Schooner hauled out for home-stretch restoration

The Adventure is one step closer to sailing in the 2012 Schooner Festival, as organizers hope.

Tuesday, crews at the Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck pulled the restored schooner out of the water for some interior work. On Thursday, workers will scan the hull, clean it, and do some calculations for installing an engine, bulkheads and ballast, among other projects. Today and tomorrow, crews will work on removing the Adventure's masts and re-rig the ship.

"The Adventure organization is beginning 2012 at a rapid pace with our goal to have Adventure sailing in the 2012 Schooner Festival," said Joanne Souza, the organization's executive director.

Adventure won't be finished by then, but she should be able to sail, Souza said.

The Adventure is a 122-foot dory fishing schooner built in Essex in 1926. The restoration project, according to the Schooner Adventure organization's website, is more than 70 percent complete, and has beencarried out at a cost of around $2.5 million to date.

Steven Fletcher may be contacted at 1-978-283-7000 x3455, or sfletcher@gloucestertimes.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevengdt.

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Schooner hauled out for home-stretch restoration