fleet of historic vessels. By keeping tall ships sailing from San Pedro and Long Beach, LAMI ensures that maritime history remains active, accessible, and deeply connected to the community it serves. In a time when waterfronts face increasing pressure from development and change, the Institute\u2019s work demonstrates that preserving tradition, educating future leaders, and preparing a modern maritime workforce can all move forward on the same course, guided by experience and carried by the next generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For more than three decades, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute has quietly anchored one of the most ambitious…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19609,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[39496,16194,17742,16195,99370,131,133,132,99371,99337,16196,39494,16197,16200,16202,16203],"class_list":["post-216474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-boating","tag-boating-news","tag-fishing","tag-fishing-news","tag-lami","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-maritime-institute","tag-maritime-news","tag-maritime-publishing","tag-sailing","tag-sailing-news","tag-southern-california-news","tag-the-log","tag-the-log-newspaper"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}