A highlight of August 1988 was a return trip to Brigus, Newfoundland, home of Capt. Bob Bartlett. John Leamon of the Brigus Historical Society in collaboration with the Ernestina Morrissey Maritime Association in Bridgeport, CT developed the funding to send the ship on an 18-day cruise. Mr. Leamon’s group offered to raise $10,000 of the $35,000 needed. This included a contribution of $5000 from the city of St. John’s which held Siree ‘88 festivities. Accompanying the vessel were several of the original Arctic crew and the Bartlett Boys.

Dan Turner (front row), Austen Colgate, George Pomeroy, Warner Kent and Dan Moreland (back row). Reunion of Bartlett's Crew during Brigus, Newfoundland trip.

Aft cabin after restoration

Stops enroute on this trip included New Bedford, St. John's NF, Brigus, NF, Lunenburg, NS, Shelbourne, NS, Gloucester, MA, Casco Bay, Port Clyde, Hurricane Is., ME, Mystic, CT and Fall River, MA.

According to an article in the New Bedford Standard-Times by Susan Pawlak-Seaman, December 11, 1988 At age 94, Ernestina begins a fourth career:

A grand old lady of 94, she has embarked upon what is her fourth career. For the Schooner Ernestina, her current status as sailing school ship, living history museum and goodwill ambassador may well prove her most challenging role. And Joseph C. Cardozo is here to help her master it.

Mr. Cardozo is the program and development director for the Massachusetts Schooner Ernestina Commission; he came on board last July from Bridgeport, CT.

Initially in New Bedford and eventually across the area, he is working to develop an educational program for the region’s students. But what is involved with the Ernestina project "isn’t just sailing," Mr. Cardozo said. Rather, he is talking a broader-based approach aimed at making Southeastern Massachusetts school children and teachers more aware of the ship, its 30 Union Street museum and the valuable educational resources contained in both.

Mr. Cardozo said the new program, piloted for two weeks in October, is on hiatus for the winter. But, while operating this fall, it drew about 500 students from the city’s elementary and secondary schools and the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School to the museum and the ship.

Because there is more to the Ernestina than meets the eye, the museum component is as important as the shipboard visits and sails, Mr. Cardozo said.

"We have a slide show where we actually teach the history of the vessel," he said. "What we’ve found is that many students are aware of the Cape Verdean part (of the Ernestina past) but not the rest of it."

1988 Shipboard Staff

Daniel Moreland, Master
Carl Brown, Mate
Wm. Jeffrey Bolster, Mate
Jan Miles, Mate
Thomas Grace, Deckhand
Martha Bolster, Deckhand
Shelly Johnson, Cook
Vaughn Smith, Deckhand
Jerry Grant, Deckhand
John Carlisle, Deckhand
Gordon Ramos, Deckhand
Carrie McKillup, Deckhand
Timothy Vierick, Deckhand
Chuck Halloway, Deckhand
Tracy Decker, Deckhand
Wendy Roundstadler, Deckhand
Sy Hamilton, Deckhand
Joseph Chetwyn, Deckhand
Daniel Turner, Deckhand