Ernestina Morrissey

The Ernestina-Morrissey, originally launched as the Effie M. Morrissey in 1894 in Essex, Massachusetts, has a storied past. She started as a Grand Banks fishing schooner before Arctic explorer Captain Robert A. Bartlett acquired her. Under his command, she conducted scientific expeditions, supported early climate studies, and came within 578 miles of the North Pole.

During World War II, she was repurposed for hydrographic surveys and supply missions in Greenland. After the war, she was renamed Ernestina and became a transatlantic packet ship, transporting passengers and goods between Cape Verde and the U.S., making her the last sailing vessel to carry immigrants across the Atlantic.

In 1982, Cape Verde gifted her to the U.S., where she became a sail training vessel, preserving her deep connection to maritime history. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and remains the official vessel of Massachusetts. Today, she continues her educational mission, sailing as a symbol of exploration, resilience, and cultural heritage.