It was love at first sight for Mark Saia.

And stepping onto the historic 90-year-old boat Suva, built in 1925 for the Pratt family of Whidbey Island, felt like coming come to him.

“Now it’s a quest,” said Saia, whose family owns the Coupeville Inn. “I would love to bring her home.”

Currently docked in Port Townsend, the boat will make an appearance at Coupeville’s Mussel Fest in March in efforts to raise money to purchase and renovate the schooner.

The boat’s current owner, Lloyd Baldwin of Coupeville, is completely “on board” with the project and looks forward to seeing the boat restored and shared with generations to come.

“It was quite a coincidence how Mark connected with us,” Baldwin said. “We both decided this (Coupeville) is a perfect place for her to be.”

“She’d be so beautiful sitting out there on the dock,” Saia said.

Baldwin plans to serve on the board of the newly formed Coupeville Maritime Heritage Society, to operate under the umbrella of the Island County Historical Society.

Saia said not only is the group seeking donations for the boat, but the members also seek volunteer legal and accounting assistance in order to get their nonprofit organization afloat.

Tickets to tour the Suva will be sold through the Historical Society.

Bringing the Suva to Coupeville permanently would be an exciting addition to the town, according to Vickie Chambers, executive director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association.

“It would be wonderful,” Chambers said.

Saia said he already has some donation commitments and that people are “chomping at the bit” to get involved, but he still needs to raise the better part of $100,000 to acquire the boat.

When he went searching for a new boat earlier last fall, Saia said he wanted something that would contribute to Coupeville’s history.

“A classic old schooner would draw more attention to our storybook town,” Saia said. “You step on that dock and you kind of go back in time a little. I want to bring back the maritime history of Coupeville. In 1905, this was the place.”

Whidbey’s Frank Pratt contracted with naval designer Ted Geary to build the Suva, a 68-foot schooner made almost entirely of old-growth teak. She was built in Hong Hong in 1925 and cost $15,000, Saia said.

Pratt sailed the Suva for 15 years before giving it to friend Dietrich Schmidt, who had the boat for 40 years. Suva then went to Bill Brandt of Olympia for about 25 years before returning to the North Sound to Port Townsend owner Scott Flickinger. Balwin bought the boat in 2009, which would make Saia’s group only the fifth owner of the boat in 90 years.

“So many people have some connection with this boat,” Baldwin said.

The Suva is named for the capital of Figi and was likely so named to conjure images of tropical island living, Saia said.

Saia envisions a future with community events, charters and parties like “speakeasy nights” complete with costumes.

He’d also like to share his love of sailing with the younger set and provide educational tours for local schools and sailing lessons for landlubbers of all ages.

“There’s a lot of education on a sailboat,” Saia said. “It’s economical, it’s green, and there’s the benefit of sailing that teaches our children safety.”

Saia said he’s uniquely qualified and passionate to oversee the purchase, transport and preservation of the historic vessel as owner  and operator of Penn Cove Sailing. Saia said none of this would have been possible without the support of his father, Jerry Saia, and the Coupeville Inn.

“I have been around boats and on the water my whole life,” Saia writes. “I have years of successfully running all aspects of business and operations on yachts. I work seamlessly as a team member with experience, professionalism, and lots of positive energy for every yacht I maintain and manage.”

Plus, Saia said, “No one loves the water like I do.”

For more information, email Captainmarksaia@yahoo.com