AJ Meerwald being restored in Maine before August return to NJ

BELFAST, Maine — New Jersey's official Tall Ship remains in Maine after a nearly year-long restoration process, but is scheduled to journey home to the Garden State next month.

The Bayshore Center at Bivalve in the Port Norris section of Commercial Township, where the AJ Meerwald traditionally docks, told New Jersey 101.5 the oyster schooner is due back in New Jersey around Aug. 5.

News Center Maine, which operates NBC affiliates in Portland and Bangor in that state, reported Tuesday that the Meerwald has been in Maine since September 2021.

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A co-owner of the company tasked with the vessel's restoration told News Center Maine that "pretty much everything topside" was in need of major repair.

The AJ Meerwald's last major restoration was in 1992, according to the Bayshore Center, with Gov. Christie Whitman designating it as New Jersey's Official Tall Ship in 1998.

The Bayshore Center says that when the schooner is on-site, it is used as a "traveling classroom and vehicle to enjoy the area's waterways."

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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