The Bill of Rights Ship Is Staying in Chula Vista! But the Fight Isn’t Over Yet

If you’ve ever driven past the Chula Vista Harbor and spotted that tall mast rising above the water, you already know there’s something special docked down there. The Bill of Rights Ship, Chula Vista’s official tall ship, came dangerously close to losing its home earlier this year. And honestly, when I heard what was happening, I just had to see the ship for myself.

I recently had the chance to tour the ship. I was down at the marina and decided to do a quick video letting people know what was going on. Luckily, the small gift shop was open, and Susan Johnson gave me the full scoop and even showed me the eviction letter.

Susan runs the ship’s programming alongside her husband, Captain Don Johnson. Together, they walked me through everything about what the organization does, who it serves, and what the eviction notice meant for all of it. I think I’m like most people who live in Chula Vista and don’t really understand exactly what the Bill of Rights ship is. It was great, actually, sitting there talking with them and learning more about it.

I also got to go below deck, which is a whole experience in itself. There’s a warmth to it down there — the dining space, the berths, the history baked into every inch of the hull. And I’ll be honest, this wasn’t even my first time on the ship. I sailed on the Bill of Rights once before, and that memory stuck with me. There’s nothing quite like being out on the water on a vessel like that. I would love to see her stay right here where she belongs.

What Almost Happened

Back in early March, the South Bayfront Sailing Association — the all-volunteer nonprofit that operates the ship — received a termination of lease notice from Safe Harbor Marina. Blackstone Infrastructure bought Safe Harbor last year in a massive deal, and the new owners have been making changes to marina properties across the country. For the Bill of Rights, that meant the real possibility of being pushed out of the harbor, it’s called home since 2013.

Word spread fast. People took to social media, a petition went up, and the community’s response was immediate and loud. Well, it worked.

Marina management walked back the termination notice and reached out to the organization, asking them to disregard the eviction notice and, more importantly, signaling a willingness to work together on long-term mooring options. Nothing is finalized yet, and negotiations are still ongoing. But the ship isn’t leaving. Not yet, anyway — and that’s where the community still has a role to play.

More Than a Boat

Here’s the thing about the Bill of Rights that anyone connected to it will tell you right away: calling it “just a boat” misses the point entirely. Susan put it simply when we talked — “They thought we were just a boat, and we’re not. We’re a community.” She’s right.

The ship runs youth sailing programs for kids ages 10 to 18, teaching real skills — seamanship, navigation, and teamwork when the wind changes and everyone has to move fast. It also supports training programs for U.S. Navy Sea Cadets. The people who run it, teach on it, and volunteer aboard it aren’t doing it for a paycheck. They’re doing it because the programs genuinely change kids.

One instructor shared a story about a student whose time on the ship sparked a three-hour conversation between the boy and his grandfather — two people who apparently never talked much before. The kid’s father was in tears telling the story. That’s the kind of thing that doesn’t show up in a lease agreement.

A Busy Summer Ahead for the Bill of Rights Ship

Even with all the uncertainty swirling around, programs on the ship never stopped. Summer is coming, and the crew is already planning sailing excursions and educational trips, including overnight voyages to Catalina Island. If you have a kid who’s curious about sailing or the ocean, it’s worth looking into.

How You Can Help

The fight isn’t over. There’s an active petition on Change.org calling on Marina management to keep the Bill of Rights right here in Chula Vista. If you haven’t signed it yet, go add your name. It takes two minutes and it matters — the initial wave of community pressure is literally what reversed the eviction notice in the first place.

And if you want to do more than sign a petition, go visit. Head down to the Chula Vista Harbor and see the ship in person. While you’re there, stop by the small on-site gift shop. Susan has filled it with photos, hand-crafted items she’s made herself, small trinkets, and other fun finds. It’s a great way to take a little piece of the Bill of Rights home with you — and every purchase goes directly toward supporting the ship and its programs.

About the Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights Ship has been on the water since 1971, built at the Harvey Gamage yard in Bristol, Maine. She’s a 136-foot, two-masted gaff-rigged schooner — the kind of vessel that turns heads wherever she goes. For years, she worked the waters off New England before moving west, and she’s been a fixture in San Diego Bay and the Channel Islands ever since.

In 2019, the City of Chula Vista officially designated her the city’s tall ship. Today she’s berthed at the excursion dock right here in Chula Vista Harbor, surrounded by the national marine reserve and the bay. The South Bayfront Sailing Association runs entirely on volunteers and donations, offering everything from day sails and educational tours to overnight adventures and team-building programs.

If you’ve never been aboard, now’s the time to change that. Come down, walk the deck, browse the gift shop, and see what this crew has been quietly doing for this community for over a decade. She’s hard to miss — just look for the tall mast.