Press Releases

7-1-2025

MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT:  Elizabeth B. Simmons, LPD, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 508-830-6683, esimmons@maritime.edu
Nicole Joy Hales, PRfirst, 617-947-7983, nhales@prfirst.com
 

Massachusetts Maritime Academy to Host Cape Verde Recognition Day Aboard SSV Ernestina-Morrissey – Saturday, July 5

NEW BEDFORD, MA, ISSUED JULY 1, 2025…Media representatives and the public are invited to join Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Saturday, July 5 when it commemorates the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde’s independence from Portugal with Cape Verde Recognition Day. The celebration of culture, history, and community will feature public deck tours of the historic schooner SSV Ernestina-Morrissey from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
 
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the historic vessel and learn about its deep connections to Cape Verdean history and transatlantic heritage. The event will honor the cultural legacy and contribution of the Cape Verdean community in New Bedford and beyond. The vessel will be docked at the New Bedford State Pier on the day of the event.
 
The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey is a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fishing fleet, the vessel has a storied past – from Arctic exploration to bringing immigrants to America. Gifted to the U.S. in 1982 from the newly independent Cape Verdean people, the schooner sailed as an educational vessel until 2005 and is now part of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s permanent fleet, serving as an educational platform for sail and leadership training for cadets, K-12 STEM programs, and community engagement.
 
Cape Verde Recognition Day
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
New Bedford State Pier
 
The event is free and open to the media and public.
For additional information, please contact Nicole Hales at nhales@prfirst.com or 617-947-7983.
 

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY (MMA): 
MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located on Cape Cod, at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and a thirst for adventure. Follow MMA on FB: @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter:@MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy.