Rebuilding History.
Preserving Legacy. Sailing Forward.
We’re Rebuilding the Schooner!
Follow her restoration journey on our Restoration News Tab, our Facebook, and Stone Loft Boat Shop’s Facebook for the latest updates and progress.
Better yet, come see her in person at St. Andrews School and witness history being rebuilt plank by plank.
We are
The Friends of The Governor Stone.
Before highways traced the coastline and bridges spanned the bays, vessels like the Governor Stone carried the lifeblood of the Gulf Coast. She moved goods, stories, and communities across waters that were once the only true roads of the South.
Built in 1877 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the Governor Stone was modeled after the Atlantic coast schooners that came before her. She is a two-masted, fore-and-aft gaff-rigged, centerboard, shallow-draft schooner ideally suited for coastline and bay travel.
Her two masts allow her to maneuver confidently in tight quarters. The fore-and-aft rigging enables her to sail close to the wind, reducing time spent tacking while maximizing cargo space and minimizing crew. She typically sails with a crew of three.
Her centerboard configuration, shallow draft, small keel, and distinctive apple cheeks make her uniquely Gulf-wise — designed to handle shoals and shifting sandbars with ease. In an era when roads and railroads were scarce, schooners like the Governor Stone provided the transportation and communication that made the development of the coastal South possible.
She is not simply preserved history. She is a working reminder of how the Gulf Coast was built — and how it still endures.
Membership
The Friends of the Governor Stone, affectionately known as FOGS, are united by a shared love for our historic vessel and a vision for her continued journey across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
When you become a FOGS Shipmate, you receive early notice of sailings, volunteer workdays, and community events — along with the opportunity to be part of preserving a National Historic Landmark for future generations.
No sailing experience is required. Just a willingness to be part of the camaraderie, the mission, and the adventure.
Join us and help keep her sails raised.
Ship Store
Bring home a piece of maritime history from our Ship Store. Every purchase directly supports the restoration and future sailing of the Governor Stone — turning your gift into an investment in her legacy.
Explore exclusive apparel, limited-edition artwork, handcrafted keepsakes, and commemorative pieces you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re shopping for a fellow supporter or treating yourself, each item helps keep her story alive.
Support the mission. Wear it. Display it. Share it.
Hurricane Michael
On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm, bringing sustained winds of 155 mph and gusts exceeding 200 mph. Although the eye made landfall approximately 27 miles east of Panama City, the tidal surge and extreme winds capsized the Governor Stone in her slip at St. Andrews Marina.
What followed was not the end of her story.
The Friends of the Governor Stone have secured the funding and expertise necessary to rebuild our beloved schooner. Reconstruction began in 2022, and our goal is to see her sail again in late 2025 — stronger, restored, and ready to continue her 148-year legacy on the Northern Gulf Coast.
From devastation to determination, her story is still being written.
“The Governor Stone embodies maritime heritage as a living, moving museum — a reminder of a slower-paced past and the 147-year-old labor-intensive traditions of the Gulf Coast. Restored multiple times and continuously maintained, as all wooden seagoing vessels must be, she endures. And she will recover to sail again.”
Contact
Have a question about the Governor Stone?
Have a story or memory to share about this historic vessel?
We would love to hear from you. Reach out and connect with us — every message helps keep her story alive.
Email
info@governorstone.org
Phone
(850) 541-8176