1894  
1894a  
1905  
1912  
1914  
1926  
1931  
1940  
1942  
1946  
1947  
1948  
1949  
1950  
1951-1952  
1953  
1954  
1955  
1956  
1957  
1958  
1959-1963  
1964-1965  
1965-1970  
1972-1975  
1976  
1977  
1978  
1979  
1980  
1982  
1983  
1984-1985  
1986  
1987  
1988  
1989  
1990  
1991  
1992  
1993  
1994  
1995  
1996  
1997  
1998  
1999  
2000  
2001  
2002
2003  
   
   
   
   
   
After the events of September 11, 2001, 2002 has become a very difficult year. Budgets are increasingly tight. However, the New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus thrives, the Norwell Crane comes to the State Pier as part of Ernestina's educational offerings for teachers and students and more activities are developed for after school. The schedule is as strong as it has ever been.

 

 

The second annual "Festa da Ernestina" attracted a crowd of 400 on Saturday, August 17, at the corner of Elm and N. Water Streets in New Bedford. This year’s theme highlighted the 20th anniversary of the 1982 voyage of Ernestina from Republic of Cape Verde to New Bedford. Special guests at the Festa were Laura Pires, one the earliest Schooner Ernestina advocates, and Stephan Platzer, a member of that 1982 return voyage crew.

Special Cape Verdean cuisine along with live music, by the popular Bisca Club Band, was all part of the celebration. Schooner Ernestina staff and volunteers hosted the event, led by volunteer Joyce Cruz, heading the Festa Committee. Joyce also was in charge of the fund-raising raffle, which was enthusiastically supported by the Festa-goers. The food table was a great success with delicious dishes contributed by Schooner Ernestina Commissioner, Dr. Bruce Rose and steadfast Ernestina volunteer, Louisa Andrade.

Event sponsors were Merchant Mariners Social Club, St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Room Doctors, John Perreira Painting Co., Inc., Bisca Tournament Club, Exxon-Mobil Retiree Club, Cape Verdean News, the Cape Verdean-American Veterans’ Association and Doug Mills and Integrity Plumbing.

The Bisca Club Band, known for their lively traditional and contemporary repertoire, set the tone for the festive night of live music and dancing, as the corner of Elm Street and North Water Street was transformed into "Plaza de Ernestina." z

"On the 20th Anniversary of her donation to the People of the United States ~ August 25, 2002. Youth leaders and their adult advocates from the ISACS Midwest Diversity Committee hereby proclaim sincere appreciation for DILIGENTLY AND FAITHFULLY preparing the ship for our arrival on the 20th Anniversary of the donation of this historic landmark. By the example of your COMMITMENT to the schooner’s mission, you have inspired us. The Ernestina is hereby proclaimed FULLY ACCREDITED as the first and only ‘ISACS Sailing School Vessel’.
Viva Ernestina, Viva Independencia, Viva ISACS!"

On September 2nd Ernestina sailed from Gloucester with the extended Morrissey family aboard. As you know, if you’ve checked out the schooner’s history on the website, William E. Morrissey was the original captain and named the ship after his daughter, Effie in 1894. Clayton, Effie’s brother, soon became captain with his first command.

Clayton and his wife Bessie had four children: Athelstan, Winifred, Arethusa (Sue) and Burt Rudolf. For this sail family members aboard were from Burt Rudolf and Peg Burton Morrissey’s side of the family.

We appreciate the efforts of Peg (Burton) Morrissey and Capt. Amanda Madeira for putting this sail together and the stalwart family that sailed in the rain!

On September 14-15, Ernestina set sail for an overnight passage from Providence, RI back to New Bedford with members of the 1982 transatlantic voyage crew aboard. This was the crew who delivered the ship safely across the Atlantic to be gifted to the people of America. Back in 1982, Stephan Platzer and Steve Hopkins flew to the Cape Verde Islands for a month of work and then a 42 day passage to arrive in Newport, RI, on August 24, 1982. Steve Brown, also a member of that 14 person crew of Cape Verdeans and Americans, joined us in New Bedford upon our arrival for hours of stories about that momentous voyage of twenty years ago. z

ERNESTINA SAILS THROUGH A NEAR DISASTER

Thanks to a calm, professional crew and a fast response by US Coast Guard, Ernestina was rescued July 24th after the garboard seam (lowest plank next to the keel) spit cotton and water began to come in faster than the pumps could pull it out.

Ernestina surged through a series of steep waves while she traveled along at nine knots under sail toward Nantucket south of Fishers Island at the eastern end of Long Island Sound. One larger wave filled the foredeck under 2 - 3' of seawater and the ship flexed and rose to meet the sea. Boats on deck filled with water and it took several minutes for the sea to stream out the scuppers. Below decks the bilge alarms began to sound. Pumps were quickly engaged but could not keep up with the flow. Thanks to auxiliary pumps brought aboard by Coast Guard, the water was curtailed and the Ernestina steamed into Greenport under her own power.

While in Greenport, NY on the eastern end of Long Island, the crew worked closely with Coast Guard to develop a plan for transit back to New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor to haul out. Next the ship went up on the ways at DN Kelley and Sons Shipyard in Fairhaven, MA. You can read the series of events by following links from here. The ship is back underway as of August 23rd!

This came at a busy time of year for Ernestina and triggered the loss of programs while funds were expended to ensure there is never a reoccurrence. We are looking at a loss of program revenue of $55,000 and up to $32,000 in yard bills for repairs.

For more details on what we have done to implement repairs along with photos please follow the links from the calendar pages.

Gregg Swanzey was named "Community Educator of the Year"
by the SouthCoast Learning Network

Management Team
 Willi Bank,
Captain/ Marine Superintendent
 Tom Goux, Public Program Director
 MaryHelen Gunn, Ship-Board Program Coordinator
 Steve Kirk, Ship-Board Program Coordinator
 Amanda Madeira, Captain/ Operations Director
 Annie McDowell, Accountant
 Crista Mellican, Ship-Board Program Coordinator
 Gregg Swanzey, Executive Director
 Laurie Weitzen, Human Resource Coordinator
 Polly Zajac, Shore-Based Program Coordinator

ShipBoard Program Staff
 Jay Amster,
AB
 Claire Arbour, Deckhand
 Monika Bang-Campbell, Steward
 Erika Boulware, AB
 Jessica Bryant, Deckhand
 Ken Cabral, Steward
 Frank Calascione, Deckhand
 Scot Cann, AB
 Traudi Coli, Anthropologist
 Jed Deering, Chief Mate
 Missy Devalles, Deckhand/Engineer
 Jim Foley, AB
 Rob Hancock, AB
 Katie Krause, Deckhand
 Amanda Lake, Mate
 Liz Maloney, Mate
 Leda Mareth, Deckhand
 Gwen Matuszek, Deckhand
 Sophie Morse, Captain
 Erica Sachs, Chief Mate
 Kristen Sharpless, Deckhand
 Fred Sterner, Mate
 Steve Swift, Engineer

  Eric Varney, Deckhand

Apprentices & Interns
 Frank Crawford,
Ship-Board Apprentice
 Will Mayo, Ship-Board Apprentice
 Gil Pires, Genealogy Project
 Kendra Santos, Genealogy Project
 Jeremiah Woolley, Shore-Based Intern

For more stories please follow the link to the newsletter from the outreach page...

  backmain menunext