The 1928 historic Oyster Schooner, A. J. Meerwald visits Hoboken, NJ hosted by the Hoboken Historical museum on Wednesday, October 21st 2026! New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship, A. J. Meerwald will be sailing from 14th Street Pier located at Shipyard Marina thanks to the Hoboken Historical Museum. The boat will be visiting Hoboken after a full 2026 sailing season throughout NJ and the Chesapeake Bay region.

Come down on Wednesday evening from 4 PM – 6PM for free deck tours of the vessel, followed by an evening program from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM at the Hoboken Historical Museum. The evening presentation will highlight the vessel’s almost 100 year history, current restoration project this winter at Mystic Seaport Museum and even an A. J. Meerwald book signing with the author, Rachel Dolhanczyk.

One public sail will be offered on Thursday, October 22nd from 4 PM – 6 PM. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased online through the Bayshore Center at Bivalve at this link.

“Hoboken has always been a maritime city, and it is a thrill to welcome New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship to our waterfront. This visit happened because of our trustee James Perry, whose leadership and persistence brought the A. J. Meerwald to Hoboken. We are also grateful to Joe Barry and Adam Leitner of Shipyard Marina, who helped make this visit possible, and to our partners at the Bayshore Center at Bivalve, for giving our community a chance to step aboard a piece of living history. We hope everyone will come out for the deck tours, join us at the Museum that evening, and help support the restoration that will keep this schooner sailing.” – Bob Foster, Executive Director, Hoboken Historical Museum

“Hoboken will be our final post visit for the 2026 sailing season and the ideal way to finish our America 250 events, sailing the waters of New York Harbor.” – Jessica Yorke , Executive Director

Following the Hoboken port visit, the boat will head up the East River and Long Island Sound to Mystic Seaport for a $328K keel restoration project at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. For nearly 100 years, the A.J. Meerwald has been part of New Jersey’s maritime history, welcoming generations of students, families, and visitors aboard. Now, a section of her original 1928 keel, the backbone of the ship, needs to be replaced to keep her sailing safely for years to come. This restoration is not cosmetic. It is essential to preserving the ship, protecting those who sail aboard her, and ensuring she can continue serving as New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship. The Bayshore Center has $100K remaining to raise to support the project.