The LOTUS is a legendary two-masted wooden schooner designed by William Hand Jr. in 1916. She first sailed the open waters of the Great Lakes in 1917 and remained a strong presence there for years.
Beginning in 1971, the LOTUS was sailed by Sea Scout Ship 303 out of Webster, Rochester, and Sodus Bay, New York. Over the decades, she made port throughout Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and New York City, and became a highlight attraction at “Pirate Days” in Alexandria Bay.
In 2015, longtime captain Bob Ellis passed away. Without his leadership, scheduled maintenance lapsed and the vessel fell into disrepair. By 2016, the LOTUS was removed from service, requiring extensive structural repairs including a significant breach in the hornbeam above the rudder. She has remained out of the water ever since.
Determined to see her sail again, a passionate group of supporters worked to recharter Sea Scout Ship 303 and restore the schooner. Their efforts led to the formation of Friends of the Schooner LOTUS (FOTSL) in 2019, an organization dedicated to the vessel’s restoration and long-term stewardship.
New Energy Works’ Director of Timber Framing, Owen MacDonald, shares a personal connection to the LOTUS, “My uncle sailed on the vessel in the ’70s as one of the early Sea Scouts. My sister sailed on her in the early 2000s, and I grew up in Sodus Bay spending a lot of time around the boat.”
Years before New Energy Works became formally involved, MacDonald participated in early assessments of the vessel. By 2017–2018, it was clear the LOTUS required significant structural work. The project moved to Cayuga Wooden Boat Works on Cayuga Lake for restoration.
Severe deterioration of the keelson, particularly through a 12-foot section at the vessel’s center required removal of the keel assembly, including the 8,000-pound cast-iron ballast keel, which is through-bolted to both the keel plate and keelson above.
“A few people from the nonprofit knew I worked at New Energy Works,” MacDonald explains. “They asked if they could call on us if they needed help. Eventually Cayuga Wooden Boat Works reached out and asked if we could cut and shape some massive timbers for the rebuild.”
In early 2026, New Energy Works received several substantial white oak timbers for processing, including a 14" x 13' x 11" slab weighing approximately 2,500 pounds. Using their large timber saws, the team rough-cut the slabs to precise dimensions before returning them to the boatyard for final hand hewing and installation into the rebuilt keel.
Friends of the Schooner LOTUS was originally brought together in 2018 by David and Rose Fox and Tom and Martha Lightfoot, members of Sodus-area historic organizations who envisioned the LOTUS as both a centerpiece of local maritime heritage and a hands-on educational vessel for scouts, charitable groups, and the community.
The group rallied regional sailing and scouting leaders, secured legal ownership of the vessel, and established FOTSL as a New York State nonprofit. The organization now holds 501(c)(3) charitable status, positioning it to steward the schooner’s future.
Thanks to their dedication and the collaborative effort of skilled craftspeople and community supporters the LOTUS is on course to sail once more.
