Pioneer

The 102 foot long, 37 ton Pioneer was a sloop built in Pennsylvania in 1885, to carry sand to an iron foundry in Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1895, the sloop was turned into a schooner since it allowed for a smaller work crew. This ship is unlike most others because it has a wrought iron hull. It was made from iron, not wood, because it was made in the center or iron shipbuilding at the time. It is the first of 2 cargo ships ever made from iron and the only iron hulled merchant sailing vessel that still exists. In 1930 it was fitted with an engine and moved to Massachusetts. In 1966 Russel Grinnell renovated the ship by rebuilding the hull, and restoring the rig. After his death in 1970, it was sent to the Seaport Museum where it now remains, giving sailing tours daily. The engine is used to get it out of the River, but once there it uses only the sails, which reach up to 76.6 feet.