By John Francis,
Bruce Peninsula Press
The two-masted schooner Ernestina Morrissey overnighted in Tobermory on August 13, en route to the Tall Ships event in Midland.
She is the oldest surviving Grand Banks schooner of the fleet from Gloucester Massachusetts (derided in Stan Rogers’ song “Bluenose” as “…the rich men’s toys of the Gloucester boys with their token bit of cod…”)
She was launched in 1894 as the Effie M Morrissey and according to Wikipedia, brought back 200,000 pounds of cod on her maiden voyage. She had a colourful career over the next 90-plus years before being designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Since then she has been based in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
On August 12, the 203-foot, three-masted schooner Empire Sandy navigated the Cape Hurd Channel and sailed by Tobermory, also en route to Midland.
