Irving Johnson (ship)
The twin brigantines Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson are the flagships of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute's (LAMI) TopSail Youth Program, a non-profit organization created as a character building organization to help at risk youth prepare for life through the discipline and teamwork required to safely handle a tall ship. They join LAMI's topsail schooners the Swift of Ipswich and the Bill of Rights in introducing youths to the subtle but profound influence presented by the sea.
Named for sail training pioneers Irving and Electa "Exy" Johnson, the brigantines take on a proud history initiated by their namesakes. Seven time veteran circumnavigators of the world on board two different boats both named Yankee, each trip with a new crew of boys and girls armed only with a sense of adventure and curiosity. For 25 years beginning in the late 1930s, Irving and Exy did what was thought impossible, and lived a life now legendary.
As the Yankee was home to the Johnsons and their family of fellow shipmates, TopSail was envisioned after that model to become a second home to the many youths who come on board where they can safely dream and discover, learn and grow as they pass through turbulent times at school, in their neighborhoods and in their own lives as teenagers today.
Read more about Irving Johnson (ship): Construction, Layout and Facilities, Grounding
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