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sailThe Meerwald is operated by the Bayshore Discovery Project, an environmental group, and will be in the borough until Sunday as part of an education program with various local groups including Reclaim the Bay and The Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, which is in Beach Haven. During its stay in the borough, people will be able to sail on the ship.“It’s beautiful ship,’’ Torres said after watching the ship dock.Bayshore Discovery Project took control of the boat in the late 1980s after the boat had fallen into disrepair, Briggs said.


The project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to motivate people to take care of the history, the culture and the environment of New Jersey's Bayshore region through education, preservation and example.“We started working on the boat in 1988 and eight years later it was ready to sail again,’’ Briggs said. “By the time repairs were completed, rebuilding the boat cost approximately $1 million.’’The ship was rebuilt and the boat was added to the National Register of Historic Place in November 1995. The schooner is a sailing classroom promoting ecological and historical awareness of the Delaware Bay region.“It allows people to be out on the water, as well as learn about the environment,’’ Briggs said. “This is the fourth year that we have come to Beach Haven and during the summer we do approximately a dozen similar type events around the state.’’Albert Nitche, a representative of ReClaim the Bay, said the groups have common goals.“We both want to improve the quality of the bay, so it’s a natural fit,’’ Nitche said.Joanne Vigaggio, who was vacation in Beach Haven, said she decided to take the trip after reading about it in the local newspaper.“It looked like it would be a nice break from the beach,’’ Vigaggio said as she prepared to board the boat. “It’s a great looking ship.’’

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