The 1926 schooner Adventure is one of the last of the famous Grand Banks

Grand Banks

The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...

 fishing schooners of Gloucester, Massachusetts

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...

. She is one of only two "knockabout" fishing schooners surviving.

Adventure was declared a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1994.

History

Designed by Thomas F. McManus of Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and built at the John F. James & Son Yard in Essex, Massachusetts

Essex, Massachusetts

Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, north of Boston. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex.- History :...

, for Captain Jeff Thomas of Gloucester, Adventure was one of the last wooden sailing vessels of her kind built for the dory

Dory

The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about long. It is a lightweight and versatile boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. They are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the...

-fishing industry.

Adventure, named for one of the fantasy fleet of ships drawn by the young son of Captain Thomas, is a "knockabout" (spoonbow) schooner, designed without a bowsprit

Bowsprit

The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow. It provides an anchor point for the forestay, allowing the fore-mast to be stepped farther forward on the hull.-Origin:...

 for the safety of the crew. The McManus "knockabout" design was regarded by maritime historian, Howard I. Chapelle

Howard I. Chapelle

Howard Irving Chapelle was an American naval architect, and curator of maritime history at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.. In addition, he authored many books and articles books on maritime history and marine architecture.-Biography:...

, as "the acme in the long evolution of the New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 fishing schooner." Launched on September 16, 1926, Adventure measured 122 feet (37 m) from bow to stern, sported a gaff topsail rigging and carried a 120 hp diesel engine, fourteen dories, and a crew of twenty-seven. She fished the once bountiful Grand Banks of the North Atlantic from her home port of Gloucester from 1926 to 1953 under Captain Jeff Thomas and later, Captain Leo Hynes. Adventure was considered a “highliner,” the biggest money-maker of all time, landing nearly $4 million worth of cod and halibut during her fishing career. When she retired, Adventure was the last American dory-fishing schooner in the North Atlantic.

In 1954, Adventure was sold to Donald Hurd, Dayton Newton, and Herbert Beizer and was refitted for the windjammer

Windjammer

A windjammer is the ultimate type of large sailing ship with an iron or for the most part steel hull, built to carry cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century...

 trade, carrying vacationing passengers up and down the Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

 coast. The fish pens were converted into cabins, and the engine was removed to make room for sleeping accommodations. Schooner Adventures grace, beauty, and prowess sailing in the Gulf of Maine

Gulf of Maine

The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...

 earned her the nickname "Queen of the Windjammers."

In 1964 she was sold to Captain Jim Sharp http://www.sharpadventures.com of Camden, Maine

Camden, Maine

Camden is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,254 at the 2000 census. The population of the town more than triples during the summer months, due to tourists and summer residents. Camden is a famous summer colony in the Mid-Coast region of Maine...

, who sailed her as a windjammer for nearly twenty-four years. In 1988, Captain Sharp donated the Adventure to the people of Gloucester to be preserved as Gloucester's historic tall ship and to be used to inform and educate the public about the important role of fishing in American history.

In 1988, the non-profit group, Gloucester Adventure, Inc., was formed to preserve the schooner as a monument to the history of Gloucester and for the education and pleasure of the public. The group is dedicated to preserving Adventure and operating her at sea, developing educational programs, and heightening public awareness of Gloucester's role in the development of the American fishing industry as well as the importance of maintaining and protecting the fisheries.

Through the efforts of the Gloucester Adventure, Inc. and dedicated volunteers, Adventure is now a prominent destination site on the Essex National Heritage Area Maritime Trail http://www.essexheritage.org, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 and is a designated National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

. In 1999, Adventure was honored to be selected as an Official Project of Save America's Treasures

Save America's Treasures

Save America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...

 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...

.

Restoration

Currently undergoing the final phase of hull restoration, Adventure aims to be sailing in 2008-09. More information about the restoration and educational programs can be found on their website. http://www.schooner-adventure.org

External links

• http://www.schooner-adventure.org
• http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/adventur/schooner/history/top.htm
• http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/adv.htm
• http://www.sharpadventures.com