The Gloucesterman Adventure: Jonathan Bayliss and Schooner Adventure at 100

Presenters: Ken Riaf, John Day, and Emily Pearce

For more than a century, Gloucester’s schooners have shaped the city’s identity, inspired generations of writers and artists, and embodied both the peril and poetry of life at sea. In this richly illustrated lecture, we explore how the schooner—especially the Schooner Adventure—has served as a powerful creative catalyst for author Jonathan Bayliss and for Gloucester’s cultural imagination at large.

The hour-long program highlights Schooner Adventure—launched in 1926 and celebrated as the “Queen of the Windjammers”—as a rare, fully restored vessel that keeps Gloucester’s maritime heritage vibrantly alive. Set against this historical backdrop, the program also explores the literary imagination of Jonathan Bayliss, whose childhood experiences with Gloucester’s schooners became central to his writing. Through Bayliss’s memories, historical imagery, and hands-on examples, the program demonstrates how schooners fuel creativity, bridge fantasy and realism, and inspire new generations to connect with maritime history.

This event will be hybrid. If you wish to participate online please include this in your RSVP!

Visit us online at:

https://www.schooneradventure.org | https://jonathanbayliss.org

Also check out other Arts events in Gloucester, Literary Art events in Gloucester, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Gloucester.