A fleet built for the next generation
From a 1938 schooner to a pair of purpose-built brigantines, every vessel in LAMI’s fleet was chosen with one mission in mind: putting young people out to sea.
The Vessels Before the Mission
1938
Swift of Ipswich is built
Designed by Howard Chappelle and built by William Robinson, the 92-foot topsail schooner is styled after a Revolutionary War privateer. She becomes the personal yacht of actor James Cagney, one of California’s most recognized floating landmarks for decades to come.
1941
Virginia launches in Brooklyn
Built at Muller Boat Works using the finest white oak, she begins life as a two-masted eastern rigged fishing trawler. Over the next four decades, she works the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and the Grand Banks in search of cod, haddock, and flounder, earning her sea legs the hard way.
American Pride
1986 – 1987
Trawler becomes a schooner
Captain Steve Pagels takes ownership and transforms the old fishing vessel into a three-masted schooner at the Wallace Yard in Thomaston, Maine, complete with 17 passenger cabins, a dining room, and crew quarters. Re-christened Natalie Todd, she joins the Maine Windjammer Fleet out of Bar Harbor.
LAMI Sets Sail
Early 1990s
LAMI acquires its first ship
The Los Angeles Maritime Institute acquires the Swift of Ipswich as its founding vessel, launching the TopSail Youth Program under Captain Jim Gladson’s vision. The Swift‘s finest hours, many would say, were always ahead of her, spent serving Los Angeles youth at sea.
1996
A 7,500-mile voyage to California
American Pride is the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach
Purchased by the American Heritage Marine Institute, the Natalie Todd makes a historic sail through the Panama Canal to her new homeport in Long Beach. Named the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach, she spends the next two decades serving youth through the Children’s Maritime Foundation.
The twin brigantines arrive
2002
Irving Johnson & Exy Johnson launch
LAMI’s twin 110-foot wooden brigantines are launched and designated the Official Tall Ships and Maritime Ambassadors of the City of Los Angeles. Purpose-built to last 100 years, they are named for Captain Irving and Electa “Exy” Johnson, seven-time circumnavigators who pioneered youth sail training aboard their vessel Yankee.
The fleet grows
2018 - 2019
American Pride joins the LAMI fleet
The Children’s Maritime Institute (LAMI’s Long Beach division) takes ownership and performs a stem-to-stern restoration. She earns her US Coast Guard certification in March 2019, and once again sets sail with youth — this time under the LAMI flag.
Now
Swift of Ipswich restoration underway
Swift of Ipswich
LAMI is actively restoring the Swift to sail again out of San Pedro. When complete, she will serve upper elementary and middle school students in Wilmington, continuing the work she was always meant to do. Support the restoration →
Designated the “Official Tall Ships and Maritime Ambassadors of the City of Los Angeles” at their launch in 2002, our twin brigantines are traditionally rigged wooden replicas of the merchant ships from the Age of Exploration and the Age of Sail. These 110-foot wooden educational sailing vessels are charged with giving tens of thousands of young people the opportunity to experience self-discovery, life changing adventure and education found only on a tall ship at sea.
Built to last 100 years, the state-of-the-art brigantine design is based on our founder Captain Jim Gladson’s decades of experience with adolescent education and youth sail training programs, years of valuable experience gained from the our first vessel, Swift of Ipswich, and discussions with sail training experts throughout the world.
Purpose-built by the Institute to meet or exceed all U.S. Coast Guard requirements, the brigantines are named in honor of the late Captain Irving and Electa “Exy” Johnson, character-building sail training pioneers and seven-time circumnavigators with youth crew aboard their sailing vessel Yankee. Click here to learn more about these tall ships and the history of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute.
The American Pride is an older vessel with a few more days at sea and a few more tales to tell. Christened as the Virginia, she was built in 1941 at Muller Boat Works Inc. located in Brooklyn, New York as a two-masted eastern rigged trawler. The finest white oak available was used in her construction. She later became the Araho out of Rockland, Maine as part of the O’hara fishing fleet and then the St. Catherine, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts and Lady in Blue (1968-1986) out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, captained by Sam and Paul Frontiero – father and son. She spent her fishing career, of over forty years, fishing the waters of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and the Grand Banks in search of cod, haddock, flounder and ocean perch.
Captain Steve Pagels took ownership in 1986 and converted the trawler to a three-masted schooner at the Wallace Yard in Thomaston, Maine. The vessel was fitted with 17 passenger cabins each with two bunks with a dining room and lounge in the main cabin, three heads and Forecastle accommodations for a crew of five. All of the refitting was achieved under the guidance of master boat builder David Short. In 1987, she was re-christened the Natalie Todd and sailed to her new homeport of Bar Harbor to sail as part of the Maine Windjammer Fleet. As a reminder of how she looked when she was a working vessel Captain Pagels kept the Pilot house which contained the quarters for the captain and mate, he placed it in his back yard at his residence in Addison, Maine.
In October of 1996, she was purchased by the American Heritage Marine Institute (AHMI), and she began her historic 7,500-mile sail through the Panama Canal to her new home in Long Beach, California, where she was operated by the Children’s Maritime Foundation. She was named the “Official Tall Ship of the CIty of Long Beach,” and she served the youth of Long Beach for over 20 years.
In 2018, the Children’s Maritime Institute, the then-new Long Beach division of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, took ownership of American Pride and performed a modern stem-to-stern restoration, so she could continue to provide educational programs for youth Long Beach. She received her US Coast Guard certifications in March of 2019, and she once again began sailing with youth – now through our programs.
The Swift of Ipswich was was purchased as the original vessel for oour TopSail Youth Program in the early 1990’s. Built in the style of a Revolutionary War privateer, she is a 92-foot wooden topsail schooner designed by Howard Chappelle and built-in 1938 by William Robinson.
The Swift of Ipswich was once the personal yacht of actor James Cagney, and she has been a well-known floating landmark in California for over 60 years. Many who know her say her finest hours have been those spent serving youth. About two thirds the size of one of our twin brigantines, Swift is especially well-suited for working with younger youth.
Our beloved Swift will be a sight to behold in San Pedro when we complete restoration and she can once again sail the LA Waterfront with local youth. She will be charged with serving upper elementary and middle school students in Wilmington. You can follow the excellent photo record of her reconstruction being created by Jerry Soto.
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation toward the restoration of the Swift of Ipswich (cllck “Donate Online: and select “Swift of Ipswich Restoration” from the drop-down menu or mail us a check with “Swift of Ipswich Restoration” in the check memo).
Click here to learn more about these tall ships and the history of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute.