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Three Countries, 299 Days – An Abundance of Smiles June 14, 2023 The initial goal of building Schooner Huron Jewel was so Captain Hugh Covert could have a tall ship to sail and we could have a sailing charter business close to home. It also gave us an opportunity to … Read More

Welcome aboard the Schooner Huron Jewel Dream Inspiration Tour, when we’ll be sailing the dream to inspire others to do what it takes to make their dream a reality.

We invite you to help spread the amazing story of Schooner Huron Jewel to inspire others to live their dream. Travel with Captain Hugh and Julie Covert on their voyage through the Great Lakes to the Eastern Seaboard, south to Florida, and back.

VIDEO July 16, 2021 Mid-July, 2021 Gabriella Galloway and Stephanie Adkins of 9 & 10 News came up to Drummond to do a story about Schooner Huron Jewel. It was a blustery but great day for sailing! The series of videos can be seen at https://www.9and10news.com/2021/07/16/mtm-on-the-road-finishing-up-otr-across-the-state-aboard-the-schooner-huron-jewel/ And if you’re interested … Read More

VIDEO August 9, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 virus, the Drummond Island Tall Ship Company and crew were not able to offer public trips in 2020. Instead, we traveled the Great Lakes bringing Schooner Huron Jewel to people’s backyards to put smiles on their faces and inspire people to make … Read More

October 29, 2021 Have you ever dreamed of learning how to sail? Have you ever yearned to work aboard a tall ship? Now is your opportunity! We’re looking for a couple enthusiastic folks to join our schooner family and crew Schooner Huron Jewel for the 2022 season. No experience is … Read More

VIDEO June 15, 2019 When we’re not sailing we love giving people tours Schooner Huron Jewel and telling them our story about how we made our dream a reality. We hope that it encourages them to never give up on their own dreams. Here’s a video that 9 & 10 … Read More

Coming for a sail aboard Schooner Huron Jewel? As Drummond Island is a destination, rather than a place to pass through, there are a lot of fun and interesting activities to enjoy before and after your trip aboard Schooner Huron Jewel. There are so many options, including enjoying the tranquility and … Read More

Quiet Waters Symposium Saturday, March 2, 20199:00 AM to 5:30 PMMichigan State University Pavilion  |  4301 Farm Lane  |  East Lansing, MIAdults $10.00, Students with I/D $5.00, under 12 free https://www.quietwatersociety.org/what_is_qws.php Come see us at the 2019 Quiet Waters Symposium. We’re excited again to be part of the fun this … Read More

December 19, 2018  With the New Year upon us we are finalizing our 2019 sailing calendar and hope to have it online soon. Again we’ll be offering our two- and four-hour trips along with our popular and special Two-Day Around Drummond trip. We hope to put on the schedule for … Read More

November 22, 2018 As the schooner is put away for the winter and the weather is cold, there is not as much to do. Planning next year’s schedule and various projects that are on the list, but haven’t had a sketch or worklist made, have been occupying our time. Since … Read More

October 27, 2018 Thanks to all who came for a sail with us in 2018! We had a lot of good sailing and fun trips, but now Winter approaches. Right before we hauled her out we were able to finally get all her sails flying for a photo shoot. We … Read More

September 21, 2018 Sailing the Dream! We have been busy sailing, mostly in Potagannissing Bay (full name: Bootaagan-mnising Bay, meaning Mill (Drummond) Island Bay) and the St. Marys River by DeTour Village. There is still plenty of rigging work underway, though we have been flying a spinnaker from time to … Read More

VIDEO August 29, 2018   The third week of August Corey and Stephanie Adkins of 9 & 10 News came up to Drummond to do a story about Schooner Huron Jewel. The video can be seen at https://www.9and10news.com/2018/08/29/northern-michigan-in-focus-schooner-huron-jewel/ And if you’re interested in sailing with us check out all the sailing … Read More

August 21, 2018 Sailing at last! After being at Nate’s Marina, thanks to Gordy Mackay and Rich Curtis, we got more carpentry work done and the lead ballast bricks in, which meant that the masts and rigging could then be put on. Josh Baareman of L & B Builders did … Read More

July 22, 2018 Well, after the launch we have continued to keep busy! We moved her with the help of some friends from Yacht Haven to Nate’s Marina so we could finish fitting her out. It’s been nice to be working outside in the sunshine and fresh air at Nate’s … Read More

July 1, 2018 Reprinted with permission from the July 2018 issue of the Drummond Island Digest A New Gem in the Crown of the Great Lakes On June 23, 2018 at Drummond Island Yacht Haven’s marina, the newest tall ship of the Great Lakes was launched and christened. After two … Read More

