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S/V American Saudade

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A Vessel Built for the Open Ocean—and a Voyage into History

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The S/V American Saudade is a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37, a cutter-rigged sailing vessel designed by the respected naval architect William I. B. Crealock.

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Crealock believed an offshore cruising vessel should not merely survive the sea—it should move through it with balance, confidence, and grace. His designs emphasized seaworthiness, practical construction, manageable sail plans, and the ability to protect their crews during extended ocean passages.

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The Crealock 37 reflects that philosophy. Her moderate proportions, protected rudder, cutter rig, substantial construction, and sea-kindly hull form helped establish her reputation as a serious bluewater cruising vessel. She was designed for sailors who intended to travel beyond protected coastal waters and remain self-reliant for long periods at sea.

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That combination of strength, capability, and traditional character made the Crealock 37 well suited to the mission of American Saudade, Inc. (ASI).

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More Than a Sailing Vessel

The S/V American Saudade is being developed as more than a private yacht. She is intended to become a floating classroom, a maritime heritage platform, and a working symbol of the historical connection between New England and the Atlantic islands.

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Her name reflects the emotional connection between people, places, and experiences separated by time or distance but never entirely lost. For generations, the Atlantic carried Portuguese and Cape Verdean sailors, immigrants, families, correspondence, goods, traditions, and memories between their island homelands and communities throughout the diaspora.

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Through the vessel, ASI will connect that history with present-day education, exploration, and cultural exchange. The S/V American Saudade will support historical documentation, interviews, educational programming, maritime research, community engagement, and visits to museums, schools, ports, cultural organizations, and heritage institutions.

 

She will serve as the central platform for the planned Great Circle Heritage Voyage.

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Preparing for the Heritage Voyage

Before undertaking an extended Atlantic voyage, a vessel of this age must be examined as a complete system. Strength in one area cannot compensate for an unknown weakness somewhere else. The hull, machinery, steering, rigging, electrical system, navigation equipment, safety gear, water systems, and crew preparation must work together reliably.

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The S/V American Saudade is therefore undergoing a comprehensive, multi-stage refit. This is not simply a cosmetic restoration. It is a methodical process intended to evaluate, renew, test, document, and improve the vessel for offshore service.

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The refit includes examination and work involving:

• The hull, keel, rudder, through-hull fittings, seacocks, and below-waterline systems

• Barrier protection and bottom coatings

• The standing rigging, running rigging, spars, deck hardware, sails, and reefing arrangements

• The Universal M40 diesel engine, transmission, propulsion equipment, fuel system, and supporting machinery

• Steering systems and the planned addition of an independent Hydrovane self-steering system

• Electrical generation, distribution, battery storage, solar power, and charging systems

• Navigation, communications, weather, and emergency equipment

• Potable-water, sanitation, ventilation, and interior systems

• Fire protection, flooding control, abandon-ship equipment, and emergency preparedness

• Sea trials, crew training, operating procedures, maintenance records, and final readiness reviews

 

Some systems will be renewed, some modernized, and others retained after inspection and testing. Every decision must consider reliability, serviceability, energy use, weight, system compatibility, and the ability to make repairs far from shore.

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SubSafe to SailSafe™​

The refit is guided by ASI’s SubSafe to SailSafe™ methodology.

 

Inspired by the disciplined safety culture of the United States Navy’s SUBSAFE program, SubSafe to SailSafe applies systems-based thinking to offshore sailing. It emphasizes clearly defined inspection boundaries, material traceability, objective testing, documented acceptance standards, configuration control, corrective-action verification, training, and accurate records.

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A recreational vessel cannot reproduce a naval certification program, nor does ASI claim that it can. However, the underlying principles—knowing the condition of critical systems, documenting work, testing repairs, controlling changes, and refusing to rely upon assumption—are directly relevant to responsible offshore preparation.

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The goal is not to declare the vessel “finished” because she looks complete. The goal is to establish, through evidence and testing, that she and her crew are ready for the conditions they may face.

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The Great Circle Heritage Voyage

Once the refit, recommissioning, training, and sea-trial phases are complete, the S/V American Saudade is intended to depart from Newport, Rhode Island, and follow a heritage route connecting the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cabo Verde, and the wider Atlantic world before returning to Newport.

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The Great Circle Heritage Voyage will bring together ASI’s principal areas of work:

• Maritime and immigration history

• Portuguese and Cape Verdean heritage

• Education and cultural exchange

• Community and institutional partnerships

• Historical documentation and digital storytelling

• Offshore safety and responsible seamanship

• The multidisciplinary perspective of 360 Deep™

 

The voyage will not begin on the day the vessel leaves Newport. It has already begun through the research, planning, partnerships, preservation work, and careful preparation now underway.

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Follow the Refit

ASI will document the restoration and preparation of the S/V American Saudade as part of its educational mission. The successes, complications, technical decisions, lessons learned, and sea trials all make up the story.

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Visitors can follow the vessel’s progress through our Current Projects and Latest Videos and Stories.

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The S/V American Saudade represents where we have come from, what we are building today, and the voyage that still lies ahead.

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A vessel with a mission. A voyage into history.

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ACTA NON VERBA — Deeds, Not Words.

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• SubSafe to SailSafe — Explore ASI’s approach to offshore preparedness.

• Great Circle Heritage Voyage — Discover the planned journey and its purpose.

• NAV 360 — Explore maritime science, engineering, and naval history.

• 360-DEEP™ — Examine the broader questions behind maritime decisions.

• Videos Production — Follow refit documentation and updates.

• Volunteering — Express interest in an appropriate project assignment.

• Partnerships — Discuss technical or institutional collaboration.

• Contact Us — Offer expertise or ask about the project.