
School by the Sea

History of the Schooner

What is the history of Tabor Boy?

Built to withstand tough conditions in the cold North Sea

Built near Amsterdam in 1914 as a Dutch North Sea pilot schooner, the Sailing School Vessel (SSV) Tabor Boy originally carried the name Pilot Schooner #2 and was engaged in pilot service until 1929. Pilot schooners housed on-call pilots (guides with local knowledge), transporting them onto large visiting ships to help their captains navigate safely into port. In 1929, our schooner was renamed Bestevaer and sailed as a school ship for the Dutch merchant marine until World War II.

Bestevaer was returned to Holland after the war where she was refit for use as a private yacht. She was then sold to businessman Ralph C. Allen in 1952. Mr. Allen had the vessel sailed to the United States and, two years later, presented her to Tabor Academy. She arrived in Marion on May 20, 1954, and has since logged countless miles with her Tabor student crews.

Today, Tabor Boy is a Certified Sail Training Vessel

Today, the SSV Tabor Boy is a Coast Guard-inspected and certified Sailing School Vessel equipped with up-to-date safety gear and navigation electronics. Her various programs offer Tabor students a broad variety of opportunities to experience and learn from the sea. Tabor Boy has sailed between Maine and the Caribbean, including an historic 1993 voyage through the Panama Canal (pictured here).

