The History of Gaslight
Our 72 foot Schooner
Maritime history tells us there was a scow schooner named GAS LIGHT that sailed San Francisco Bay in the late 1800's. She originally was commissioned in 1874 in South San Francisco. To supplement the flourishing scow schooner fleet in the Bay which numbered over 700 vessels, the original GAS LIGHT was named for her ‘modern’ take on a successful design. In the 1870’s, the large, populated cities of the world were beginning to be lit by the ‘modern’ technology of natural gas lanterns. The ‘gas lights’ were considered cutting-edge…..hence the name was given to a scow schooner in 1874 that incorporated a faster hull and more sail area to carry freight more efficiently than her competitors!
More than a century later, in 1990 craftsman and accomplished sailors Billy Martinelli and Carl Schumacher with the help of Harold Sommers and Karl Kortum (co-founder of the San Francisco Maritime Museum), designed the modern steel-hulled Scow Schooner GAS LIGHT and began building her in Sausalito, California. GAS LIGHT is truly a window on the proud heritage of the original working scows. After ten years of labor, meticulous attention to detail, and loving care, she was launched and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry up to 49 passengers and 5 crew. Billy Martinelli , the designer & builder joined us on a crew training day in 2022. You can see a link to the video here..
GAS LIGHT outwardly appears to be an exact replica of her 1874 namesake. Modern materials, shipbuilding science and an eye for detail have created a passenger yacht with uncompromising safety and comfort.
Everywhere you look, GAS LIGHT is full of historic charm, yet outfitted with modern amenities.
Click on this video to get a tour of Gas Light our 72-foot Scow Schooner. A truly one of a kind sailing yacht!
Step aboard, stretch out on the wide expansive decks and take in the unforgettable views. The best part? When you step below deck…. GAS LIGHT truly shines! Her interior is designed for complete comfort. The use of interior space for guests to mingle out of the weather can be experienced by all. Where freight was previously carried below and stacked 10 feet above the deck, now passengers can enjoy hot meals and a full bar! Beautiful hardwoods including teak, mahogany, red and yellow cedar line the cabin's interior. The unique centerboard design of the scow schooner allows for this vessel to float in only 3 1/2 feet of water! Modern GAS LIGHT incorporates a 15 foot center-line table built of solid Burmese teak over the centerboard trunk, giving useful dining space to a functional design.
GAS LIGHT has a very high initial stability due to her scow design. Freight carrying capacity was of utmost importance to the scow schooner owners and sailors of yesteryear. Interestingly, the ability to easily carry twice their weight translates to an incredibly stable ride. The scow design is characterized by a flat, sharply - angled bow, flat sides and bottom coupled with a wide beam which translates to a vessel that simply does not “heel” or tip over in response to the wind’s pressure in the sails. Again, the history of the scow schooner design is responsible for GAS LIGHT’S inherent ability to impress her guests with total comfort in the windy, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay.
To merely step aboard GAS LIGHT, walk her decks and feel the wooden masts and spars invokes a feeling of nostalgia. Her guests immediately notice the spaciousness not only of her decks, but the ease in which one can walk around and go below…..only four easy steps into that huge open interior that consistently gets the “WOW” factor!
GAS LIGHT has a one of a kind open concept that is not only spacious but allows for guests to lounge both inside and out. No other sailing vessel on the Bay can claim as much upper deck or below deck space for passenger comfort.
We can truly say that GAS LIGHT’S scow schooner design is responsible for all of her incredible qualities.
When the captain and crew cast off the dock lines and head out onto the Bay aboard GAS LIGHT, her design, function and unique characteristics will be something you will always remember. The ‘helm’ or steering system is also an original design. The ships wheel is attached to a drum. This horizontally oriented drum has a continuous rope fed around it. This rope moves the large rudder on the stern of GAS LIGHT when the wheel is turned by the captain. On original scow schooners, the entire apparatus.....called the 'harp' because of its general appearance to the musical instrument, could be extended and raised far above the deck to give visibility to the captain over the top of the freight he was carrying. When you come sailing on GAS LIGHT you step back in time!
Her rigging is entirely manual. Meaning no winches or modern devices to help with the ‘sweating up’ of the three huge sails. GAS LIGHT demonstrates first-hand how the captains and crew of yesteryear navigated the brisk breezes and swift currents of the Bay. The unique part of this is that you....as a guest may participate in the important jobs of getting a tall ship under sail. Each or the three sails require human muscle to raise them up the wooden masts. Our experienced crew will ask for volunteers ro get the sails raised. One person on each side of the boat pulls the halyards down, while another "takes in the slack" on the line. Once the huge sails stretch against the sky, our crew will help the guests "sweat up" the remaining few feet of halyard and belay, or make fast the line to belaying pins. This was the traditional method used in the golden age of the working sailing vessel. As a guest, you have the option to assist the crew, or simply relax and watch your friends, family or business partners participate.
Raising the sails is not the only way to immerse yourself in the history of GAS LIGHT. Many guests are thrilled to stand at the helm and "be on watch" for the captain. Please feel free to ask the captain any questions about the vessel, its operation or the Bay. This is an ideal time to find out hidden facts and history that you might not have known. If you're lucky and the conditions are correct, our captain will invite you to "take the helm" for a while. With 2,000 square feet of sail, on a typical day, GAS LIGHT will amaze you with her turn of speed. Steering a 60 ton vessel under sail through winds and seas can be a great challenge.....but with instruction from our captain standing nearby, you can learn much and have bragging rights of sailing the only living replica scow schooner remaining today!
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Tour Gas Light.
Our historic-style tall ship yacht is designed like no other on the bay with your absolute comfort in mind.
She boasts a wide decks topside and a speakeasy-like open and spacious “living room” below the decks.
Gas Light is complete with a full bar, lounging couches and a long mahogany table that is a great place to get out of the elements and to enjoy each other in a relaxed and cozy environment.
All about Gas Light.
Captain Steve highlights some of the qualities and history of our yacht that make her one of a kind.
Her design is based on a historic Scow Schooner that boasts wide stable design.
Her open concept below decks is perfect for intimate charters.