The schooner Bowdoin, built for Arctic exploration in 1921 at Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine, is headed for the Arctic for the first time since 2008, more than 100 years since her first such expedition. Owned by Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), she’s carrying six professional crew and 10 MMA students who plan to sail from Maine to Disko Bay, Greenland, and beyond 70° North.

“The crew are all doing well and seem to be acclimating to the North Atlantic and its thick fog, stiff wind, and washing machine sea state,” Capt. Alexander Peacock wrote en route from Boothbay to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where the schooner made its first landfall on June 5. “Morale is also good, which could be a result of the amazing meals and desserts we have been having. Or, like myself, have become enamored with our lovely schooner Bowdoin as she dances over the waves with little effort. Either way, life aboard remains good.”

Designed by William Hand, Bowdoin sailed 26 Arctic voyages between 1921 and 1954. At 88 feet long, her gaff-rigged sails fly from two Douglas fir spars, and her white oak hull has wintered over, iced in, four times in the Arctic. She cost $35,000 when she was built in 1921; from 1980-84, she was rebuilt at the Percy & Small Shipyard at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, she has been the Official Vessel of the State of Maine since earning that distinction in 1988.

This will be her third Arctic trip since MMA bought her in 1988, and her crew en route will be continuing their studies in vessel operations and technology, marine biology, power engineering technology, and international logistics management. They’ll also be watch standing, navigating, and learning how to manage and sail a traditional ship.

On the ship’s blog, Capt. Peacock said the trip from Boothbay to St. John’s was “a combination of motor sailing and a few excellent days of 9+ kts sailing. Despite the motoring, we have kept our speed around an average of 5.5 kts. We experienced heavy fog for most of the voyage, a sea state of 5-6ft occasionally up to 9ft with winds out of the east 15-20kts.”

“What have we been doing?” Capt. Peacock continued. “Well, sleeping, standing in the wet cold, eating, noon lessons–then repeat. We have covered the history of fishing on the Grand Banks, navigation lessons, engineering topics such as shipboard systems and conservation, and we learned about different ocean currents and how the water travels in rivers of the deep. Yes, you will find water from Greenland in the Gulf of Maine.”

The voyage has been made possible with a $50,000 grant from Maine outfitter L.L.Bean.

“L.L.Bean has been supporting the Bowdoin’s Arctic expeditions since outfitting its very first skipper, Donald MacMillan, with Bean Boots in 1921,” said L.L.Bean’s senior manager of Partnerships & Charitable Giving, Christina Semanyshyn. (MacMillan received the Hubbard Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society in 1953.) “The schooner Bowdoin is a national treasure representing an important part of U.S. maritime heritage and Arctic exploration, and we are pleased to facilitate the voyage.”

Announcing the L.L.Bean grant, MMA President Jerry Paul ’89, RADM USMS, said, “I would like to express my immense gratitude to L.L.Bean for their financial support, without which the Bowdoin’s return to the Arctic would not be possible.” He added that, “the schooner Bowdoin is not only the pride of Maine Maritime’s sailing fleet, but also important to the state, having been designated the Official Vessel of the State of Maine, and is one of only 122 vessels with the distinction of being named a National Historic Landmark. We are honored to partner with L.L.Bean, an iconic Maine institution, in support of this exciting journey.”

The MMA noted that “the voyage continues the illustrious legacy of Arctic exploration aboard the Bowdoin. During World War II, the Bowdoin was commissioned by the U.S. Navy to perform hydrographic surveys on the Greenland coast for the preparation of navigational charts for vessels attempting to reach U.S. air bases. The Bowdoin was able to evade threats from German U-boats and naval mines during her nearly three years of service during the war.”

Along with Capt. Peacock, the Bowdoin’s professional crew includes chief mate David Stolz (Ohio), Tyler Jupp (Massachusetts), Kimberly Stinson (New Hampshire), Graham McKay (Massachusetts), and Tom Klodensky (Massachusetts).

To follow along on her voyage, check out the Schooner Bowdoin blog: https://mainemaritime.edu/schooner-bowdoin-cruise-blog/