Organization Name: | SALTS |
Location: | Victoria BC |
Project Title: | Tall Ship Engineering and Innovation Project |
Amount Awarded: | $150,000 |
Date Awarded: | 25-11-2018 |
Purpose of Investment: | To invest in a new class of sailing schooner for use in international waters off the coast of British Columbia as a means to train youth in core values for life. |
Participating Grantmakers: |
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Executive Summary:
Young people who develop strong character, faith, leadership skills, humble confidence, and servant hearts have a positive impact that starts with their families, friends, and neighbourhoods; and then cascades into our workplaces, governments, and culture. Empowered young people become creators instead of consumers. This engagement with the world around them brings a sense of purpose that propels young people towards mental health, well-being, freedom from addictions, and resilience. We give young people a level of responsibility that is difficult to find elsewhere, as they each take command of a tall ship. We reintroduce them to the wonders of life outdoors, the fulfillment that comes from hard work, and the value of authentic community through face-to-face relationships. We regularly hear from those who sailed with SALTS twenty, thirty, even forty years ago that it was one of their most formative and trans-formative experiences. Is it any wonder that young people who have lived in genuine Christian community and taken command of a tall ship are better prepared to navigate their own lives?
SALTS faces a unique challenge among Christian ministries. For well over a decade, we have had to turn away thousands of young people every year because we lack the capacity to include them in our program. While our two schooners can accommodate a total of 1700 participants per year, over 100 schools remain on our waiting list, each wanting to bring a class of 25-30 young people to sail with us annually. Furthermore, recent changes in federal regulations have limited our existing tall ships to operations in near-coastal waters only—they are no longer allowed to sail on longer international expeditions. The extended duration and expanded scale of deep sea voyages brings deeper impact in the lives of our trainees through prolonged opportunities for mentorship and discipleship.
The solution to both challenges is to build a third schooner that meets international requirements for both coastal and offshore sailing. We have completed the comprehensive initial design and must now hire specialized naval architects and engineers to complete the detailed engineering of the hull and rig before we can begin construction. It is difficult to find donors willing to fund anything other than actual construction, but the design and engineering is where the innovation happens. We must solve a myriad of design issues to ensure compliance with fire and life safety codes and resolve space related issues without significantly enlarging the ship and its construction budget. We expect the remaining hull design/engineering to cost $319,000, and our grant request would cover 47% of this amount. We are confident we can raise the remainder this year through the net proceeds of our boat donation/sales fundraising program. The measurable outcomes described above would be completed within twelve months of receiving funding, and hull construction would be completed 12-18 months later.
Measurable Outcomes:
- Complete the detailed design and engineering for the hull of a new schooner for SALTS, including solving design/regulatory challenges in relation to adding an external ballast keel, requirements for 50-degree stair angles, fire related surfaces and compartments, etc. Successful achievement of these goals will be measured when Lloyds Register of London deems our plans sufficient to begin hull construction. The timeline: within 12 months of receiving the requested funding.
- Gain Transport Canada approval to build the new schooner according to an appropriate regulatory code that allows for both coastal and offshore sailing, with exemptions or equivalent safety solutions approved as necessary. The measurement is that we will have this approval in writing from Transport Canada. The timeline: within 12 months of receiving the requested funding.