The Sea Lion

The Sea Lion, a reproduction of an early 17th century English merchant vessel, was designed and built on Lake Chautauqua by dedicated craftsmen with tremendous community support. Launched in 1984 after eight years of work using only the tools and techniques available in the 17th century, she is considered to be one of the most accurately finished reproductions of a period vessel in the country.

A mere 40 feet at the water line, 62 feet overall, 42 tons of displacement and 1300 square feet of sail, the Sea Lion is small by today's standards, but practical in the 17th century. By Elizabethan measurements, she is 48.5 tons burden weight with 36.4 tons of tonnage, larger in fact, than many of the early English exploration ships. Her sails are made of flax from Scotland. Hemp from Denmark for the rigging adds realism to the ship. She carries four two-inch cannons used for defense in enemy waters.

On the ship, we attempt to create the atmosphere of an authentic 17th century trading vessel. You'll see the crew in period costume acting out period duties. We carry real cargo in our hold, just like on a real 17th century ship. But only rubber rats. :-) Of course, our language is not nearly as salty.

Unlike museums, we encourage you to touch. The Sea Lion is a highly interactive experience; we want you to enjoy being on the ship. With our focus on education, the Sea Lion is a "living classroom", an unparalleled experience. We combine learning and fun in a real-life environment to create unique opportunities that encourage participants to expand their knowledge and explore new techniques for solving problems.

We offer a wide variety of programs and activities throughout the summer. On weekend mornings, we'll have dramatic readings of children's classics like Peter Pan. Bring your children for a relaxing break at the waterfront. Stop down from time to time to find out what we've planned next.

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