A Century Under Sail: Schooner Hindu Returns to Provincetown for Its 100th Season
After a five-year hiatus and a meticulous rebuild, the schooner Hindu has made its triumphant return to Provincetown Harbor. One of the last remaining wooden schooners still working under sail, Hindu is now marking its 100th sailing season with a milestone of another kind: an all-women crew led by Captain Erin Desmond.
The 79-foot vessel was originally designed by famed naval architect William Hand and launched by the Hodgdon Brothers in East Boothbay, Maine, in 1925. Its early life was marked by long voyages and varied roles — from transoceanic spice trading to wartime reconnaissance patrols during World War II. In 1947, it began its association with Provincetown, becoming a fixture in the harbor and helping establish the town’s charter sailing and whale-watching industries.
That legacy was nearly cut short in 2020 when a collision with a sunken vessel caused extensive damage, forcing the schooner into a long period of layup. With rot spreading and water intrusion worsening, Desmond and her husband, Captain Josh Rowan, launched a major restoration effort from a barn in Maine’s midcoast region. There, over the course of five winters, the couple and a dedicated crew of traditional shipwrights rebuilt nearly every structural component — preserving the vessel’s historic sheerline, replacing planking and frames, and reviving Hindu’s elegance with craftsmanship rarely seen in modern boatbuilding.
“This wasn’t a replica build — it was a revival,” said Desmond. “We honored her lines, her soul, and her story.”
Now back in service, Hindu offers daily public sails out of Provincetown, giving guests a rare chance to experience early 20th-century wooden boat design firsthand. With its rich mahogany detailing, vintage fittings, and gaff-rigged sails, Hindu sails not only as a charter vessel, but also as a living museum of American maritime heritage.
Its return also underscores a new chapter of inclusion and leadership. Captain Desmond’s all-women crew reflects a growing diversity in the maritime world — and a powerful tribute to the generations of sailors who’ve come before.
“It’s a privilege to carry forward Hindu’s story,” Desmond said. “And to do it with this crew — in this harbor — is something I’ll never forget.”
What Makes a William Hand Design So Iconic?
Few early 20th-century naval architects have left as lasting a legacy on American yachting as William H. Hand Jr. Known for his robust, seaworthy hulls and graceful lines, Hand’s schooners and motorsailers remain some of the most admired wooden boats afloat.
Hand’s designs were rooted in practicality, favoring stability, safety, and comfort offshore — traits that have made his boats favorites among serious bluewater sailors. But his artistry went beyond utility. Look at Hindu’s sweeping sheerline, its fine entry and full stern, and you’ll see the unmistakable Hand touch: beauty born of balance.
One of the pioneering naval architects to embrace motor-sailing designs, Hand worked across a wide range of vessels — from small launches and yachts to rugged fishing schooners and even naval patrol craft. His work was guided by experience, not just theory. Before turning to design full time, Hand served as a boatbuilder and seaman, giving him a deep understanding of how boats handled under real conditions.
Today, very few of his original vessels remain, making schooners like Hindu all the more rare and treasured. Their survival is a testament not only to Hand’s craftsmanship, but also to the generations of owners and shipwrights who have worked to preserve them.For lovers of wooden boats, Hand’s legacy endures not just in lines plans or museum models, but in working craft like Hindu — still sailing, still earning its keep, and still turning heads a century after her launch.
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