Sea|mester was born of three men's passion for the sea and their desire to share that passion with others.

As a young man, Jim Stoll developed a passion for sailing. He turned the usually quiet summer season at his family's marina into a thriving summer sailing school for teenagers.

In 1970, Jim expanded the concept, taking his school to the water full-time. Jim sailed the Atlantic waters aboard 156' Te Vega and 175' Te Quest, enrolling 86 teenagers every year in a high school program of study and travel. Twelve years later, with children of his own, Jim moved back ashore to develop motivational programs for young adults. In the mid-eighties he once again headed to the water.

In 1995, Jim was joined by Mike Meighan and Travis Yates. As a recent oceanography and marine biology graduate, Mike dreamed of creating a truly interactive educational experience. Using the principles of experiential education, Mike developed Sea|mester in 1998 and acquired the 88-foot school ship, S/Y Ocean Star, in 1999.

With the steady growth of Sea|mester came the need for an additional vessel. Summer 2006 saw the completion of S/Y Argo, Sea|mester's 112-foot school ship. Since her launch, she has circumnavigated the globe, offering hundreds of Sea|mester students the chance to cross oceans while furthering their educational and personal goals. Sea|mester plans to build additional vessels in the future, based on the model of Argo.