History
Designed by Thomas F. McManus of Boston and built at the John F. James & Son Yard in Essex, Massachusetts, for Captain Jeff Thomas of Gloucester, Adventure was one of the last wooden sailing vessels of her kind built for the dory-fishing industry.
Adventure, named for one of the fantasy fleet of ships drawn by Captain Thomas's young son, is a knockabout (spoonbow) schooner, designed without a bowsprit for the safety of the crew. The McManus knockabout design was regarded by maritime historian, Howard I. Chapelle, as "the acme in the long evolution of the New England fishing schooner." Launched on 16 September 1926, Adventure measured 122 feet (37 m) from bow to stern, sported a gaff topsail rigging and carried a 120 horsepower (89 kW) diesel engine, fourteen dories, and a crew of twenty-seven. She fished the once bountiful Grand Banks of the North Atlantic from her home port of Gloucester from 1926 to 1953 under Captain Jeff Thomas and later, Captain Leo Hynes. Adventure was considered a highliner, the biggest money-maker of all time, landing nearly $4 million worth of cod and halibut during her fishing career. When she retired, Adventure was the last American dory-fishing schooner in the North Atlantic.
In 1954, Adventure was sold to Donald Hurd, Dayton Newton, and Herbert Beizer and was refitted for the windjammer trade, carrying vacationing passengers up and down the Maine coast. The fish pens were converted into cabins, and the engine was removed to make room for sleeping accommodations. Adventure's grace, beauty, and prowess sailing in the Gulf of Maine earned her the nickname "Queen of the Windjammers."
In 1964 she was sold to Captain Jim Sharp of Camden, Maine, who sailed her as a windjammer for nearly twenty-four years. In 1988, Captain Sharp donated Adventure to the people of Gloucester to be preserved as Gloucester's historic tall ship and to be used to inform and educate the public about the important role of fishing in American history.
In 1988, the non-profit group, Gloucester Adventure, Inc., was formed to preserve the schooner as a monument to the history of Gloucester and for the education and pleasure of the public. The group is dedicated to preserving Adventure and operating her at sea, developing educational programs, and heightening public awareness of Gloucester's role in the development of the American fishing industry as well as the importance of maintaining and protecting the fisheries.
Through the efforts of the Gloucester Adventure, Inc. and dedicated volunteers, Adventure is now a prominent destination site on the Essex National Heritage Area Maritime Trail, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark. In 1999, Adventure was honored to be selected as an Official Project of Save America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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