Coronado Eagle, Volume 8, Number 13, 26 March 1997 — Coronadans Susan And Wade Hall Acquire 118-Foot Schooner [ARTICLE]

Coronadans Susan And Wade Hall Acquire 118-Foot Schooner

by Jeanne Danis

As a boy growing up on the windswept plains of South Dakota, Coronadan Wade Hall would gaze at night at a picture of a big sailboat on the wall beside his bed. And he dreamed that someday he’d own one just like it. It took him a few years-BUDS School at the Amphibious Base, a tour as a Navy diving instructor, followed by a job as a sailing instructor at Orange Coast College, then a career in real estate with McMillin Co. Finally, when he turned 40 last fall, Hall decided it was high time to realize that dream. And this month he and his wife, Susan, became the proud owners of Pilgrim of Newport, an 83-foot wooden-hu 1 led schooner which was built according to plans of a 1776 Revolutionary War schooner. From stem to bowsprit, it measures 118 feet. Wade is still with McMillan in San Diego, but his brother, Whit,

lives aboard and the two skippers hope to bring Pilgrim to San Diego Bay for charters, weddings or parties associated with conventions. They plan to be afloat here for the Super Bowl. For the time being, however, the Halls are sailing out of Newport to Catalina every weekend on day trips and overnights. During the week, Pilgrim takes passengers on whale-watching excursions. The boat is certified to take 82 passengers, the largest number of passengers of any similar boat on the West Coast, according to “first

mate” Susan. “There are sleeping accommodations for 26 in bunks,” Susan added. “But kiddos can spread out on deck in sleeping bags.” The schooner was built by its original owner, Dennis Holland, over a 13-year period and has been in service since 1983. John Wayne celebrated his 70th birthday aboard and presented Pilgrim with her ship’s bell. Her dinghy was used in the film “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Persons interested in seeing the schooner or arranging charters can call the Halls at 435-5482 or the boat at (714) 966-0682.