CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The owners of a historic tall ship docked in the South Bay are asking the community for help after learning their marina lease will not be renewed, a move they say could jeopardize youth programs that use the vessel to teach maritime skills and inspire military careers.
The 137-foot wooden schooner Bill of Rights, built in 1971, has spent decades sailing along both U.S. coasts and now serves as a training platform for young people through programs such as the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets and Junior ROTC.
Retired Navy veteran Capt. Don Johnson purchased the vessel about 13 years ago with a group of friends for $60,000 and has since relied on volunteers and program funding to keep the ship operating.
“It’s known as insanity,” Johnson joked about owning a large wooden ship. “Boat is an acronym for ‘break out another thousand.’ Well, a 137-foot wooden boat is ‘break out another ten thousand.’”…