ERIE, PA – The U.S. Brig Niagara departed Maine at daybreak this past Saturday, embarking on a 2,000-nautical-mile journey to its Erie homeport following a year-long, $6.9 million restoration at Bristol Marine’s Sample’s Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor. The vessel is scheduled to arrive at the Erie Maritime Museum for a homecoming celebration July 2-5, timed to coincide with Independence Day weekend and Pennsylvania’s America 250 festivities.
The historic flagship is traveling the North Atlantic Ocean and the St. Lawrence Seaway under motor power during the multi-week transit. Officials chose to motor rather than sail to allow more time for critical repairs and systems updates at the shipyard. The ship’s sails and traditional 19th-century rigging will be assembled dockside in Erie after the July 4 celebrations, allowing community members and visitors to watch the complex process.
“The departure from Maine represents a monumental milestone in the preservation of the Commonwealth’s flagship,” said Andrea Lowery, executive director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. “We thank the shipwrights and craftspeople at Bristol Marine for their work, and we are thrilled to have a mariner of Captain Bailey’s caliber guiding her home.”
Interim Captain Richard Bailey is commanding the vessel for its homecoming voyage. Bailey brings more than 45 years of tall-ship command experience to the role, including 16 years as master of the HMS Rose, which he helped convert into the first Coast Guard-inspected sailing school vessel in the United States. Commission officials noted the interim captain has no relation to former Captain Greg Bailey.
The U.S. Brig Niagara is a historically accurate reconstruction of the vessel commanded by Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the ship serves as a sailing school, goodwill ambassador and symbol of the state’s maritime heritage. The restoration was designed to ensure the vessel remains structurally sound for decades to come.
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U.S. Brig Niagara set sail on June 6, 2026, from Maine after a yearlong, $6.9 million restoration. [Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission]
