Sad news reported by the Vineyard Gazette. After 63 years sailing the waters around Martha’s Vineyard, the legendary schooner Shenandoah will sail her last season next summer.

Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy, the educational nonprofit that currently owns and operates Shenandoah, announced that the final voyage will take place at the end of the 2026 summer season.

The Gazette reports that the decision to retire the boat began after the spring haul-out and a U.S. Coast Guard inspection that showed continued repairs and upkeep would no longer be feasible, according to Ian Ridgeway and Casey Blum, the sailing captains who co-founded Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy.

“It’s hard to swallow that. I grew up on the Shenandoah,” Mr. Ridgeway said on Saturday while standing on deck. “I have spent over 25 summers on this boat, and before that, tens of thousands of people sailed on this boat, and crew members whose lives were changed.”

Shenandoah first arrived in Vineyard Haven harbor in 1964, under the leadership of Capt. Robert Douglas, founder of Black Dog Tall Ships and the Black Dog apparel brand, who died in April at the age of 93.

Mr. Douglas designed the schooner, which is 108 feet at the rail and modeled after the Joe Lane, a revenue cutter launched in 1849. It was built at the Harvey Gamage shipyard in South Bristol, ME.

In 2020, Mr. Douglas donated Shenandoah to the Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy, formerly known as FUEL, and Mr. Ridgeway has captained the schooner for the last five summers. 

The Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy is also actively fundraising to build a new boat, Shenandoah II, to continue the nonprofit’s maritime educational programming. Ms. Blum said they are interested in using as much of the original ship, such as the oil lamps and blocks, as possible in the new schooner.