Bagheera (schooner) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bagheera (schooner)
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Maine State Pier, Commercial St., Portland, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1923 |
| Built by | Rice Brothers Shipyard |
| Architect | John G. Alden |
| Architectural style | Auxiliary Schooner |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000878 |
| Added to NRHP | November 4, 2009 |
The Bagheera, originally named Beacon Rock, is a historic schooner. A schooner is a type of sailing ship with at least two masts. You can usually find her docked at the Maine State Pier in Portland, Maine. She is a two-masted ship that also has an engine for extra power. A famous ship designer named John G. Alden built her in 1924. Bagheera is well-known for winning many races on the Great Lakes.
Today, the Portland Schooner Company owns and operates her. They offer fun sailing trips around Casco Bay using Bagheera and another ship called Wendameen. Bagheera was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. This means she is recognized as an important historical place.
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What is the Bagheera Like?
The Bagheera is a schooner made mostly of wood. She is about 72 feet (22 m) long from front to back. Her deck, where people walk, is about 55 feet (17 m) long. The ship is about 14 feet 2 inches (4.32 m) wide. She sits 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) deep in the water.
How Was She Built?
The ship's main frame is made from strong white oak wood. Her sides, floors, and ceilings are made of pine. The railings are beautiful mahogany wood. The tall poles (called spars) and the front pole (bowsprit) are made from Sitka spruce. The deck used to be teak wood, but it is now fiberglass. This new deck sits on oak beams. The outside of the ship is painted black.
Her Sails and Engine
Bagheera uses a type of sail setup called gaff rigging. This is similar to how she was originally rigged. For extra power, she has a diesel engine from around the year 2000. This engine has 82 horsepower. Inside the ship, many original wooden parts and equipment are still there. This includes her original steering wheel.
The History of Bagheera
Bagheera was built in 1924 at the Rice Brothers Shipyard. This shipyard is in East Boothbay, Maine. She was designed by John G. Alden, who was already a very famous ship designer. Her design is part of a group called Malabar schooners. However, Bagheera is a bit longer and wider than most ships in that group.
Her First Owners and Name Changes
The ship was first built for Marion Eppley. She was originally named Beacon Rock. This name came from Eppley's large estate in Newport, Rhode Island. Eppley kept the ship in Newport. In 1928, she sold Beacon Rock to Robert Benedict. He was the one who renamed her Bagheera.
Racing Success and Training Ship
Robert Benedict moved Bagheera to Chicago. There, she became very successful in races on the Great Lakes. This racing career lasted until about 1938. During World War II, Bagheera was used as a training ship. In the 1950s, she was sent to the Mediterranean Sea and then sailed back to the United States. In 1948, her gaff rigging was changed to a Marconi rig, which is a different type of sail setup.
Modern Use of Bagheera
By the 1980s, Bagheera had sailed to the west coast of the United States. She was then set up to carry passengers. Today, Bagheera is used as a special "floating classroom." Students and professors from Saint Joseph's College use her for their Environmental Science Semester. When the weather is good, the schooner becomes a temporary home and lab. The crew sails Downeast for two weeks. During this time, they study important topics like climate change, how glaciers shaped the land, marine ecology (the study of ocean life), and oceanography (the study of the oceans).
