About Roseway
The iconic schooner Roseway was built in Essex, MA in 1925. She had a long and fruitful history as a sword fishing vessel, a pilot ship, a Coast Guard vessel, and a windjammer. She was designated as National Historic Landmark in 1997 in recognition of her wartime service and significance to American marine architecture. World Ocean School acquired Roseway in 2002 and performed a major restoration before putting her into service from 2006 to 2022 as World Ocean School’s classroom and flagship educational vessel. During this time, Roseway carried thousands of students from all over the world on transformative educational voyages from New England to St. Croix and beyond.
Today, Roseway has a new home and a new chapter ahead, but she will always hold an important place in the history of World Ocean School.
The History of Roseway
Roseway is built in Essex, MA, commissioned by Harold Hathaway who used her for sword fishing.
She sets the world record for the number of swordfish caught in one day with 74 swordfish caught.
She is sold to the Boston Harbor Pilots on December 7, 1941, where she is immediately placed into service for the U.S. Coast Guard.
She served the pilots well for 32 years and was the last pilot schooner in the United States when she was reluctantly retired in 1973, to be replaced by smaller steel powerboats.
Roseway is granted National Historic Landmark status for her service during the war, coupled with her unique contributions to American marine architecture.
Roseway is donated to World Ocean School and hauled out of the water for her first major restoration project.
Roseway is relaunched and departs on the maiden voyage to the Great Lakes as a trial for the ship.
Roseway and World Ocean School relocate to Boston to launch student programming in Boston. This was also the year that St. Croix partnerships were established for student programs there.
Our first official BPS program is launched with The Haley Pilot School in partnership with Boston Family Boat Building, now known as Boston Community Boat Building. Roseway voyages with students to the Great Lakes again.
World Ocean School establishes a partnership with Boston Day and Evening Academy. This year also marks our first international summer learning voyage.
Roseway returns to St. Croix for high-impact student programming aboard the vessel. This is also the first year of our partnership with Notre Dame AmeriCorps.
From 2019 - 2022, Roseway welcomed over 1,700 students aboard during our educational programs.