The twin brigantines ''Irving Johnson'' and ''Exy Johnson'' are the flagships of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute's (LAMI) ''TopSail Youth Program'', a non-profit organization that helps at-risk youth learn discipline and teamwork through sailing. They join LAMI's

topsail A topsail ("tops'l") is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails. Square rig On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a typically trapezoidal shaped sail rigged above the course sail and ...

schooners the '' Swift of Ipswich'' and the ''Bill of Rights.'' The boats are named for

sail training From its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea (e.g., see Outward Bound), sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and ...

pioneers Irving and Electa "Exy" Johnson.

Construction

The brigantines are based on original plans designed in the 1930s by Henry Gruber but never built. Noted

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

W.I.B. Crealock was brought in to adapt the plans to meet modern

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

regulations and to fit LAMI's own specifications. With the arrival of a truckload of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

n Purpleheart hardwood for the

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

in 2000, the Twin Brigantine project began in the parking lot adjacent to LAMI. The hulls were built in public, and framed out with American

White oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

and fastened with bronze. Launched on 27 April 2002, they were proclaimed as the "Official Tall Ship Ambassadors of the City of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

" by Mayor

James Hahn James Kenneth Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Hahn was elected the 40th mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election. Prior to his term a ...

and witnessed by one of their namesakes, Exy Johnson, before motoring out to a fitting-out berth where the interiors were finished and completed as their masts stepped, rigged and sails bent on.

Layout and facilities

Within its length on deck and beam the ship is divided into three cabins called "A", "B", and "C" compartments. In "A" compartment, 12 bunks, a head and enclosed shower are forward. In "B" compartment, 18 bunks, two additional heads, another shower and a large common area amidships can be found. Also amidships to

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

are a large refrigerator and freezer and access to the deck through the galley above. The galley features a six-burner propane stove forward, a day fridge to port and counter space with two deep sink wells to starboard. There are ports all around, providing light and ventilation. To aft lies the chart house with a large chart table and a wraparound settee that can be used for teaching, eating or charting. The nav station to port is readily accessible from the

helm Helm may refer to: Common meanings * a ship's steering mechanism; see tiller and ship's wheel * another term for helmsman * an archaic term for a helmet, used as armor Arts and entertainment * Matt Helm, a character created by Donald Hamilton * ...

. It includes

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...

, VHF and SSB. Below in "C" compartment lies the

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

cabin, an officer's cabin with two bunks, four crew bunks aft, a head with enclosed shower and access to the engine room below. An on-deck cockpit provides additional teaching space as well as a location for

al fresco dining Outdoor dining, also known as al fresco dining or dining alfresco, is eating outside. In temperate climates, al fresco dining is especially popular in the summer months when temperatures and weather are most favorable. It is a style of dining th ...

. A 3208 V8 Caterpillar

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

provides auxiliary power producing at 2600 rpm while a Northern Lights 16 kW

electrical generator In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) or fuel-based power ( chemical energy) into electric power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, g ...

powers the amenities on board. Coupled with a Village Marine 50 gph water maker, it renders the ship capable of extended passages off shore. Two-and-a-half miles of

running rigging Running rigging is the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering, shaping and controlling the sails on a sailing vessel—as opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and bowsprit. Running rigging varies bet ...

support a total of of canvas on two masts and 13 sails, controlled by 85 lines on deck.

Grounding

On March 21, 2005, ''Irving Johnson'' went aground on a sandbar outside the entrance to

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

Harbor. The sandbar was the result of heavy rains, which washed debris and silt into the channel, and was thus . All crew and passengers were rescued safely, but initial attempts by the Coast Guard to tow the vessel off the bar failed and the vessel was stranded on the beach for several days before being pulled off. Suffering from serious damage which compromised the forward portion of the vessel and flooded the vessel with seawater, she underwent an extensive $2m reconstruction and was returned to service in early 2006.

In Pop Culture

* Appeared in an episode of the 4th season of The Bachelor. * The opening sequence to

Sharknado ''Sharknado'' is a 2013 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. It tells about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first install ...

was filmed on ''Irving Johnson''. * ''Irving Johnson'' portrayed the vessel used by the president of the United States in episode 216 of the television series ''

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

''.

References

External links