Left: 24 March 2001, Sultana is /,aunchedas ten thousand spectators cheer on; Middle: 1his close-up stern shot gives perspective as to the schooner's size; Below: Underway in the Chesapeake under full sail.
they have proven to be more so, now that rhe vessel is completed . Sultana's future wi ll only be ensured by rhe continued hard wo rk and generosity of rhe community rhar created and supports her. The fact that this is possible stems entirely from rhe thorough and detailed planning that was insisted upon by a wise group of people who knew very lirde about sai ling. J,
vance of Sultana's construction al lowed us to address them during the design process and not after the vessel had already been launched. The benefit of having the details of Sultana's ulti mate use laid out before her keel was laid proved to be of immeasurable importance. The three years of Sultana's construction we re put to good use honing and marketing her educational programs. The teachers and students who wo uld eventually fill Sultana's decks we re invited to co me to the shipyard and assist with her co nstruction. As the word of Sultana's co nstructio n spread by media and word-of-mouth, so too could the message of her educa tional mission, attrac ting to the project teachers and educators who otherwise might not have been reached.
Planning Pays Off Sultana was launched before a crowd of over 10,000 people in Chestertown on 24 March 2001. Thanks to the hefty amount of planning that was accomplished early on, by the date of her launch Sultana's sailing calendar for 2001 was almost completely booked with groups of teachers and students. In the years that have elapsed since, Sultana has remained constantly at work, sailing with more than 11 ,000 srudents from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Now in her fourth year of operation Sultana's programs have proven so popular that almost 80% of her school group 10
Drew McMullen is the President of Sultana Projects, Inc., a non-profit organization in Chestertown, Maryland, that built, owns and operates a full-scale reproduction of the 1768 schooner Sultana. Sailing as the "Schoo/ship ofthe Chesapeake, " Sultana provides under-sail educational programs in history and environmental science for more than 5, 000 students in the Chesapeake region each
clients return year after year. This is nor ro say thar Sultana exists without difficul ty. As challenging as anyone anticipated Sultana's operations and finances might be,
NMHS NAMES SULTANA PROJECTS, INC. W INNER OF TH E
WALTER CRONKITE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME EDUCATION
This award honors individuals and organizations whose outstanding achievements in maritime education bring history alive for young people , providing real-life results in getting youths involved in a continuous process of learning that will have a fundamental impact on their later lives. The award recognizes work that teaches maritime history in a way that conveys the challenge, excitement , and leading role of our seafaring past in creating today's world. Sultana Projects, Inc. will receive the NMHS Walter Cronkite Awa rd for Excellence in Maritime Education for providing students with hands-on experience demonstrating the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Chesapeake and Delaware watersheds. The Sultana's program highlights the significance of the maritime history of the region through sail training experiences , videos, and supporting land-based educational literature. The award will be presented at the Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club in New York City on October 22 . Congratulations! SEA HISTORY 107, SPRING/SUMMER 2004