Cape May, NJ - The 1928 historic Oyster Schooner,  A. J. Meerwald is returning to Cape May on Friday, June 26th, 2026! New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship, A. J. Meerwald is returning to our area after sailing the Chesapeake and participating in America 250 events. Experience 98 Years of Maritime Tradition on the Delaware Bay this summer. NJ’s official Tall Ship will sail again from the Cape May Ferry Terminal, in partnership with the Delaware River & Bay Authority. Historic Afternoon sails, Local Oyster Sails, Morning Family Educational sails and more will be offered from June 26th through September 27th.

Sails are two hours in duration, departing from the ferry terminal and sailing out to the Delaware Bay. The 2-hour historic afternoon sails depart at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Passengers will sail 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. Beachgoers should be able to see the boat sailing past the Delaware Bay beaches of West Cape May. Tickets are $55 per person. Passengers should note that boarding requires walking several hundred feet from the terminal and climbing up and down a series of stairs. 

On Wednesday & Saturday mornings at 11 a.m., there is a Morning Family Sail designed for kids (ages 7 and up) and their parents or grandparents. Kids tickets are reduced to $30 and adults are $55. The Morning Family Sail has a weekly educational theme and includes hands-on activities such as 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/.

In 2026, we will be offering a “Sailor for a Day” program for kids ages 12 and up every other Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Youth are invited to join the captain and crew of the historic A. J. Meerwald for a full day of sailing and adventure aboard New Jersey’s official Tall Ship. This drop-off youth program gives participants the opportunity to “learn the ropes” and experience what it takes to be part of a working sailing crew. Participants will actively assist the crew with sailing while learning seamanship, navigation, knot tying, marine science, teamwork, ecology of the Delaware Bay, and more.

Visitors can also check our schedule for more information about our specialty sails, including local oyster sails and the Extended Sails available in Sept.

 "Sailing aboard NJ’s official Tall Ship, A. J. MEERWALD is the perfect way to celebrate our local history, oystering and working our local waterways for 98 years. In the 1940’s, A. J. MEERWALD was commandeered for the war effort. She was turned over to the US Coast Guard and outfitted as a fireboat under the War Powers Act protecting the city of Philadelphia via the Delaware Bay & River.  Sail from the ferry terminal in Cape May and celebrate our local maritime history here along the Delaware Bay in Southern New Jersey. " - 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.” 

About A. J. Meerwald:
The schooner A. J. Meerwald is a restored oyster dredging schooner from Bivalve, New Jersey. Launched in 1928, A. J. Meerwald embodies the true spirit of the schooner, adapted to efficiently fulfill the prevailing conditions and specific demands of her native waters. A. J. Meerwald was one of nearly five hundred schooners built along the Delaware Bay before the decline of the local shipbuilding industry in the 1930s. One hundred years later, there are only a handful of converted schooners still harvesting oysters.

Today, A. J. Meerwald is operated by the Bayshore Center at Bivalve as a traveling classroom and vehicle to enjoy the area’s waterways. Passengers can enjoy the excitement and wonder of sailing aboard a 115-foot schooner from the age of sail. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even join the crew in hauling lines and setting sails! Enjoy the great outdoors as you breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the scenery that surrounds you.

The Bayshore Center at Bivalve is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the understanding of the human impact on New Jersey’s aquatic environment through education, advocacy, and programming. BCB operates the authentically restored 1928 oyster schooner A. J. MEERWALD, New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship, as a hands-on sailing classroom throughout the region. It also operates the Delaware Bay Museum and offers shore-based programs at its campus and schooner’s home port of Bivalve on the scenic Maurice River in Cumberland County.

For more information, go to www.bayshorecenter.org or contact the Bayshore Center at Bivalve at 856-785-2060 or info@BayshoreCenter.org.

About the Cape May-Lewes Ferry  
Owned and operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the Cape May – Lewes Ferry is open year-round and has carried more than 50 million passengers since its inception on July 1, 1964. As an integral transportation system connecting the communities and economies on both sides of the Delaware Bay, the Ferry service is a significant catalyst for economic growth and regional tourism activity in New Jersey and Delaware. Its operations sustain over 4,000 jobs while generating tens of millions of dollars in local taxes and hundreds of millions in regional economic activity. For schedules and rates, please visit www.CMLF.com or call 800-643-3779