Definition
Adventuress is a historic 133‑foot (41 m) gaff‑rigged schooner built in 1913, presently operated as an educational vessel by the non‑profit organization Sound Experience in Port Townsend, Washington, United States.
Overview
Constructed at the Rice Brothers shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine, Adventuress was designed by naval architect Bowdoin B. Crowninshield for John Borden. The vessel’s early career included a 1913 expedition to the Arctic and a subsequent attempt to capture a bowhead whale for the American Museum of Natural History. After the expedition, Adventuress was sold to the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association, where she served for 35 years transferring pilots to and from ships near the San Francisco Bar. During World War II she was commissioned by the United States Coast Guard for pilotage duties in San Francisco Bay.
In the post‑war era the schooner changed owners several times before being acquired in 1959 by A. W. “Monty” Morton, who used her for youth sail‑training programs. Extensive renovations, including the addition of watertight bulkheads, earned the vessel a Coast Guard certification in 1975. Since 1988 Sound Experience has operated Adventuress as a platform for environmental and maritime education throughout Puget Sound. The ship was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark on 11 April 1989.
Etymology / Origin
The name Adventuress reflects the vessel’s original purpose as a platform for adventurous Arctic and whaling voyages. No further linguistic or historical derivation of the name has been documented.
Characteristics
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Gaff‑rigged schooner |
| Length | 133 ft (41 m) |
| Beam | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Displacement | 115 tons |
| Sail area | Approximately 5,478 sq ft (508.9 m²) |
| Propulsion | Auxiliary diesel engine (supplementing sail power) |
| Builder | Rice Brothers, East Boothbay, Maine |
| Designer | Bowdoin B. Crowninshield |
| Launch year | 1913 |
| Home port | Port Townsend, Washington |
| Current operator | Sound Experience (non‑profit educational organization) |
| Small boats | Carries two small craft in davits: a 1979 Sid Skiff (“A‑ya’‑she”) and an Achilles‑type inflatable (“W’ha‑lé”) used for rescue and auxiliary transport. |
| Historic designations | National Historic Landmark; listed on the National Register of Historic Places (ref. No. 89001067). |
Related Topics
- Schooners – a type of sailing vessel with two or more masts, the foremast being shorter than the mainmast.
- National Historic Landmarks in Washington (state) – a program recognizing structures of exceptional historical significance.
- San Francisco Bar Pilots Association – the organization that employed Adventuress as a pilot transfer vessel.
- Sound Experience – the educational nonprofit that currently manages Adventuress for maritime and environmental programs.
- Youth sail‑training programs – maritime education initiatives that use historic vessels to teach seamanship and marine stewardship.
- Coast Guard pilotage operations – historic duties performed by vessels like Adventuress during wartime and peacetime.
All information presented is drawn from documented historical records and the vessel’s current operational description.