A 131-year-old, 156-foot wooden sailing schooner that called Brigus, N.L. its homeport for more than 30 years, came back for a visit this summer for the first time in 37 years.
When the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey, formerly named Effie M. Morrissey, sailed into Brigus on Sept. 11, the community was there to welcome her.
“The reception was beautiful. The people of Brigus were so lovely. We arrived on Sept. 11 and had this whole day of welcoming ceremony. It was beautiful. We had an open deck for two days and had about 1,200 visitors,” said Katherine Riley, Assistant Director/Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, which operates the Ernestina-Morrissey as a training vessel. The Ernestina-Morrissey is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
During the Brigus stop, the schooner also provided educational programming for local students, Sea Cadets, and faculty members from a nearby university.
A special ceremony celebrating the ship’s visit to Brigus was attended by Jim McKenna, Dean of Undergraduate Students at MMA.
Photo credit: Paul Peloquin.
“Participating in the Brigus ceremony was moving,” said McKenna. “To see the Ernestina-Morrissey honoured in Captain Bartlett’s hometown reminded us all of the ship’s legacy and the powerful role she continues to play in connecting people to the sea and history.”
Built in 1894 in Essex, Massachusetts as part of the Gloucester fishing fleet, the Morrissey moved to Brigus in 1914 after being purchased by Harold Bartlett for fishing.
In 1925, Bartlett sold the vessel to his cousin Capt. Bob Bartlett, who was a noted Arctic explorer. An auxiliary engine was installed and the hull reinforced so the Morrissey could be used in Arctic ice.
In 1926, Bartlett embarked on two decades of Arctic exploration using the vessel. After his death in 1946, the Morrissey was sold to carry mail and passengers in an inter-island trade in the South Pacific.
In 1948, the Morrissey was purchased by Henrique Mendes of the Cape Verde Islands and his sister, Louise Mendes of Egypt, Massachusetts. It was towed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, for repairs, renamed the Ernestina-Morrisey and started a new life as a trans-Atlantic packet ship between New England and the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa, near Senegal.
In 1982, the Republic of Cape Verde gave the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the Ernestina Morrissey as a gift. In September 2019, the Massachusetts Senate transferred stewardship of the schooner to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The last time the Morrisey was in Brigus was in August 1988.
Riley said the Massachusetts Maritime Academy does educational sailings with the Ernestina Morrissey. In the spring and fall, elementary, middle school and high school students are brought on board for day sails and in the summer months longer, voyaging programs are offered.
“We are still sort of building that out,” said Riley. “This year we offered two adult programs focusing on celestial navigation. One was a week long and the other left New Bedford and sailed into Québec. We’re also planning a high school voyage program so those programs are usually open enrollment so we will advertise for that program.”
This past summer, the Ernestina-Morrissey left her home port of New Bedford on July 7 and sailed through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes as part of the Tall Ships America Festival, stopping in Detroit, Michigan, Midland, Ontario and Erie, Pennsylvania. From there it was on to Québec where she picked up students from Memorial University for the sail to N.L.
The Ernestina-Morrissey made several other ports of call while in eastern Canadian waters, including stops in Lunenburg, N.S., Québec City, QC, Montreal, QC, Tobermory, ON, Havre-Saint Pierre, QC, Red Bay, N.L., Holyrood, N.L. and Fogo Island, N.L., for educational purposes. The two quick stops into Lunenburg were to refuel and reprovision on the way into and out of the area, said Riley.
The Ernestina-Morrissey returned home on Sept. 24, logging approximately 6,500 nautical miles, bringing her total to nearly 14,000 since her retrofit launch in 2022.
“This season showcased the enduring strength of the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey and the dedication of her crew,” said the vessel’s Captain, Tiffany Krihwan. “Each mile sailed was a step forward in preserving maritime heritage and delivering hands-on education.”
Over the course of the summer season, the Ernestina-Morrissey engaged nearly 10,000 students, educators and visitors through deck tours, educational voyages and public outreach programs.
