The skipjack Nathan of Dorchester welcomed back the girls of Philadelphia’s Springside School for three days of on-the-water experience of the area’s maritime heritage. The school has been bringing each year’s eighth-grade class for outings on the boat and exploration of other local attractions since 2004.

This year, 52 young ladies enjoyed lessons aboard the skipjack ranging from sail handling and navigation to oyster dredging and knot tying. The annual trip is arranged through the Womanship program in Annapolis, which provided one of its instructors, Captain Mary Ann DeGraw, to accompany the girls each day.

While rainy weather threatened two of the three days, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the girls or the Nathan’s volunteer crew. “We look forward to each year’s Springside School visit,” said Captain Frank Newton. “It is a genuine pleasure to have these smart young ladies come aboard.”

For more information, to charter the boat or to volunteer, contact the Dorchester Skipjack Committee at 410-228-7141 or visit its website, www.skipjack-nathan.org.