In recognition of the epic voyage of the SSV Robert C. Seamans last year, Tall Ships America last week honored SEA Captain Sean Bercaw, the crew of the Seamans, and SEA’s Marine Operations and Academic Program teams with its 2020 Tall Ships America Reimagination Award.

The award was presented by SEA President Peg Brandon at the Tall Ships America Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships, held virtually.

Capt. Sean Bercaw

Last winter, as the COVID pandemic erupted, the SSV Robert C. Seamans was in Wellington, New Zealand. SEA decided to repatriate the ship and its professional crew to the continental United States as quickly as possible. As New Zealand prepared to seal its borders, SEA Captain Sean Bercaw arrived and the crew began a two-week quarantine and provisioned for a lengthy voyage.

The ship departed in April and sailed to Hawaii where it refueled before continuing on to San Diego. The total distance sailed was nearly 9,000 nautical miles!

While at sea, Bercaw and his crew of sailors, scientists, engineers and stewards, with the collaboration of faculty and staff on shore, launched Pacific Crossing 2020, an ArcGIS StoryMap with regular posts and videos that shared the “story of the Pacific” with a wide audience.

2020 Tall Ships America Reimagination Award

In presenting the award, Brandon credited the recipients for “pivoting on a pandemic dime to undertake and complete an epic deadhead voyage,” and for producing Pacific Crossing 2020, which she said “has inspired SEA to think differently about how we can share ocean education, exploration, and research.”

Congratulations Team SEA!

Crew
Master: Sean Bercaw
Mate: Tristan Feldman
Mate: Rocky Bonner
Mate: Kate Enright
Mate: Cassie Sleeper
Engineer: Henry Cylkowski
Assistant Engineer: Damian Byers
Assistant Engineer: Sonia Pollock
Deckhand: Will Muir
Steward: Kylie Wiegel
Assistant Scientist: Helen Dufel
Assistant Scientist: Anna Wietelmann
Assistant Scientist: Hilary Ranson
Assistant Scientist: Ella Cedarholm
Deckhand: Sabrina Hutchinson
Deckhand: Sarah Acker-Krzywicki
Deckhand: Sascha Drice

Weather Support on Shore
Rick Miller
Jason Quilter
Joe Sienkiewicz

Marine Operations Dept.
Tom Sullivan
Jen Haddock
Laurie Weitzen
Alex Myers
Kim Reed-Nutt
Maia Theophanis

Shore Faculty
Jan Witting
Chris Nolan