Celebrate Black History Month

Tune in to Channel 7 WHDH Boston on Sunday Feb. 6 at 11:30 am.   As Kick-off to Black History Month, Urban Update invited SEMA to explain Ernestina’s story to host Byron Barnett .  Laura Pires-Hester from the Ernestina Commission,  Jim Lopes from the New Bedford Whaling Museum, and Julius Britto and Mary Anne McQuillan from Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association participated.  Urban Update is a multi-cultural program that examines news events and issues that have a broad impact on New England’s minority communities.  Don’t miss it this Sunday!

Happy Birthday, Ernestina! What will the next 117 years bring?

From the “pre-2005 site”

On February 5, 1894, a single line in the Gloucester Daily Times recorded an addition to the Massachusetts fishing fleet: “The new schooner for J.F. Wonson and Co. has been named Effie M. Morrissey.” This marked the commonplace birth of a schooner that would become famous not only as Grand Banks fisher, but also as arctic expeditionary vessel under the command of Capt. Robert Abram Bartlett and World War II survey vessel under Commander Alexander Forbes. After a galley fire in 1947 the MORRISSEY was raised and renamed ERNESTINA to serve in the trans-Atlantic Cape Verdean packet trade operated by Capt. Henrique Mendes. In 1982 she was given by the Republic of Cape Verde to the people of the United States as a symbol of the close ties between the lands.  Explore her STORIES HERE.

Filis Aniversáriu, Ernestina!

Sunday, February 20th, 2011, 2-5PM

M&C Café 436 Belleville Ave., New Bedford, MA

Buffet, Entertainment, Silent Auction

Reservations limited- $30/person

Check payable to Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association

PO BOX 2995, New Bedford, MA 02741-2995

Contact Barbara Burgo at 508-822-0558 or

Bjmonteiro@aol.com for advanced reservations

All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Download Flyer

Thank you to Ernestina’s many supporters who have already responded to our membership appeal.  We have met the $10,000 challenge having received nearly $13,000 so far. Those of you who got our mailing know that we had an ambitious goal for this campaign.  It will be a  great achievement for SEMA to announce that we have raised a total of $100,000 since we began raising funds for Ernestina a year ago.  With the success of this year-end campaign and Bob’s matching gift, we are very close to that goal!  You have 3 days left for donations eligible for a 2010 tax deduction.  Please consider a gift to SEMA.  Your response is delivering the message that, YES! this National Treasure is important.  Help us deliver that message.

Follow the link to our donations page and share this message with all your friends.
Keep Ernestina sailing!
Happy New Year,
Mary Anne McQuillan

It is December 22 and we have already received over $7,000 in memberships!  Thank You!           We need more of you to respond.  We have 10 more days, please send your donation in TODAY!

Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association has just received a $10,000 challenge from Bob Hildreth.  If we receive new memberships totaling $10,000, with Bob’s generous offer, we will be $20,000 closer to getting Ernestina sailing again!  Follow the link to our donations page and share this message with all your friends.

Executive Summary

Nearly 200 people from Ernestina’s diverse constituencies convened on Saturday, October 30, 2010 to discuss the future of the Schooner Ernestina. The overall sentiment was that Ernestina needs to be restored and sailing. Numerous people from as far as Newfoundland and Philadelphia – sailors, Cape Verdean-Americans, civic and business leaders, educators, maritime museum representatives, students – reiterated the idea that “something special happens” when you are aboard Ernestina; she is a “one-of-a-kind” historic ship that we cannot allow to deteriorate.

The answers were varied as to how to restore and subsequently use her, including (in approximate order of emphasis by Forum participants): Read on →

DCR announced a solicitation for the Ernestina Mast and Rigging Maintenance Project today.  If you know anyone who is qualified and may be interested in bidding on this project please pass this notice along.

Masts need slushing

Description: The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks the services of a qualified rigger to perform repairs of all the standing rigging to the historic wooden hulled Ernestina.  The schooner is a US Coast Guard inspected vessel under subchapter “T” & “R”.  Every effort shall be made to comply with USCG and National standards and guidelines for historic vessels of Ernestina’s size and character. Read on →

Welcome to the new Schooner Ernestina ex Effie M. Morrissey website.  As we build this site we intend to make it as informative and interactive as possible.  We will share news of the efforts to return Ernestina to serving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the ship’s national and international  community as she has in the past.  We will recruit volunteers to help those efforts and report the actions taken on the many ideas generated at the Ernestina Forum.     We will be expanding the photo galleries.  We have included the award-winning pre-2005 website developed by Eric Swanzey and maintained by Gregg Swanzey as a resource for information about the ship’s history and activities up to 2005.  Please explore this site and tell your friends too.  Help us spread the news of the Schooner Ernestina ex Effie M. Morrissey, this incredible National Treasure!