Massachusetts Maritime Academy Welcomes SSV Ernestina-Morrisey Home

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA; www.maritime.edu), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning officially welcomed the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey home during a June 15th event.

Former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, current Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega attended the special occasion along with Academy staff, cadets, alumni, and many members of local communities.

The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fishing fleet. In addition to being a fishing vessel, over the course of her long history she sailed to within 600 miles of the North Pole, and later brought immigrants to the U.S. Returning to the US in 1982 as a gift from the newly independent Cape Verdean people, she sailed as an educational vessel until 2005. Over the past seven years, the two-masted tall ship has been refurbished by Bristol Marine in Maine and is now ready to undertake her newest commission as a sailing school vessel for cadets at the Academy.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy now focuses the efforts of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey on undergraduate sail-training and leadership for cadets, K-12 STEM programming, and community outreach along with awareness within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond. These three pillars will look to ensure the legacy of Ernestina-Morrissey as an educational asset for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“The return of the Ernestina-Morrissey to our campus marks a new chapter for this celebrated vessel,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “Her future now lies in training young mariners – a true testament to her gloried past.”

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA): MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and a thirst for adventure. Follow MMA on FB: @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy.