In 1892, Captain Joshua Slocum found himself stranded ashore in Massachusetts, bankrupt and displaced by the rise of steam-powered iron ships. A friend offered him a gift: a derelict, 36-foot 9-inch oyster sloop named Spray, slowly rotting in a Fairhaven pasture. Rather than walking away, Slocum spent thirteen months rebuilding her piece by piece using white oak, Georgia pine, and hand tools - investing $553.62 in materials and endless hours of sweat equity. On April 24, 1895, with no...

There is something unmistakably energizing about watching curiosity emerge on the water. This past Friday afternoon, the deck of the tall ship Mystic Whaler, the dynamic floating classroom, welcomed the bright, active minds of the kids from the Downtown Club. Framed by salt air and harbor breezes, the kids leaped headfirst into an afternoon that bridged the physical laws of the sea with resourceful, historic maritime craft. The afternoon kicked off with hands-on physics as the students...

At just 19 years old, she took command of a 1,800-ton clipper ship in the middle of a gale and made history. ​In 1856, Mary Ann Patten was aboard the Neptune’s Car off Cape Horn when crisis struck. The original captain (her husband) fell critically ill, and the first mate was relieved of duty for sabotage. ​Despite being six months pregnant, Mary stepped up to the quarterdeck. She had spent months studying navigation and maritime law on previous voyages. Over the next 56 days, she navigated...