Shipbuilders Started Replica of 1825 Cargo Ship

Construction is underway in San Diego on a historical replica of the sailing vessel The Pilgrim.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Construction

Close-up of a half-built wooden sailing ship frame in a sunny coastal shipyard, with stacked oak planks and timber ribs. — Workers at Driscoll shipyards in San Diego are constructing a full-scale wooden replica of the 1825 cargo ship The Pilgrim, intended for use as a floating maritime history school. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Shipbuilders at Driscoll shipyards on Mission Bay began constructing a replica of the 1825 cargo ship The Pilgrim. This ambitious project aims to create a floating sailing school for students and adults to learn about maritime history.

Why it matters

The project serves as a practical history class for future generations by keeping traditional maritime techniques alive. It provides a rare, hands-on opportunity to engage with historical vessel construction methods.

The construction project is currently one year into a three-year timeline, with an expected completion date in 2028. Builders are recreating the 1825 cargo ship using original techniques rather than modern blueprints.

The players

Driscoll shipyards

This is the San Diego facility where the manual construction of the historical vessel replica is taking place.

The Pilgrim

This cargo ship is the subject of the reconstruction project and originally dates back to 1825.

The details

Workers and volunteers are assembling the vessel by hand, one board at a time, guided by historical descriptions rather than formal blueprints. The ship is being built at Driscoll shipyards in Mission Bay to mirror the original vessel that once traveled from Massachusetts to California.

1825: Original construction of the cargo ship The Pilgrim.
2025: Start of construction for The Pilgrim 3.
2028: Expected completion and launch of the ship.

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Market Landscape

This project stands apart from modern industrial shipbuilding by focusing on the preservation of niche, traditional craftsmanship. It creates a unique educational market in San Diego that relies on heritage preservation rather than commercial competition.

Local residents and history enthusiasts will eventually gain access to a unique educational platform for maritime training. The project currently supports regional labor through the manual assembly efforts of volunteers and workers at the Mission Bay site.

The takeaway

Preserving maritime history requires a commitment to traditional skills that are no longer standard in the modern shipbuilding sector. This project demonstrates how historical assets can be repurposed for educational community engagement.