Vessels for Adventure : Home Again, the Hand-Built Pilgrim of Newport Takes Its Place Among Other Classics

For more than seven years, one of Orange County’s most famous ships, the Pilgrim of Newport, was docked in San Pedro. But last year the Pilgrim sailed back home. For Pilgrim fans such as Dana Parker of Cypress, that’s good news.

About this time of year, when the California gray whales begin their migration down the coast, Parker likes to take his Cub Scout pack to go whale-watching aboard the classic clipper, which is a replica of a 1770s sailing ship.

Now, with the Pilgrim of Newport back in Newport, fans like Parker don’t have to go so far to take part in one of Southern California’s most unusual whale-watching cruises.

What makes the cruises different is the Pilgrim itself. Most whale-watching trips take place on a modern-day motor yacht, but the Pilgrim is a classic sailing ship, a one-of-a-kind creation built single-handedly by Costa Mesa resident Dennis Holland over a period of 13 years. The vessel is a 114-foot wooden brigantine that weighs 75 tons and carries 82 passengers.

When the boat was launched in Newport Beach in 1983, more than 2,000 people turned out to watch. For a few years after that, the Pilgrim of Newport drew lots of gawkers and many paying passengers as it plied the waters off Orange County. Then, in 1986, the boat sailed up to San Pedro, where it became a popular tourist attraction and charter boat.

“We’re glad to be back in Orange County,” says Holland’s wife of 25 years, Betty.

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The boat, which last month celebrated its 10th birthday, is part of the county’s history. Holland, now 47, began building the ship in 1970 when he was 24. For 13 years, he worked on the boat in the family’s front yard. When he finished the hull in 1974, he and Betty lived inside it while Holland continued to work on the vessel’s exterior.

“I was seven months pregnant with our first child when we moved aboard,” says Betty. “We lived in the hull for nine years.”

The couple’s first child, Julie, is now 19. The other children are Heidi, 16, Amy, 12, and Dennis Jr., 8. And although the Hollands no longer live aboard the boat, the Pilgrim is still very much a part of their lives.

Since the ship was launched, Holland has run the boat as a charter vessel, taking passengers to Catalina and on short coastal excursions.

Beginning Jan. 1, the ship will once again offer its popular whale-watching tours. “Whale-watching, under sail, without a motor, is great,” says Holland, who estimates that as skipper of the boat he goes whale-watching about 50 times each season and never gets tired of it. “It’s so quiet, you can actually hear the whales,” he says.

He points out that passengers get to participate in the sailing of the ship. “It’s a different experience than just riding out on a boat,” he says. “Most people have never been on a sailing vessel like this before and they get to hoist the sails, take part in it. Most have never experienced that quiet before--when you turn the engine off.”

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Frequent Pilgrim passenger Parker says that his Cub Scout pack always has a good time.

“We feel it is very beneficial to the Scouts because it is a relatively inexpensive way to relive a bit of America’s history and learn a little about marine animals--whales, porpoises and such. And if you are an admirer of craftsmanship, the Pilgrim of Newport is an amazing example of an expert shipwright’s work. She is an awesome ship.”

Whale-watching season aboard the Pilgrim of Newport will run from January through March. Public cruises will be offered on weekends at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. During the week, groups may charter the vessel for special excursions.

Whale-watching cruises last about three hours. Tickets for weekend trips are $15 per person and $9 for children. For information, call (714) 642-4875.

Some words of warning: Don’t get the Pilgrim of Newport confused with the Pilgrim that is moored in Dana Point. The only thing the two boats have in common is their name. Dana Point’s Pilgrim is a 129-foot near-replica of the brig that carried Richard Henry Dana Jr. up and down the California coast. It is operated as a floating classroom by the nonprofit Orange County Marine Institute and is a permanent public attraction. The Marine Institute does not offer cruises; its ship remains permanently berthed.

But there are other classic sailing ships in Orange County that do offer whale-watching cruises. A sample follows:

* Spike Africa. The 58-foot schooner, skippered by owner Monika Sloan, has been offering whale-watching sailing trips for seven years. This year Sloan is doing something different. She has contracted with naturalist Doug Thompson to conduct daylong environmental cruises that will run on Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and March 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $45 per person and passengers should bring along a sack lunch.

“We are going to be doing a lot during the cruise,” says Thompson, a marine biologist who operates an adventure travel company that offers annual expeditions to Baja during the whale season. “We will be looking for whales, dolphins and seals, but we will also stop in the kelp beds and talk about the kelp. And we’ll have a plankton net and look at the plankton. We want to help everyone get a real good understanding of the ocean off our coast.”

Spike Africa is docked in Newport Beach. For information, call (714) 642-9988.

* Curlew: Two-hour whale-watching cruises will be offered aboard the 82-foot Curlew, a staysail schooner built in 1926 and restored by owners Patrick and Marlene Russell of Newport Beach.

The boat, which carries 36 passengers, will offer both weekday and weekend cruises depending upon demand. Cost will run about $15 per person. “We usually see whales and we always see lots of dolphins,” says Marlene. “We also give the people a little bit of sail training and let them help sail the boat.”

Curlew is docked in Newport Beach. For information, call (714) 722-7841.

* Kelpie: In Dana Point, the 82-foot schooner Kelpie is a popular choice for group whale-watching charters, according to captain Kevin Mullen.

The yacht, which has sailed to the South Pacific and back, was built in 1928 as a racing schooner and has a reputation of being one of the fastest classic schooners in the area. The boat is still raced about a dozen times a year. It can carry 25 passengers and is available on a group basis and rents for $250 per hour, two-hour minimum.

Mullen also offers Sunday brunch cruises which include a brunch at the Wind & Sea Restaurant and a three-hour whale-watching cruise. Cost is $40 per person. Cruise without the brunch is $25 per person. For information, call (714) 496-6453.

* Non-classics. If you are not in the mood for a cruise aboard a classic sailing ship, you can also go whale-watching aboard a fleet of modern-day 38-foot sailboats at Dana Island Yachts in Dana Point. The boats carry six passengers and tickets are $20 a person.

Whale-watching sailing cruises are offered January through March, seven days a week. Weekday cruises are held from 10 a.m. to noon; weekend cruises are from 10 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. For information, call Ed Fitzgerald at (714) 248-7400.

And if sailing is not your thing, you can take your pick among dozens of commercial whale-watching trips offered on powerboats by charterers such as Dana Wharf Sportfishing at (714) 496-5794 in Dana Point and Davey’s Locker at (714) 673-1434 in Newport Beach.

Check the telephone book for complete listings.