Docked along the harbor in New Bedford, it looks like any other ship lining the waterfront. However, appearances can be deceiving as this medium-sized sailboat carries a long history and passersby may not know that it’s the official state ship of Massachusetts.
Built at the John F. James & Washington Tarr shipyard in Essex, Massachusetts, the Effie M. Morrissey was launched in 1894 and named after the daughter of captain William E. Morrissey. The first 30 years of the ship's career was spent as a fishing vessel docked out of various harbors including Gloucester, Massachusetts, Digby, Nova Scotia, and Brigus, Newfoundland.
In 1925, she was sold to noted Arctic explorer Robert Bartlett who outfitted her with an auxiliary engine and reinforced hull to withstand ocean ice. For the next 20 years, she made annual expeditions into the far north for various scientific institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, the American Geographical Society, the Smithsonian Institute, and even the U.S. military during the Second World War.
After Bartlett died in 1946, the ship passed through several owners and was eventually sold to captain Henrique Mendes of Cape Verde who renamed her after his daughter, Ernestina. The Ernestina would make many transatlantic voyages but gradually fell into disrepair over the years. In 1982, the government of Cape Verde returned her to the United States as a gift where she was restored and repaired. In 1990, she was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark and in 1994, on the 100th anniversary of her maiden voyage, she was made the official State Ship of Massachusetts. In 2014, she was renamed again to Ernestina-Morrissey in recognition of her long history and different owners.
Today she serves as a training vessel and hosts various public events. If you have an interest in historic vessels and maritime history, the Ernestina-Morrissey is worth a visit.
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