Amistad is ten feet longer than the original La Amistad of 1839. The extra length was built into the ship to accommodate an engine room. The keel is made of a tropical hardwood known as Purpleheart. The wood was harvested using sustainable forestry management practices in Guyana, South America. It is extremely dense, hard, and rot-resistant. Amistad’s two masts are carved from Douglas Firs donated by the the Department of Natural Resources, Washington state. The frame is made of live oak salvaged in South Carolina from the devastation caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and from highway projects on Hilton Head, South Carolina. Iroko was donated by the Republic of Sierra Leone, the birthplace of the Amistad captives. Learn more by reading about the woods used in construction.

Dimensions

Total length from bowsprit to stern: 129’

Weight: 136 tons

Rig: Topsail Schooner

Length over the rail: 85’

Length on deck: 81’

Maximum beam (width): 23’

Length at waterline: 78’

Design draft (depth): 10’

Sail area: 5,200 square feet

Topmast: 91’