The skipjack Nathan of Dorchester will offer free sails on Monday, May 31, in celebration of both Memorial Day and Dorchester County Heritage Month. The sails will depart from Long Wharf inCambridge at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

A donation from the Nathan Foundation makes the event possible. The foundation funded the construction of the skipjack in 1994 by the nonprofit Dorchester Skipjack Committee. The Committee’s volunteers have operated and maintained the vessel since she was first launched. Volunteers serve as captains, crew and docents, and as maintenance and administrative personnel.

John Pagenstecher, Dorchester Skipjack Committee President, thanked the Nathan Foundation for funding the free sails for the community. “The Nathan Foundation and the entire local community have been very generous in supporting our efforts each year,” he said. “One of the ways we enjoy demonstrating our appreciation is to offer these opportunities for people to come out on the skipjack at no cost.”

The Nathan Foundation will also sponsor the free sails to be offered on Fourth of July and during the Dorchester Showcase in September. All free sails are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with no advance reservations accepted.

Two-hour regular public sails are offered each Saturday the boat is in port and not otherwise committed throughout the Nathan’s May-through-October sailing season. One-hour public sails are offered one Sunday each month. Charters are also available for any occasion.

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