Captain John Beebe-Center takes command of the Spirit of South Carolina on a temporary contract.

Captain John Beebe-Center has spent the better part of three decades commanding traditional vessels on some of the most demanding waters in the world. He came aboard Spirit of South Carolina on June 19 for our return to service period, and his arrival represents something this organization has been working toward: a captain whose experience matches the scale of what this ship was built to do.

His record in tall ships alone is remarkable. He served as captain of Schooner Amistad, the historical replica of the vessel at the center of one of the most significant legal battles in American history. He commanded US Brig Niagara, the State of Pennsylvania's official tall ship, for three years on the Great Lakes. He captained Pride of Baltimore II, the State of Maryland's ambassadorial schooner, across the Atlantic and throughout North America. He led Ocean Classroom Foundation voyages aboard Harvey Gamage and Spirit of Massachusetts along the East Coast. He commanded Barquentine Concordia, a 188-foot sailing school ship, on ocean passages through the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, the coast of Africa, and South America. He captained Barque Picton Castle across the South Pacific, ranging as far as New Zealand, Pitcairn Island, French Polynesia, Tonga, and Fiji.

In 2004, he received the Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship, one of the most respected distinctions in American sailing. In 2010, he received the American Sail Training Association Safety Award.

His career has not been confined to traditional sail. He has served as captain and chief mate aboard National Geographic expedition vessels from Alaska to the Sea of Cortez, as captain on passenger vessels with American Cruise Lines and UnCruise Adventures, and as a relief mate on research voyages for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. He holds a Master Oceans license rated to 1600 GRT and carries Federal Pilotage endorsements for the East Coast, West Coast, Chesapeake Bay, Southeast Alaska, and the Great Lakes. He earned his Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.

What that career adds up to is a captain who has navigated virtually every kind of vessel in virtually every kind of water, with a deep and particular expertise in traditional wooden schooners and the educational sailing programs they exist to support. That is the work ahead for Spirit of South Carolina. It is also the work Captain Beebe-Center has been doing his entire professional life.

We are glad to have him and Spirit is lucky to have her at the helm for limited time. Welcome aboard, Captain Beebe-Center.