Voyage of the Interlude is a multi-year educational expedition combining offshore sailing, onboard science, and classroom-ready storytelling. Led by captain and political scientist Corah Walker and Emmy Award-winning sailor-filmmaker Jon Neely, with rotating scientists and educators, Interlude serves as a floating field classroom, bringing ocean science, climate systems, and creative inquiry directly to students.
Why This Matters
Most students will never step on a research vessel or speak directly with scientists at sea.
Voyage of the Interlude brings that experience into the classroom, grounded in reality, curiosity, and questions that matter.
This project is happening. Your support helps determine how far it goes.
What We Are Doing
Voyage of the Interlude is not a concept or a pilot. It is an operational project with clear deliverables.
Right now, we are:
Acquiring and refitting Interlude, a historic offshore vessel purpose-built for long-range research and education
Hosting scientists on board, drawing from a growing network of marine scientists, climate researchers, and educators
Producing a filmed educational series designed for classroom use and public broadcast
Developing a standards-aligned curriculum spanning science, English, and interdisciplinary project-based learning
Offering educational sailing charters and limited expedition legs for adult learners and educators
Providing scholarships to ensure access for students and teachers regardless of financial background
This is a long-term platform built to grow, not a one-off voyage.
Explore Beyond Horizons
Interlude
Securing and refitting the vessel Interlude
This phase creates the physical platform that enables field-based learning.
Safety & compliance upgrades
Instructional and filming access
Long-term educational infrastructure
Interlude is more than a boat. It is a mobile learning environment.
Each expedition leg integrates:
Real-time scientific observation
Systems thinking and environmental analysis
Storytelling, journaling, and creative reflection
Questions students can investigate independently
Students don’t just watch a journey, they engage with it.
Countdown to Secure Interlude and begin Refit
Phase 2 — Voyage of the Interlude
An episodic educational documentary grounded in a single voyage and story arc.
Proof-of-concept production
Education-first storytelling
Designed for middle school learners and informal science institutions
Phase 3 (Alongside)— Educational Cirriculum
Ensuring educational rigor through standards alignment and pilot partnerships.
Learning objectives & NGSS alignment
Educator advisors
Classroom or museum pilots
How This Becomes Self-Sustaining
Interlude is already moving forward.
Funding determines how many students we reach, not whether the project exists.
There are limited opportunities to join specific legs of the expedition, contribute to curriculum development, or directly support scholarships.
Educational charters subsidize classroom content
Curriculum licensing supports ongoing production
Public distribution expands reach without increasing costs
Scholarships are funded through dedicated donor pools
Meet Interlude, 1982 Shannon 50
Interlude is a classic 1982 Shannon 50, a proven bluewater cruising yacht built for real voyaging, extended exploration, and transformational learning at sea.
Shannon Yachts earned a reputation among sailors for designing boats that are stable, seaworthy, and comfortable, qualities that make the Shannon 50 ideal for serious sailors, long passages, and life aboard. At just over 50 feet on deck with a purposeful displacement hull and ketch rig, Interlude carries sail well in a variety of conditions and rewards attentive handling with a smooth, confidence-inspiring ride. She’s the kind of boat that doesn’t just survive offshore conditions, she encourages learning from them.
Below decks, Interlude is as functional as she is capable. With three separate cabins, there’s space not just for a core crew, but also for a small production team, visiting scientists, and students. This layout supports the dual nature of Beyond Horizons’ mission: a working vessel for seamanship, and a mobile platform for science, education, and storytelling.
Her interior combines thoughtful storage, a practical galley, and living spaces designed for extended time at sea, making her suitable for:
multi-day educational voyages
field science work
documentary production logistics
and immersive learning experiences
Whether navigating coastal passages or heading offshore under sail, Interlude’s design supports both rigorous inquiryand the day-to-day rhythms of life at sea. She is more than a boat; she is the backbone of a place where curiosity and systems thinking meet real, lived experience.