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What Americans and Canadians call the “War of 1812” had really started in Europe 20 years earlier with the French Revolution. Two decades of war ensued, pitting Revolutionary and later Napoleonic France and her allies against a series of coalitions that variously included Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Eventually, the other European countries were…

Marblehead Light was built in 1896 and is the only light of its type in the US. There had been an earlier lighthouse on the spot, built in the 1830s, when there were few buildings on Marblehead Neck. But as the area became popular, cottages obscured the small light. After trying various workarounds — like…

Baker’s Island is home to over 50 summer cottages as well as the Baker’s Island Light, which was built in 1821.  There used to be two lighthouses, side by side, “Ma” and “Pa”. Once Salem was no longer a major port, it was decided one light was enough, and “Ma” was bulldozed into the sea….

What is a privateer? A ‘privateer’ was just a privately-owned vessel — sometimes built expressly for privateering, but more often converted from fishing or trading — which received a government license in wartime to go out and capture enemy merchant ships. This practice had begun during the Middle Ages, when countries did not have large…

The Willows is named for the willow trees planted in 1801 to form a shaded walk for patients at the nearby smallpox hospital. The area became a public park in 1858, and was a summer destination for residents of the North Shore, who traveled there on the newly popular streetcars. In fact, it was the Naumkeag Street…

The original Fame was a privateer schooner that sailed out of Salem, Massachusetts during the War of 1812. But what, you ask, was a privateer? And what, exactly, is a schooner? These are fair questions! A lot has changed in two hundred years. In 1812, however, everyone knew that a ‘privateer’ was nothing more than…

Hospital Point in Beverly got its name from a smallpox hospital built on the site in 1801. Used as a military barracks during the War of 1812, the hospital burned down in 1849. The lighthouse was first lit in 1872, around the same time that the Derby Wharf and Winter Island lights were built, in an…

Salem’s Winter Island is a summer campground with both tent and RV campsites. Facilities include a public boat ramp, dinghy rack spaces, a store, a public beach called Waikiki, the Winter Island Lighthouse, and a function space. The location of Salem’s first tavern and first shipyard, Winter Island was home to a fort as early…

We know you’ll love sailing with us. FAME is the top-rated boat in Salem, and the #1 outdoor attraction in the city, according to TripAdvisor! Here are some of the questions folks have as they prepare to come out for a sail:   Where are you located? FAME is located right in downtown Salem at…