The brig Pilgrim, a replica of the ship immortalized in Richard Henry Dana’s 1840 memoir, Two Years Before the Mast, sank at the dock over the weekend in Dana Point, CA. The replica brig, owned by the Ocean Institute has served as a classroom for marine science and maritime history programs since arriving in Dana Point in 1981. 

The brig is reported to have begun listing to starboard on Saturday night and to have sunk on Sunday. On Monday, attempts began to salvage the vessel and to determine why she sank. 

A statement issued by the Ocean Institute on Sunday: 

Today, we share news that hurts our hearts.

We are very sad to announce that Pilgrim, our beloved vessel that has served as an inspiring real-world classroom to hundreds of thousands of students and visitors, keeled overnight in her slip on our dock, rendering her useful life over.

As part of our maintenance process, Pilgrim undergoes out-of-the water and underwater inspections. In 2016 she was hauled out for survey and repairs and in October 2019, we began a fund to support the haul out and repair scheduled to take place in January 2020. The haul out was postponed until June due to overload at the yard. Meanwhile, Ocean Institute maintained our certifications and the United States Coast Guard issued a Certificate of Inspection (COI) in December and again in February, allowing our dockside programs to continue. Unfortunately, Pilgrim keeled on March 29th and is incapacitated beyond repair.

We are sad to bid farewell to this iconic vessel which has been such an important part of Ocean Institute’s programs and to the children that they served.

Our staff was informed this morning and we all feel like we lost a dear friend, as I am sure many of you do.

We will keep you posted and welcome your stories, images, etc., on how the Pilgrim has made an impact on you. Send to marketing@oceaninstitute.org or #thebrigpilgrim – please.

As previously communicated, Ocean Institute has been dealt very difficult blows this month (https://youtu.be/9F_xl3bM3Jg) and your stories, encouragement, and support keeps us going and lifts our spirits during this devastating time.

Thanks to Dexter Donham and Alan Rice for contributing to this post.