Story

CHRISTEEN, constructed in 1883 in Glen Head, NY, is a 38-foot gaff-rigged sloop, the oldest surviving oyster sloop in America, and a National Historic Landmark.  Designed to harvest oysters, CHRISTEEN worked the waters of Oyster Bay, NY for a number of years before finding her way to other harbors along both the north and south sides of Long Island Sound. Discovered in disrepair in Connecticut in the mid-1990’s, CHRISTEEN was brought back to Oyster Bay by a dedicated group of volunteers who set forth on the mission of her complete restoration. She was relaunched in 1999 with a new purpose to serve as both a floating classroom for The WaterFront Center and as a charter vessel, proudly connecting her passengers with Oyster Bay’s past, present and future. CHRISTEEN’s US Coast Guard licensed captains and volunteer crew carry more than 5,000 people every year to educate them about maritime history, marine science, coastal ecology, aquaculture, and the oyster industry.