About Us
Wonder is the oceanographic research and teaching vessel of the Planet School.
The Planet School is a forthcoming tuition-free two-year experiential high school. All proceeds from our sails fund the Planet School endowment and support our tuition-free education model.
The goal of the Planet School is to equip students with the academic, interpersonal, and leadership skills to think about, discuss, and take action on “planet-sized” problems. This happens through hands-on, experiential learning that is unparalleled in its investment in student agency and curiosity.
Wonder serves as one of three Planet School campuses and is the first campus students experience when they enroll. When we are not hosting student voyages, we open Wonder to the public for various types of charter sails. This enables more people to experience the magic of tall ship sailing and supports our tuition-free education business model.
About Wonder
Wonder is a steel-hull gaff-rigged schooner that was built in 1988. In that time, she has been named Heritage of Miami and was called Bloody Pirate when the Planet School acquired her in May 2024.
In homage to the Motown heritage of Detroit (we’re big Stevie Wonder fans) and to capture the feeling of learning and exploration that comes from being at sea, we settled on the name Wonder for this next chapter in this vessel’s storied career.
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Wonder is a Coast Guard inspected vessel and is certified to carry 38 passengers during the day and 24 passengers overnight.
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This refers to the shape of Wonder's main sail, which is not a triangle. Instead, it is a trapezoid with its upper edge held aloft by a rod (spar) called a gaff. In total, Wonder can fly 10 sails when under full canvas, though wind conditions rarely make this an ideal sail plan.
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Twice a year we sail Wonder between its summer home in Detroit and its winter home in the Caribbean. Wonder has sturdy rigging that was completely rebuilt in 2023 and a powerful 215 hp Cummins diesel engine.
Crew
Thane Richard
FOUNDER & CAPTAIN
Thane is the founder of the Planet School and one of the captains of Wonder. He is an educator who encourages ambitious, imaginative thinking in his students. He has introduced hundreds of newcomers to the ocean from teens to adults and has taught at the Nueva School, worked as a Mate for the Sea Education Association, and as Lead Educator for Proctor Academy’s Ocean Classroom program. He holds a B.A. in Development Studies from Brown University and a M.S. in Agriculture Education from Montana State University. You can learn more about Thane here and find him on LinkedIn here.
As a sailor, Thane has sailed the length of the American Atlantic coast 6 times and sailed around Hispaniola and Cuba twice. In 2024, he sailed Wonder over 6,000 miles in less than 6 months from Key Largo to the Great Lakes and then back to Key West via the inland rivers to complete the Great Loop. He holds a 100 ton Great Lakes and Inland Master credential from the Coast Guard and is currently submitting paperwork to raise this to a Near Coastal credential.
He particularly enjoys sailing at night using the stars.