New Jersey's tall ship offering more than just a day on the water

CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBS) — Stepping aboard the A.J. Meerwald offers much more than just a day on the water.

"She is now our floating classroom and used for environmental education," Jessica York, executive director of Bayshore Center at Bivalve, said.

With a packed deck, the 1928-built oyster schooner hosts family education sails. Fern Hoffman is the captain.

"She's very purpose-built, and it's neat to see her fulfill her purpose. Even though we're not sailing for oysters anymore, we're still in the same grounds that she was meant to sail in," Hoffman said.

A.J. Meerwald's story steers the crew and its hands-on learning. Quite a bit is packed into the two-hour sail, from pulling a net in the Delaware Bay to helping raise the sails out on the water.

Once they're up, the engine is turned off and guests are asked to soak in Mother Nature's beauty.

"There's something magical about getting on board, turning off the engine, and sailing under natural energy from the wind out on your local waters of the Delaware Bay with oyster beds beneath you that really fuel the local economy and have for generations," York said.

On one side of the deck, guests look at what the net brought up, from silver dollars to jellyfish. Meanwhile, guests on the other side huddle to hear a crewmember share the history behind the A.J. Meerwald.

New Jersey's tall ship calls Port Norris in Cumberland County home, but she's well-traveled. Throughout the year, York notes, the ship touches just about every part of the Garden State from Trenton to Liberty State Park.

"It's a community project," York said, "and has been for 30 years."

The A.J. Meerwald will continue to set sail from Cape May through Sept. 12.