Prepare to set sail from New Bedford in August: Here's how to get on board the Ernestina

Kathryn Gallerani, The Standard-Times
·1 min read

The sun has set on the first two sails of the historic schooner the Ernestina-Morrissey, but there’s one more opportunity ahead.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage in partnership with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Schooner Ernestina-Morrisey has tickets available for the last of the three sailing opportunities.

A man chatches a fish off the pier at Fort Taber Park in New Bedford, while in the distance the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey goes for its first sail voyage since returning to New Bedford habor after a long period of restoration in Maine.
A man chatches a fish off the pier at Fort Taber Park in New Bedford, while in the distance the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey goes for its first sail voyage since returning to New Bedford habor after a long period of restoration in Maine.

What is the Ernestina-Morrissey?

The schooner was built at the James & Tarr shipyard in Essex as the Effie A. Morrissey. The 156-foot-long schooner carries Gloucester fishermen to the Grand Banks, Labrador, Nova Scotia and Labrador in search of cod, haddock and other fish species.

She later serves as an Arctic explorer and a Cape Verdean packet ship before returning to Massachusetts in 1982 as a gift from the Republic of Cape Verde.

She is the state ship of Massachusetts.

Two crewmembers of the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey find themselves high above State Pier as they prepare to hoist up the upper portion on the historic schooner's mainmast.
Two crewmembers of the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey find themselves high above State Pier as they prepare to hoist up the upper portion on the historic schooner's mainmast.

Can I get on the Ernestina?

Yes, but you have to wait until August.

The schooner is scheduled to depart from New Bedford’s State Pier at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16.

How much does it cost?

A portion of the ticket sales support the Fishing Heritage Center and are available exclusively through the FHC.

General admission tickets are $60 for adults and $30 for children ages 4 to 12; $48 for Fishing Heritage Center members and $24 for children ages 4 to 12, and they are free for children 3 and under.

Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the Fishing Heritage Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Who will captain the ship?

The Ernestina-Morrissey will set sail once again with Captain Tiffany Kriwhan at the helm after a nearly 20-year restoration, and visitors can learn about the history of New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: A gift from Cape Verde returns to sailing out of New Bedford