For nearly 60 years, under the ownership of Nathan Mulford Dorlon and Patrick and Thomas Burns, the schooner worked as an oyster buy boat, collecting harvests from tongers in the shallow bays and transporting their catch to market.

Nathan “Mul” Dorlon purchased the vessel at age 69 for $425. A successful terrapin farmer and larger-than-life personality, local lore credits him with dispatching the last Gulf Coast pirate, Spud Thompson, with a single blow after Thompson disturbed his brother-in-law. Whether legend or fact, the story reflects the rugged character of the times.

During Prohibition, Captain Thomas Burns added a 16 HP motor and supplemented oyster income by transporting contraband rum from Cuba at $500 per trip. Although frequently searched by the Coast Guard, he evaded capture, though precious cargo was reportedly jettisoned at least once.

The Governor Stone has survived four known sinkings:

1. 1906 Hurricane – Caught in Heron Bay, Alabama, during a devastating Gulf Coast storm that claimed 21 lives. The schooner was washed ashore with heavy damage but was repaired at great expense, a testament to her value.

2. 1939 Sinking – After decades of service, she sank again and was not immediately salvaged.

3. 1956 Storm – Driven into a bridge piling and holed.

4. 2018 Hurricane Michael – Capsized and severely damaged.

Each time, she returned.

In 1940, Isaac Rhea salvaged the vessel for his Pass Christian, Mississippi resort, Inn by the Sea. Renamed Queen of the Fleet, she ferried tourists along the coast.

In 1942, the U.S. War Commission purchased her for $1.00, and she served as a Navy training vessel during World War II. Returned to civilian use in 1947, she continued sailing with a 110 HP Chrysler Marine engine.

In 1965, John Curry purchased the schooner and began researching her storied past. He restored her original name and returned her to a more authentic cargo configuration while preserving necessary modern equipment. In 1991, he donated her to the Apalachicola Maritime Institute, where she served as a sail trainer for at-risk youth.

That same year, she received designation as a National Historic Landmark, the highest level of recognition by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Only about 3% of properties on the National Register receive this distinction.

In 2005, the vessel passed to the newly formed Friends of the Governor Stone, Inc., which incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2007.

An all-volunteer group, FOGS committed to fundraising, maintaining, repairing, sailing, and sharing her story. Panama City became her home port in 2013. A major restoration in 2013–2014, supported by a grant from the Florida Department of State Division of Historic Resources, restored many original features and preserved her for the future.

On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael became her fourth known sinking. The storm capsized and severely damaged the schooner, necessitating a full rebuild.

Rebuilding began in May 2022 at St. Andrews School in Panama City. Restoration continues today with the goal of relaunching her in late 2027.

Her slip at St. Andrews Marina sits empty for now.

But not for long.

Length Overall: 63 ft
Beam: 13 ft 2 in
Deck Length: 39 ft
Draft: 3 ft (centerboard up) / 9 ft (down)
Tonnage: 14 GRT / 12 NRT
Crew: Captain + 2
Passengers: 20

Two-masted, fore-and-aft gaff-rigged centerboard schooner. Constructed with a heart-pine backbone and spars, sawn cypress frames, cypress planking, and traditional wooden blocks. Equipped with a 2013 Yanmar auxiliary engine and Oceanus sail inventory.

Built for shallow waters, shifting shoals, and Gulf Coast bays — a truly Gulf-wise vessel.

The Governor Stone embodies maritime heritage as a living, moving museum — a reminder of the slower-paced, labor-intensive traditions that shaped the Gulf Coast.

Owned and maintained by the all-volunteer Friends of the Governor Stone, Inc., she sails to enhance cultural, historical, and ecological education throughout the Northern Gulf Coast.

Restored time and again, as wooden vessels must be, she endures.

And she will sail again.

You, too, can be part of her history.