Captain and Crew

Captain Paul Morse is the owner of the Tree of Life and has been sailing traditional schooners and Tall Ships for over forty years, since the age of 17. In his early twenties, Captain Morse successfully navigated across the Atlantic Ocean twice only using traditional instruments: a sextant, an accurate timepiece and tables of the sun and planets. He has been employed as the boatswain and first mate aboard the 140-foot topsail schooner Bill of Rights. He has also worked on commercial fishing vessels, supply boats, tugboats and crew boats supporting the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Morse has owned two previous schooners and the Tree of Life is the last vessel he plans to sail since the she has everything that anyone could ask of a well-found ship. Captain Morse holds a USCG (United States Coast Guard) license for sail and auxiliary vessels of up to 100 tons and holds a BA in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.

Alison Kupetz Morse grew up in Dutchess County, New York. She has a B.A. in Social Ecology from Ithaca College and an M.S. in Education from Fordham University. The conservation of nature, specifically the Adirondack Mountains, was instilled in her at a young age. Alison taught elementary special education for twenty-five years. As an educator in mostly urban schools, she recognizes the importance of connecting nature and science through literature and experiential learning. Throughout her career she’s observed children’s love and genuine curiosity for the natural world. With her captain husband they’ve partnered with The Boys and Girls Club of America at Fox Point to create a program called To Sea to See. To Sea to See is a philanthropic program that allows children who are members of BGCA to sail on Tree of Life as part of an expeditionary sailing experience. The program’s goal is to provide children the opportunity to sail and broaden their horizons.

Chris is a career Marine Archaeologist and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist. When not sailing, he divides his time between the University of Rhode Island’s Applied History Lab and a private consulting firm focused on offshore-wind renewable energy development. A U.S. Navy veteran originally from the Philadelphia area, he also served as the State Underwater Archaeologist in Georgia. In 2021 he became a member of the OceanGate Expedition Science Team participating in submersible missions to RMS Titanic and other deep-ocean sites. He has strong interests in North Atlantic cultural heritage, ocean conservation, and climate-change mitigation efforts, participating in North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean expeditions each year.

Esteban grew up in Deer Park, Texas close to the Houston Ship Channel. At an early age he knew to take advantage of the nautical opportunities at the Houston Seaport. For five seasons Esteban volunteered as crew aboard the three-masted barque, Elissa. He attended Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School and was enrolled in their Maritime/Transportation program. Knowing he wanted to have a career in the maritime, Esteban was accepted to the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine where he is currently a student. He will graduate this year earning a bachelor’s degree in Maritime Transportation Operations and will sit for the captain’s license test in January 2024.