Schooner Clipper City up on eBay

Clipper City in Baltimore's Inner Harbor

The schooner Clipper City is listed on eBay right now.

Clipper City is a 152' topsail schooner, originally built in 1985. She was serving as a charter ship in Baltimore until about a year ago, when the owner had to file for Chapter 11. The bank bought her at auction for $350K. She's up on eBay until 29 March 2008. She needs some hull repairs to get her USCG certification again, but when she was certified she carried 149 passengers and 6 crew.

Well, she'd definitely be big enough to live aboard. It sucks that the family wouldn't be able to crew her by ourselves, but she's large enough that we could easily accommodate extra hands. Hubster is pretty sure that he could find people who'd be willing to help out on board at the drop of a hat.

For chartering, she's a great buy and a fantastic opportunity. In theory, we could buy her now, be doing repairs while using her as a liveaboard, and be ready to launch our own charter business in about 5 years. It's a very tempting thought.

From the original business website, discussing the layout:

Clipper City was built as a replica of the original ship of the same name. However, we have designed the layout of today’s Clipper City to suit passengers.

The main deck is the largest public area on the vessel. Amid ship is a snack bar and our Pub, the Doghouse Bar. This structure also houses two heads (restrooms). There’s cushioned seating for 50. The main deck is covered by a custom canopy with retractable side curtains for use in inclement weather. All rails were built bar height so our customers can rest in any deck location.

The quarter deck is the raised area in the aft of the vessel. It is from this area that the captain steers the boat and issues orders. This elevated area allows expansive views of the ship and her surroundings. Seating for 30 is available.

Under the quarter deck is the engine room and the Captain’s Quarters. There is a navigation station with radar and communications equipment. This area is often used for meetings and as a private cabin for special occasions.

The Main Salon is an elegant area that can be used for meetings and private groups that attend our public sailings. With room for about 30 guests, it can also be used for larger groups with catering needs. Oriental carpets, custom-made chairs and settees give this area a “yacht” appeal.