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Date: Monday, September 2, 2002
Morrissey Reunion
Ernestina Member Sail

To the right is the group photo of the exended Morrissey family members who sailed on the Ernestina ex-Effie M. Morrissey today. Effie was Clayton Edward Morrissey's sister and William's daughter.

Although Clayton and his wife Bessie had four children, Athelstan, Winifred, Arethusa (Sue) and Burt Rudolf, the family members who sailed today where from Burt and Peg's part of the family.

Thanks so much to Peg (Burton) Morrissey and Capt. Amanda Madeira for putting this sail together and the stalwart family that sailed rain or not!

To the right you can see a representation of the family tree. We hope we didn't miss anyone that came for the sail!

This morning's intermittently heavy rains threatened without success to keep us from sailing with twenty-eight members of the Morrissey family. Members of the 'first family of Ernestina', descendents all of William E. Morrissey (owner/builder/captain) and his son Clayton (famed schooner captain), gathered from all over Gloucester and beyond to come sailing onboard the ex-Effie M. Morrissey this morning at 0930. Captain Amanda checked in with group leaders as the family boarded, and, true to heritage, all were eager to sail on out into Gloucester Harbor and taste the experience of sailing their ancestor's schooner in wet New England weather.

Cozy in the fo'c's'le, folks of all generations browsed through photographs of the ship's and their ancestors' history, and compared notes on stories and relationships they'd learned.Several family members took their turns at the helm, under the able eye of Capt. Amanda; and a few talked with crew about schooner construction and model-building or swapped stories with the crew.

By 1300 it was time to bid farewell-but not before we'd collected names and addresses of all the family members and taken a few group photographs around the wheel...as it was in the old days: How many photographs have been taken of maritime family members, at the wheels of how many Gloucester fishing schooners, from that old Gloucester Marine Railways [now Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center] pier? Countless hundreds or thousands, no doubt-but few as rich or rare as this in the range of ages - both of the people and of the schooner deck they stood on!

After a brief lunch break for the crew, we boarded 14 members (current and prospective!) for our transit member sail down to Salem. It was a rolling sea as we headed out, but after steaming into the wind past Eastern Point breakwater for a ways we tacked to head downwind due west for Salem Harbor. The more peaceful tack allowed for some opportunities to play with knots and talk a bit about the ship's and Cape Ann's history while the engine was off from about 1600-1730. Coming into Salem Harbor re-sparked our appreciation for the challenges of early navigation in the heyday of Salem's worldwide shipping trade. One member inquired whether we carry the American Practical Navigator, also known as Nathaniel Bowditch's tables. The bridge of Ernestina, like many a prudent ship's bridge, would not leave port without this enduringly essential navigational resource.

By 1830 we disembarked all our members and tucked into the focsle for a welcome supper of turkey, potatoes, and vegetables-warming enough for body and soul on such a cold rainy night as this!

Program coordinator: MaryHelen Gunn
Captain: Amanda Madeira

Morrissey reunion sail in Gloucester Harbor.

Member Transit to Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

We would like to thank Lotus and IBM for donation of software, hardware and funding to enable regular electronic updates from the ship.

NOAA Chart is provided courtesy of Maptech using Cruising Navigator 4.3 and grabbing the image using Grabit Pro 6.02.

 
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Copyright 1997-2002
Schooner Ernestina
89 North Water Street, P.O. Box 2010, New Bedford, MA 02741-2010
phone 508.992.4900 -- fax 508.984.7719
www.ernestina.org

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