Coaster II facts for kids
Under sail in Marquette Harbor, 2013
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| History | |
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| Builder | Goudy & Stevens |
| Launched | 1933 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Schooner |
| Displacement | 38,000 lb (17,000 kg) |
| Length | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Beam | 12 ft 3 in (3.73 m) |
| Draft | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Sail plan | Gaff rigged Schooner |
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Coaster II
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 Location in Michigan
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| Location | Far western end of the Main Pier at Mattson Lower Harbor Park, off Harbor Dr, Marquette, Michigan |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architect | Murray Peterson, Goudy & Stevens |
| Architectural style | Two-masted sailing schooner |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001605 |
| Added to NRHP | September 28, 1989 |
The Coaster II, also known as Quissett, is a special two-masted sailing ship. You can find her docked at the end of the Main Pier in Mattson Lower Harbor Park. This park is located off Harbor Drive in Marquette, Michigan. This historic ship was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means she is an important part of history!
About the Coaster II
The Coaster II is a type of sailing ship called a schooner. She has two tall masts. The ship is about 58 feet long. That's longer than a school bus! She is also about 12 feet wide. The bottom of the ship goes about 6 and a half feet deep into the water. The ship weighs about 38,000 pounds.
The Coaster II has a wooden hull, which is the main body of the ship. Her sails are set up in a special way called a gaff rig. This ship is the second of three similar ships. They were all designed to look like old sailing ships from the late 1800s.
The ship is made from strong wood. Her hull is mahogany. The deck, where people walk, is made of Burmese teak. Inside, the main cabin has a dining table. There are also seats that can turn into beds. The kitchen area, called the galley, is also inside.
History of the Coaster II
Murray Peterson, born in 1908, was a very important boat designer. He learned how to design ships at a famous school. In 1929, he started working for another boat designer. Peterson had a cool idea for a "character" boat. He wanted to design smaller versions of big commercial sailing ships. These smaller ships would still have the look and feel of the older ones.
The first ship like this, called the Coaster, was built in 1931. In 1933, Peterson started his own design business. The very first ship he designed for his new company was the Coaster II. He designed her to be his own personal yacht. The Coaster II was built in 1933 by the same shipyard. Peterson actually lived on the ship until 1935. Then, he sold her to someone else.
This amazing yacht has had many adventures! She was used in a race from San Francisco to Hawaii. During World War II, she helped look for enemy submarines. She even sailed around Cape Horn, which is a very dangerous part of the world. At some point, her name was changed to Quissett. In 2007, a person named Niko Economides bought the Coaster II. He brought her to her current home in Marquette.
