Family Environmental Education Sail in Cape May, NJ

About Your Sail:

Adult Tickets $50 Students 17 and under, ticket price only $25.

Set sail aboard the AJ Meerwald, one of the hundreds of oyster schooners that graced the Delaware Bay in the 1920s!

On this family educational tour, passengers are welcome to participate in "trawling". This is when we set a trawl net overboard, and then bring the catch on board. Crew members will discuss the catch and invite participation from our passengers. In addition to this, the crew will present other education activities including "Hoisting the Sail".

Enjoy the excitement and wonder of sailing aboard our 115’ 1928 oyster schooner. You’ll experience sailing as done for hundreds of years on our 1928 oyster schooner. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even join our crew in hauling lines and setting sails! Enjoy the great outdoors as you breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the scenery that surrounds you.

A ticket is required for all passengers. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. You may bring your own food and drink on board.

Purchase of a ticket to sail comes with a social membership to the Bayshore Center. To receive your membership card, show your ticket receipt in our gift shop, the Meerwald Mercantile in our Home Port of Port Norris, NJ. This membership allows access to AJ's Pub and the Delaware Bay Museum and is good for 1 year.

Sailing A.J. Meerwald from the Cape May Ferry Terminal ARRIVE 3o Minutes Prior to Departure**** Accessibility: Due to the variability of tides, the dock can sometimes be extremely steep which might make it difficult for people with mobility issues. Please call the boat phone (856-265-1991) for more information.

Arrival: Please plan to arrive 30-45 minutes prior to your sail departure time. All A.J. Meerwald passengers will depart the terminal building with our crew 15 minutes prior to departure. If you have an issue please call the Boat 856-265-1991. Crew will walk our passengers through the restricted access area we are docked in and board for a timely departure. As you can imagine, with ferries arriving and departing the canal, timeliness is essential.

Per Terminal Security- The walk from the Ferry Terminal to the docks must be done accompanied by a crew member as a group.

Parking: Please stay in the right lane when entering the terminal. Follow the walk-on passenger and terminal parking signs. Park in the parking lot by the terminal and enter the main doors. The A.J. Meerwald check-in desk is located to your left as you enter the building. Check in with our crew here.

Restrooms: There are restrooms and a cafe in the terminal as well as a restaurant. Please use the restrooms in the terminal prior to departure. The head onboard is for emergencies only.

Snacks & Beverages: Passengers are invited to bring their own personal food, snacks and beverages(including beer and wine) on board for the sail. (No open containers while boarding)

GPS Address: Cape May Ferry Terminal, North 1200 Lincoln Blvd, North Cape May, NJ 08204

Thank you to the Whales Tale and Splash Galley for their support of A.J. Meerwald and the Bayshore Center. Please visit their shops on the Washington Mall in Cape May. Whale's Tale: 312 Washington Mall Splash Gallery: 512 Carpenter's Lane Thank you to the Delaware River and Bay Authority for their support

Important Information: Sail times are approximately 2 hours in length depending on conditions. It may be cooler on the water than the land, so we suggest you dress in layers. Feel free to bring sun screen, bug repellent, and beverages. The boat is “carry on, carry off” meaning whatever you bring aboard the ship should be brought off with you. While there is a small crew bathroom (“head”) on board the ship it is not easily accessible. It is only accessible by descending a ladder. We highly recommended that you use the shoreside facilities prior to coming aboard the ship. Boarding the boat requires ascending 2-4 steps, but once on board handicapped passengers may be seated on a deck box. Crew can sometimes make accommodations to lift wheelchairs on board. Restrooms on board are not handicap accessible, but onshore facilities are. We do sail rain or shine, but if the Captain decides the conditions are dangerous, they will cancel the sail. Should this occur, we will contact you via the email you used to book your sail. If we cancel the sail we will refund your payment. There are no refunds available if you do not show up for your scheduled sail.