The AJ MEERWALD cruises past the Statue of Liberty.
New Jersey’s tall ship will sail into New York Harbor Friday, July 3 and hold free dockside events on July 4 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
With the Statue of Liberty’s crown reopening for tours on Independence Day, the captain and crew of the schooner A.J.MEERWALD will also be celebrating. Free dockside events are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., including guided tours of the historic vessel. Demonstrations of the ship’s environmental and historic programs are also planned.
Made possible in part through a sponsorship from Christ Hospital in Jersey City, the MEERWALD will offer passengers unique, hands-on, 2-1/2 hour sailing tours of New York Harbor and the Upper Bay through July 14. Two award-winning youth camps will also be available.
The first camp, dubbed Sailor for a Day takes place on July 8 and runs from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. This camp affords 10- to 16-year-olds the opportunity to become fully immersed in the ship’s operation and to participate in hands-on environmental and historic discoveries. The second is Maritime Camp on July 20, and offers a weeklong adventure for 13- to 16-year-olds. This program is similar to the day camp, but allows for a longer, richer, more mature experience. The camp lasts five days, culminating with an afternoon sail in Beach Haven on July 24, where campers show off their newfound tall ship skills to friends, family, and other passengers.
“Some folks come for the history, some come to sail, and others pack a cooler and come to relax and enjoy the scenery,” offers Meghan E. Wren, founder of Bayshore Discovery Project, the ship’s non-profit parent organization. “A sail on the MEERWALD can be an active adventure or a therapeutic escape.”
Built in 1928 near the Delaware Bay in southern New Jersey, the schooner was once part of an immense commercial fishery that contributed to the region’s economic prosperity and marked the ship’s homeport of Bivalve as the state’s ‘Oyster Capital.’ However, faced with decades of economic, social, and environmental setbacks, the ship was abandoned in 1980.
Eight years later, the schooner was donated to Wren who enlisted a small group of local enthusiasts to help resurrect the old hull, hoping to restore the boat as a symbol of the beauty, fragility, and spirit of the Delaware Estuary.
Through these early efforts, the formation of the non-profit Bayshore Discovery Project, and major grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the A.J. Meerwald splashed back into relevancy in 1995 as a historically accurate, plank-by-plank restoration of the original 115-foot, gaff-rigged, bald headed Delaware Bay Oyster Schooner. Now on the National Register of Historic Places and officially designated as New Jersey’s Tall Ship, the A.J. MEERWALD can be enjoyed and admired by all through one of her many programs.
“Because the ship has been authentically restored, the sails are canvas and the lines are manila – and the crew provides the power to operate them,” explains Wren. “The best way to appreciate exactly what that means is by joining them!”
The ship is U.S. Coast Guard certified and accommodates 45 passengers. Scheduled sails are all-weather events, contingent upon the captain’s approval. For an optimum experience, crewmembers suggest paying close attention to weather reports, and then to dress and pack accordingly. Ticket prices may vary, however most public, 2-1/2 hour, morning or afternoon sails are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $15 for children. All evening sails are $35. Sailor for a Day Camp is $60. Maritime Camp is $750. Advance reservations are recommended and can be made by calling Bayshore Discovery Project at 856-785-2060. More information is available at www.bayshorediscovery.org.
Sails are scheduled from Liberty State Park on the following dates and times: July 3, 1:30-4:00 p.m.; July 4, Open House and Dockside Programs (NO SAILS), 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; July 5, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:30-4:00 p.m. (SOLD OUT), 6:00-8:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT); July 6, 1:30-4:00 p.m. (SOLD OUT), 6:00-8:30 p.m.; July 7, 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m.; July 8, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (SAILOR FOR A DAY CAMP); July 9, 1:30-4:00 p.m. (SOLD OUT), 6:00-8:30 p.m.; July 10, 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT); July 11, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (FAMILY SPECIAL PRICING), 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT); July 12, 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT); July 13, 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m., and July 14, 1:30-4:00 p.m., 6:00-8:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT).
Hudson River sails will available July 15 -19 from Alpine, NJ with programming and tickets through ANJEC, Bergen County Historical Society and Tenafly Nature Center. Call 973-539-7547 for reservations and information.
With sponsorship from the environmental nonprofit ReClam the Bay, the MEERWALD will offer sails in Beach Haven July 24-26 before embarking on a Maritime Camp to Cape May, where the ship docks at Utsch’s Marina until the first week of September. Here, 2-1/2-hour public sails are available every day of the week, except Wednesdays when Sailor for a Day camps run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Several amazing sails are planned, including Pirates, Marine Critters, Music, Oyster Raw Bar, guest speakers, and more.
Photo:
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