CASTINE — The discovery of a problem with the main mast of Maine Maritime Academy’s schooner, Bowdoin, earlier this summer put the National Historic Landmark on an abbreviated public schedule, including the cancellation of events scheduled in Portland on June 28 and in Provincetown, Mass., on July 4. But all that has changed and the Bowdoin is again sailing, with a new mast and a new group of Academy students.

According to MMA officials, the Bowdoin’s newly constructed laminated mast was inspected and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard last week, and the schooner has set sail for Nova Scotia with 11 “rising senior” Academy students. Those students, all taking part in MMA’s Vessel Operations and Technology program, will navigate and maintain the 88-foot tall ship with the help of five crew members as part of their at-sea training during the month of August.

MMA had suspended sailing due to a compromise in the main mast, which was discovered during a routine rigging check in late June. Capt. Eric Jergenson and his crew assisted during the construction of the new mast, which was done in Castine by Andros Kypragoras Shipbuilding Inc.

Jergenson thanked the Bowdoin crew and the shipbuilders for working hard to complete the mast within the 45-day construction window, and in a press release said, "You made this project happen. Thanks for your hard work and long hours. This mast is better than the last! To all who care about Bowdoin and her important mission at MMA, thank you for your support."

The Bowdoin’s itinerary for the August training cruise is as follows:

Aug. 16–22 — Sailing to Nova Scotia with stops in Halifax, Lunenburg and Shelburne (as conditions and time allow)
Aug. 24–29 — Return to Castine

Maine Maritime Academy is the only college in the United States with a dedicated sail training program that leads to a U.S. Coast Guard license as mate on an auxiliary sail vessel. Students may start with no prior sailing experience and graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, a USCG license and all necessary certificates.

Jergenson is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy's small vessel operations program and former sailing master at the college (2000-2009). He has sailed extensively aboard the Bowdoin in positions ranging from deckhand to master, from points south of Boston to the Arctic. Jergenson holds a U.S. Coast Guard license for Auxiliary Sail Vessels upon Oceans and is a U.S. SAILING Certified Coastal Passage instructor and an instructor trainer for Basic Keelboat and Cruising Instructors.

The Bowdoin enjoys a long history of seafaring education and Arctic exploration. Commissioned by explorer Donald B. MacMillan to facilitate his work in the high northern latitudes, Bowdoin has made 21 trips above the Arctic Circle, 18 of them before 1954 under the command of MacMillan. MacMillan sold Bowdoin to the U.S. Navy for use in World War II during the Greenland Patrol. After the war, MacMillan bought the ship back for $3,000 and continued to sail Bowdoin for nine more years around Greenland. After MacMillan's retirement, the boat belonged to the Schooner Bowdoin Association until 1988, when Maine Maritime Academy purchased the vessel for the purpose of training students.

The public can follow the adventures of the schooner Bowdoin throughout the sail training cruise online at bowdoincruise.mma.edu or follow the cruise on facebook at Arctic Schooner Bowdoin. Updates will include a captain's log and a hyperlink to the online vessel tracking site, iboat.