S/V AMERICAN SAUDADE
Built for the Voyage
At the heart of American Saudade Inc.'s mission is a remarkable sailing vessel: S/V American Saudade, a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37.
Designed by renowned naval architect William Crealock, the Crealock 37 was conceived as a serious offshore cruising vessel—not simply a boat for calm coastal waters, but a yacht designed for the realities of extended ocean voyaging. Its moderate displacement, protected rudder, substantial keel, seakindly hull form, cutter rig, and practical cruising layout have made the design respected among offshore sailors.
For American Saudade Inc., however, this vessel represents far more than transportation.
She is a floating classroom, a maritime heritage platform, an engineering project, a goodwill ambassador, and a living connection between generations separated by the Atlantic Ocean.
A Vessel Designed for the Open Ocean
The Crealock 37 reflects a philosophy that places seaworthiness, balance, and endurance ahead of passing trends.
Her hull form was designed with offshore passage-making in mind. Rather than being optimized solely for maximum speed or interior volume, the design emphasizes predictable handling, directional stability, and a comfortable motion at sea. These qualities become increasingly important when a vessel and crew are operating continuously, day and night, hundreds or thousands of miles from shore.
The cutter rig provides flexibility as weather and sea conditions change. Sail area can be distributed among the mainsail and headsails, allowing the crew to reduce sail progressively as conditions strengthen while maintaining balance and control.
For extended voyaging, that balance is important. Offshore sailing is not simply about how fast a vessel can travel. It is about how safely and efficiently the vessel, its systems, and its crew can continue operating through changing conditions over days and weeks at sea.
That philosophy is one reason the Crealock 37 is an appropriate vessel for the American Saudade mission.
From SUBSAFE to SailSafe
The refit of S/V American Saudade is being approached through a philosophy we call SubSafe to SailSafe™.
The concept is inspired by the safety culture and disciplined engineering principles associated with the U.S. Navy's SUBSAFE program, while recognizing that a privately operated sailing vessel is fundamentally different from a naval submarine and is not part of, certified by, or affiliated with the Navy's SUBSAFE program.
The purpose is to take applicable lessons from a culture of rigorous maritime engineering and ask a simple question:
How can disciplined thinking, documentation, inspection, testing, accountability, and verification improve the preparation of an offshore sailing vessel?
The SubSafe to SailSafe approach emphasizes areas such as:
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understanding critical systems before modifying them;
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documenting equipment and system changes;
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inspecting components before reuse;
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selecting equipment appropriate to its intended service;
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testing systems after installation;
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identifying single points of failure;
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providing redundancy where practical;
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improving access for inspection and maintenance;
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conducting progressive dockside tests and sea trials;
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and recognizing that preparation is a continuous process rather than a single inspection.
The goal is not to claim that a sailboat can be made risk-free. No ocean vessel can.
The goal is to build a culture in which assumptions are questioned, critical systems are understood, work is documented, and readiness is demonstrated through inspection and testing.
The Refit: Stem to Stern, Mast to Keel
The current refit and upgrade program for S/V American Saudade is intended to examine the vessel as a complete, interconnected system.
The project encompasses the sailing rig and standing rigging; spars, sails, reefing, and sail handling; steering and emergency steering considerations; propulsion and drivetrain systems; fuel systems; electrical generation and distribution; battery capacity; solar and renewable energy; navigation and communications; bilge and dewatering capability; anchoring and ground tackle; plumbing; through-hulls and seacocks; safety equipment; fire protection; weather monitoring; offshore communications; crew preparation; and emergency procedures.
The vessel's offshore energy system is also being considered as part of a broader effort to increase endurance and self-sufficiency. Solar generation, battery storage, charging systems, and energy management must work together as an integrated system capable of supporting navigation, communications, lighting, pumps, and other essential equipment.
Every improvement must answer a practical question:
Does this make the vessel safer, more reliable, more maintainable, or better prepared for the voyage ahead?
Sea Trials: Proving the Vessel Before the Voyage
Completing the refit will not be the end of the process.
It will be the beginning of the testing process.
Before undertaking an extended Atlantic voyage, S/V American Saudade will undergo a progressive series of commissioning activities and sea trials. Systems will first be checked individually and then tested together under realistic operating conditions.
The purpose will be to evaluate propulsion, steering, rigging, sail handling, reefing procedures, anchoring equipment, electrical loads, charging capacity, navigation systems, communications, emergency equipment, crew procedures, and the vessel's overall behavior under sail and power.
Short local trials can lead to longer coastal passages. Longer passages can reveal weaknesses that remain invisible at the dock.
Equipment can be repaired or redesigned. Procedures can be rewritten. Crew responsibilities can be clarified.
The philosophy is straightforward:
Find the problems close to home, not halfway across an ocean.
The Voyage Ahead
The intended voyage of S/V American Saudade is built around the Atlantic world that shaped the communities at the center of the ASI mission.
The broader concept is a heritage voyage beginning and ending in Newport and connecting important Atlantic regions, including the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, the Caribbean, and ultimately a return to Newport.
The voyage is intended to become a platform for documenting maritime history, family migration, traditional communities, ports, islands, navigation routes, and the cultural relationships created by centuries of movement across the Atlantic.
Through 360 Deep™, the voyage will explore more than dates and destinations. It will examine history, geography, economics, politics, culture, religion, technology, maritime strategy, trade routes, environment, and human motivation.
The purpose is to understand not only where people traveled, but why they traveled, what forces shaped their decisions, and what they carried with them across generations.
More Than a Sailboat
American Saudade Inc. envisions S/V American Saudade as a platform for education and participation.
The vessel and her journey can support maritime education, historical research, cultural documentation, interviews with elders and community members, youth engagement, veteran participation, engineering education, seamanship instruction, digital storytelling, and partnerships with museums, schools, maritime organizations, cultural associations, and community groups.
The refit itself is part of the story.
The mistakes, discoveries, engineering decisions, repairs, upgrades, testing, and sea trials will all contribute to the educational mission. The objective is not to present an unrealistic picture of offshore voyaging. It is to document the preparation honestly and demonstrate how a vessel and mission are built one decision, one repair, and one mile at a time.
Become Part of the Voyage
American Saudade Inc. is still building.
We welcome inquiries from individuals, volunteers, maritime professionals, educators, historians, veterans, sailors, engineers, tradespeople, photographers, videographers, researchers, cultural organizations, and others who believe they can contribute to the mission.
There are many ways to participate. Some people may contribute technical knowledge. Others may help document family histories, conduct research, create educational content, work on the vessel, assist with events, provide professional services, introduce potential partners, or support the project financially.
Volunteers are invited to inquire. Partnerships are welcome. Donations can help move the mission forward.
Support for American Saudade Inc. helps advance the organization's educational, cultural, and maritime heritage programming, as well as its vessel-based programming, including the preparation of S/V American Saudade for the work ahead.
The voyage begins long before the sails are raised.
It begins with the people who help build it.
S/V American Saudade
360 Deep™
SubSafe to SailSafe™
