Geronimo is a 69-foot cutter-rigged sloop designed by the Ted Hood Design Group specifically for St. George's School. She was completed and launched in 1998 by New England Boat Works in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She replaced the school's original
Geronimo that served the school from 1974 to 1998. The vessel can accomodate up to 13 persons, and typically sails with six to eight student crew and three professional crew. Since the program's inception,
Geronimo has sailed close to 350,000 nautical miles with over 1000 students.
Geronimo is a United States documented vessel and is inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard as a Sailing School Vessel. As a School Sailing Vessel,
Geronimo must meet a wide range of standards set for its certification. This includes regular hull, m
achinery and safety inspections by the U. S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping.
Sailing School Vessel regulations require that each student crew member is instructed in seamanship and emergency procedures before the ship gets underway.
Geronimo is equipped with modern navigation and safety equipment, satellite and radio communication devices, a main engine and generator, watermaker, firefighting equipment and two 15-man life rafts.
Geronimo has a two-Captain rotation, one Captain at sea and the other acting as the Shoreside Administrator. Deborah Hayes is the Program Director and Captain at sea during the summer and spring cruises and Mike Dawson is the Captain during the fall and winter cruises.
Stephen Connett was the first Captain and led the program, with his wife Barbara, from its beginning in 1974 until his retirement in 2001.