The Schooner Martha Foundation takes young sailors and families out to sea for a hands-on, intimate experience aboard an historic sailing vessel. Trips include multi-day cruises in the Pacific Northwest Puget Sound and Canada, and several race events, including Swiftsure, Round the County and the Cap Renaud International Schooner Race. The 1907 schooner, MARTHA, is not privately owned. Rather, she
has been owned and operated by the non-profit Schooner Martha Foundation since 1996. The Foundation's mission is twofold: to take young sailors out to sea in a hands-on, fully engaged experience in an intimate and personal setting; and to complete restoration and maintain the vessel MARTHA using traditional materials and methods. Sail training trips do not begin to pay the costs of maintenance and operations. MARTHA's crew is not paid, nor are any Foundation board members. We are unable to pay her captain a living wage. MARTHA continues to sail because of countless volunteer hours and donated materials. Donations toward her restoration have been timely, but sporadic. Donations to MARTHA and her Foundation go entirely to vessel restoration, maintenance and sail training programs and scholarships. There are no salaried positions or office rental costs. However, it is a hope of the Foundation to one day be able to pay a living wage to the next person or persons who will care for MARTHA and run her sail training trips. The ultimate funding goal would be an endowment to secure reliable, predictable, long-term funding. To read more about MARTHA's history, and the history of the Foundation, visit her web page schoonermartha.org. To make a donation, click the DONATE button on this same page.