June 28, 2018 What a rush we have been in for the last month! The main news is that Huron Jewel is in the water, launched at Drummond Island Yacht Haven on Saturday, June 23rd.  The lake stayed out of the boat and Huron Jewel floated right side up, Lee … Read More

VIDEO June 23, 2018 The schooner was launched and floating properly at Drummond Island Yacht Haven’s marina on Saturday, June 23rd, 2018. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate with us as we formally named her Huron Jewel. And if you’re interested in sailing with us check out … Read More

May 26, 2018 This last month has been kind of a blur and the speed is picking up. With the ship’s wheel all complete (thanks, Judge) we mounted the wheelbox permanently and I installed the hydraulic helm. It’s a variable-displacement pump that the wheel mounts on, with copper lines to … Read More

April 23, 2018 The warm weather finally arrived late in April and progress picked up right away with extra volunteers lending a hand. We were able to use epoxy and have it cure hard enough to sand in a reasonable time. We made the deck boxes for seating aft by … Read More

March 25, 2018 As the weather warms, we have gotten more helpers and have been able to do more projects on the outside of the boat. We started off the month in the engine room, building a ladder for access and a battery box for the engine start batteries. Chris … Read More

VIDEO March 4, 2018 Many folks have come by the boat house at various times to see the different stages of the building of Schooner Huron Jewel. Others follow this blog or our articles in the monthly newspaper Drummond Island Digest. For those who are new to our project or … Read More

February 19, 2018 As the days get longer and warmer, we are managing to get more done. Following the last of the cloth going on to the cabintop, we concentrated on the inside of the boat. The galley all came apart yet again and carried to the paint room for … Read More

Schooner Huron Jewel Christening Celebration Saturday, June 23, 2018 10:00 AM to 5 PM with Lawn Concert at 7 PM At the Drummond Island Yacht Haven Marina Free Evening concert: Suggested donation – Adults $10.00, Students $5.00, under 5 free Brought to you by DI Tall Ship Company, Drummond Island Tourism Association, and … Read More

Quiet Waters Symposium Saturday, March 3, 2018 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM Michigan State University Pavilion  |  4301 Farm Lane  |  East Lansing, MI Adults $10.00, Students with I/D $5.00, under 12 free https://www.quietwatersociety.org/what_is_qws.php We recently learned about the Quiet Water Society and the annual symposium that these like-minded folks … Read More

January 21, 2017 This month, the big excitement was getting the galley all set up (and then taken apart again for painting). The stoves were in place, the sink and faucet got carried up, and many details of placement and storage worked out. A stanchion for the cook to hold … Read More

December 21, 2017 Now the last layer of MDO plywood is down on the cabin tops and we’re waiting for it to cure, which is a slow process in the winter. We’ll then we tape the seams and then cover it all with Dynel cloth and epoxy. Julie covered all … Read More

December 14, 2017 Are you looking for a great gift for that hard to shop for person? Need something for someone who has everything – or thinks they do? We’ve got your answer – give them the gift of their name on one of the ballast bricks that will be … Read More

November 20, 2017 Fall weather has definitely arrived with its short days. We’re hiking off our island to Drummond more often, but still making progress on Huron Jewel. The beginning of November Julie finished installing the insulation and stainless steel liner for the icebox. We’ve been framing the overhead now, … Read More

October 22, 2017 This past week we laid cloth on the decks after much preparation including the second layer of plywood for the cabin sides. The cloth laps up on the sides of the cabin and down over the edge of the deck to the sides of the boat to … Read More

September 21, 2017 It’s been a flurry of dust there at Schooner House this last month. Julie put local cedar tongue-and-groove paneling, made by John Tucker, on the bulkheads. She kept commenting that when in 8th grade geometry class she never imagined she would one day use her geometry knowledge … Read More

August 23, 2017 We’re moving steadily onward, despite a holiday going to Bay City to drive the schooner Appledore IV for 9 days. The deck has had its second layer of MDO plywood laid thanks to help from Rich Kriepe and Alan Hosler. The seams have been taped, the screw … Read More

July 21, 2017 Another hugely busy month here and a change of plans. It’s been a month of finishing all work that needs to be done prior to putting the decking on. This has meant lots of plumbing for the galley (kitchen) and head (bathroom), plumbing for the freshwater, greywater … Read More

June 22, 2017 June has been busy like May was. The warmer weather and longer days have helped with the schooner project, though we have to watch the mixed epoxy a little closer and spread it out more quickly, because it cures faster with the warmer temperature. Often we are … Read More

May 24, 2017 May saw a lot of activity at Schooner House. We had a number of out-of-town volunteers come to help. The propeller shafts are in place, the engine beds are now ready for the engines and all the tanks are in ready for plumbing. Tom D. did a … Read More

