The 1928 historic Oyster Schooner, A. J. Meerwald is returned to Cape May on Friday, August 1st, 2025! New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship, A.J. Meerwald returned to the area after sailing up the coast of NJ and providing public sails and educational programming in Toms River, New York Harbor and Sandy Hook Bay. She will sail again from the Cape May Ferry Terminal, in partnership with the Delaware River & Bay Authority. Public sails and Family Educational sails will be offered from August 1st through September 21st.
Sails are two hours in duration, departing from the ferry terminal and sailing out to the Delaware Bay. The 2-hour afternoon and evening sails will cruise along the scenic Delaware Bay, with views of the Cape May Lighthouse. Sails will head out the Cape May Canal into the Delaware Bay and head east to the lighthouse and/or west towards West Cape Bay. Beach goers should be able to see the boat sail by from Delaware Bay the beaches in West Cape May. Tickets are $50 per person. Passengers should plan to walk several hundred feet to board the vessel and climb up and down a series of stairs.
On Wednesday & Saturday mornings at 11 AM, there is an Environmental Educational sail designed for kids and their parents or grandparents. Kids tickets are reduced to $25 and adults are $50. Recommended for kids ages 5 and up. The Environmental Education Sails feature fish identification, trawling, and additional education stations. All passengers are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages aboard for the sail. The current sailing schedule and tickets can be found at https://www.bayshorecenter.org/ports-cape-may-nj/.
“Sailing aboard A.J. Meerwald from the ferry terminal in Cape May is a unique opportunity to sail out on the Delaware Bay, surrounded by sea life. This is what the Meerwald was built for. Oystering in our local waters in the late 1920s and harvesting oysters that traveled all the way across the country. Together with DRBA, we look forward to offering visitors the opportunity to connect to our local history and learn more about oystering on the Delaware Bay. ” – Jessica Yorke , Executive Director
“We’re pleased to once again host New Jersey’s Tall Ship, A.J. Meerwald,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations. “”It’s such an awesome experience to sail the Delaware Bay aboard the A.J. Meerwald, imagining what it would be like to work on the vessel in the 1930s. What a great opportunity to enjoy this hands-on experience while learning about our rich local history on the Delaware Bay.”
Source: DRBA
