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The Pilgrim is a full-sized replica of the hide brig immortalized by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. in his American seafaring classic novel Two Years Before the Mast. 

The original Pilgrim was built in 1825 at a cost of $50,000. Her length was a mere 90 feet compared to the average 110 feet for other vessels of the same class. 

Today’s Pilgrim started her life in 1945 as a three-masted schooner plying the Baltic coastal trade out of Denmark. In 1975, she was sailed to Lisbon, Portugal by Captain Ray Wallace, the noted marine architect, where she was converted to her present rig. The Pilgrim entered Dana Point Harbor in September 1981, amidst tremendous community support, destined to become the Ocean Institute’s largest classroom. Today, the Pilgrim provides national award-winning living history programs to thousands of students each year.

In early September, the Pilgrim and maritime history are celebrated in the annual Tall Ships Festival. In celebration of California’s rich maritime history, the Ocean Institute annually hosts a fleet of historic tall ships that sail into Dana Point Harbor. This extraordinary event takes place each year the second weekend in September. History comes alive, as crews from each ship, along with historical re-enactors, engage the public in cannon battles, pirate adventures, mermaid encounters, ship tours, and much more.

For information on the Ocean Institute in Dana Point and the Tall Ships Festival, go to www.ocean-institute.org/ and www.ocean-institute.org/about-…