April 19, 2017 Want to see what’s happening at Schooner House? A few folks have told us they couldn’t find us. Take Johnswood Rd east, past Scammon Cove to McKenzie Pt Rd, turn right and go south one mile. Schooner House, the big white shrink wrap building, is on the … Read More

VIDEO April 7, 2017 On a fine Sunday in April, Sean Heiney of Manitou Media stopped by to check out Schooner Huron Jewel. He was so impressed he pulled out the camera, drone, and video equipment to do this terrific video. Want to come sailing this summer? Be sure to … Read More

March 20, 2017 The schooner has been progressing in the last month (February) despite winter finally arriving and the cold invading the building. The epoxy-sealed interior surfaces have been primed and painted and the cover has come off now that the paint is dry. Work on the centerboard is coming … Read More

February 18, 2017 February has been another busy month at Schooner House working on Huron Jewel. Virtually all the hull planking inside has been sealed with epoxy – only the flotation airspace forward of the first bulkhead remains. Paint has been applied to the interior so that I can start … Read More

January 21, 2017 We’ve made a fair amount of progress since we turned the hull over in December. ‎The inside of the hull has been sanded and coats of epoxy have been applied to seal the planking in most of the compartments. The floors, the transverse structural members that will … Read More

December 27, 2016 Well! The big news is we successfully turned Schooner Huron Jewel’s hull over right side up. With a good crew of five, using jacks to lift up one side and chain falls to lower the other side down, we took our time over two days and made … Read More

VIDEODecember 7, 2016After working on and off for about a week to build “square wheels” and clean out the boat house, we were ready to roll Schooner Huron Jewel’s hull over so we could begin working on the interior.In this time lapse video we roll over the course of two … Read More

November 19, 2016 In this month’s update for Schooner Huron Jewel, I will summarize what has been done so far. Just over a year ago in the fall of 2015, we poured concrete and built the building in which we would build the schooner. Then over the winter I built … Read More

October 27, 2016 This month’s work was delayed a little by the Rebelle Rally Jeep project, but a new volunteer, Tom, did a fine job putting the core and outer skins on the rudder. Fiberglass should be going on that in a few days. I fabricated a quadrant arm to hook … Read More

September 25, 2016 We’ve been making progress on the schooner this past month, scraping and sanding and laying more fiberglass cloth on the hull. The keel is growing: 24 layers of hard yellow pine boards and only 2 more to go. Fifty pounds of lead went inside the aft part … Read More

August 25, 2016 This last month was busy; I spent a number of days sailing the Schooner Manitou down in Traverse City. When I was home I spent my time fairing the hull. Fairing is the process of making the surface smooth by sanding high spots and filling in low … Read More

July 26, 2016 This last month we planked Huron Jewel with 2” x 6” tongue and groove Douglas fir boards 16 feet long, applying epoxy to their edges and where they crossed the frames and bulkheads. There is a time lapse video of the three days spent planking online at … Read More

VIDEOJuly 17, 2016For three solid days during the week of July 4th, Captain Hugh and Julie along with 14 friends planked Schooner Huron Jewel.In this time lapse video we plank Huron Jewel with 2″ x 6″ tongue and groove Douglas fir boards 16 feet long, applying epoxy to their edges … Read More

June 26, 2016 Things have been moving along on the schooner project. All the longitudinals (sheer clamps, chine logs, and engine stringers) are in; fairing the framework so the planking will lay properly has begun and the centerboard trunk is almost complete. We laid the second and third layers of … Read More

May 26, 2016 The weather has warmed enough so that I’ve been able to get some gluing done. Epoxy will cure at 40 degrees, but a special formula has to be used and if allowed to warm too much, it quickly becomes “5-minute” epoxy.  All the bulkheads are now made and … Read More

March 26, 2016 Well, the schooner is coming along despite the cold weather. A friend helped me put the bulkheads up (the sections that divide the boat into compartments) and the stem (the bow timber). The longitudinals such as engine beds, the chines that join the bottom to the sides, … Read More

February 22, 2016 It’s been cold so not too much has progressed, other than ordering planking lumber from Sunes Do It Best lumberyard, and ordering some lead ballast and fuel tanks. Also, I’m starting to restore an old 41″ teak ship’s wheel. It weighs 62 pounds and is quite an … Read More

January 22, 2016 It is finally something like winter here now so I’ve been concentrating on design details and parts specifications. The temperature is too cold for gluing so it’s a good time of year for inside work. We ordered an anchor windlass (used to hoist the anchors) the other … Read More

A few years ago I started thinking about building “The Next Boat”. The current boat is in good shape, sails well and has been a lot fun for 17 years. It grew (see Metamorphosis in the May 2015 Digest) in the planning stage from 18 to 20, 22 and finally … Read More