Celebrating 13 years of MFS students sanding, oiling, and painting the AJ Meerwald, and learning about the history of an important part of South Jersey.
First the work …
Today we oiled, sanded, and painted the ship known as the AJ Meerwald. The AJ Meerwald is a oyster schooner located in Bivalve, NJ. Bosun Liz was very specific about not oiling the spars all willy-nilly. Meanwhile, at the boat, First Mate John directed a small group of students to clean, de-rust, and paint an infrequently seen corner of the boat, prior to re-installing a big wooden beam.
Then the fun …
After the normal work of sanding, painting, and oiling with Captain Johann, we ate our lunch from Wawa, and started a tour. We learned a lot of stuff on the tour. For example, Bivalve was originally a bustling town and was the “oyster capital of the world.” Oysters were harvested, then moved into giant packinghouses where they were moved onto trains. Fun Fact: Oysters could only be farmed in the winter during this period because they did not have refrigeration. However, in the 1950s when ships brought back a dangerous disease that killed many almost all of the oysters, the bustling town lost most of its industries, and many people left.
By helping revitalize the ship, which is NJ’s official tall ship, we are helping the Bayshore Center and South Jersey oyster farmers create jobs and interest in the area. If you are down the shore this summer, please visit for one of the Center’s popular 2nd Fridays, or try some oysters at the Oyster Cracker Cafe.
Finally, we learned from the tour guide that the oyster industry in the area is actually coming back!
Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Lab (also in Bivalve) has developed special oysters that cannot be diseased, and are selling them to oyster farmers!
-Bye from Bay-shore!