The locally built schooner Ardelle will carry passengers on hour-long excursions around Boston Harbor as part of Sail Boston, giving visitors a close-up look at Massachusetts' seafaring traditions and wooden-boat craftsmanship.
From model to sea: a labor of handcraft
The Ardelle was constructed over the winter of 2010–2011 by North Shore shipbuilder Harold Burnham, who built the vessel largely without paid help and from mostly recycled materials. Burnham described a process rooted in traditional methods: the design began as a scale model and was enlarged with long battens and careful measuring to create the full-sized hull and structure.
Materials for the vessel came from local sources: White Pine was used for the superstructure and upper works, while the frame, planking and hull relied on White Oak and Locust. The schooner is modeled on a mid-19th century type, reflecting the region's long history of wooden-boat building.
"The wood was from land clearing jobs and tree workers," Burnham said.
What passengers will experience
During Sail Boston, the Ardelle will offer hour-long trips that aim to transport riders into an earlier era of working sail. Burnham said the design and handling characteristics of the boat connect passengers with how sailing once regulated time by tides and wind rather than clocks.
- Vessel: Ardelle (locally built schooner)
- Builder: Harold Burnham, North Shore shipwright
- Offerings: hour-long trips around Boston Harbor during Sail Boston
Burnham, reflecting on his long relationship with wooden boats, said he sometimes feels nostalgic about the building process but is always thinking about the next task. "No boat is finished until it's sunken in blue water," he quipped, adding a boatbuilder's mix of humor and pragmatism about craft work.
Local craft, regional history
The Ardelle's provenance links it to Essex’s 19th-century pinkie schooners; Burnham's reference model echoed a vessel built there in 1845. For Massachusetts residents and visitors, the trips offer more than a scenic cruise: they present a tactile connection to the state's maritime industries and the builders who kept those traditions alive into the 21st century.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Construction period | Winter 2010–2011 |
| Main materials | White Pine, White Oak, Locust |
| Trip length | One hour |
For Massachusetts communities that line the harbor and for the thousands who come to Sail Boston, vessels like the Ardelle help keep maritime skills and stories in public view. The schooner's presence on the harbor during the festival reconnects modern audiences with the wooden-boat methods and regional shipbuilding traditions that shaped local commerce and culture.
Tickets, schedules and boarding locations for the Ardelle during Sail Boston will be posted by event organizers and the vessel's crew; prospective passengers should consult official Sail Boston materials for exact times and ticketing information.
