Photos: Schooners Adventuress and Martha

The Ships of Sail photography pool on Flickr has posted images of the historic schooners Adventuress (image) and Martha (image), both home-ported in Port Townsend, Wash. The 136-foot gaff-rigged schooner Adventuress was launched in 1913 at the Rice Brothers' Yard in East Boothbay, Maine. Her first owner sold her the next year to the San Francisco Bar Pilot's Association, which marked the beginning of her career as a workboat. For 35 years, she transferred pilots to and from cargo vessels near the Farrallone Islands. During World War II, she was a US Coast Guard vessel, guarding San Francisco Bay. She is now a sail training vessel and registered as a national landmark.

The not-for-profit Schooner Martha Foundation owns and operates the 1907 schooner yacht Martha. The Foundation’s sole purpose is to maintain and restore Martha and to use Martha to operate sail training programs. Martha has been under the care of the foundation since 1996. Martha takes both youths and adults on sail training adventures in and around the San Juan Islands in Washington State and nearby Canadian waters.