Our Story
An accelerator with one mission: save Coaster.
The Trillium Group, Inc is a business accelerator built around a single boat. We fund her stabilization, move her somewhere she can be evaluated, and build the 501(c)(3) that will restore her and bring her to the Chesapeake.
Why an accelerator, and why Coaster.
The Trillium Group, Inc was founded in 2024 by Peter Kellogg Bertine and an anonymous patron. Their goal is to save three historic wooden sailboats: the first being the skipjack, “Coaster.”
Skipjacks are the last commercial sailing vessels working in North America — shallow, powerful wooden boats built to dredge oysters across the Chesapeake under sail alone. For more than a century they defined life on the Bay.
As the fleet dwindled, Coaster faced the same fate as so many others: neglect, decay, and eventually the scrapyard. Saving a boat like her takes fast action and lasting structure — so we built an accelerator to provide both.
We fund the immediate stabilization, relocate her for a full evaluation, and stand up the 501(c)(3) that will own and restore her. Our role is to get Coaster out of danger and into the hands of a nonprofit built to sail her home.
What drives us
Move fast to save her
An accelerator exists to act quickly. We fund stabilization now, before more of Coaster is lost to time and weather.
Structure that lasts
We build the 501(c)(3), board, and funding so the restoration is owned by a mission-driven nonprofit — not dependent on any one person.
Built to hand off
Our job is to get Coaster stabilized, evaluated, and into the hands of the nonprofit that will restore her and sail her home.
1890s
When the skipjack fleet was born
< 30
Skipjacks left on the Chesapeake
1
Boat we are racing to save: Coaster
501(c)(3)
The nonprofit we are building to restore her
The effort behind Coaster
The Accelerator
What we do
The Trillium Group, Inc funds the immediate stabilization of Coaster and moves her to a facility where she can be properly evaluated.
The 501(c)(3)
What we build
We stand up the nonprofit, board, and funding that will own Coaster and carry out her full restoration.
The Watermen
Where she is going
The Chesapeake oyster fleet is waiting. Once restored, Coaster returns to work under sail — not to sit ashore.
Want to help bring her home?
There is a place in this effort for everyone who loves the Bay.