PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT: In September, Captain Bob Douglas announced that he would donate Shenandoah to FUEL, an Island non-profit led by co-founders, Ian Ridgeway and Casey Blum. As the new stewards of Shenandoah and its programming, FUEL intends to offer enhanced tall ship learning opportunities for Island youth and pilot new programming for young adults.
For the past 25 years, the tall ship, Shenandoah, has been operated by The Black Dog Tall Ships (BDTS), providing educational experiences for local youth and Island visitors. Over 5,000 Vineyard youth have sailed aboard Shenandoah on week-long cruises with their fifth-grade classes. These Sailing Schools trips are a rite of passage for Island youth, revered by both students and parents for the unique and transformative experience they offer and the opportunity to access our ocean backyard.
FUEL’s capital campaign has three parts, totaling $1M. MVYouth’s grant completes phase 1, which includes capital improvements to Shenandoah. FUEL is actively fundraising for phase 2, which includes administration and ownership expenses, and phase 3, which includes program development expenses and a scholarship endowment. Including the MVYouth award, FUEL has raised over $625,000 to date.