School by the Sea

Our location and marine science facilities are unrivaled at the secondary school and most collegiate levels. Tabor's core science curriculum is enhanced with seven courses devoted to the study and care of the ocean. Students explore the interdisciplinary study between chemistry, physics, and biodiversity through class labs and projects, often collaborating with engineering, and the Tabor MakerLab, as well as local and national scientists. Read about our students' week-long adventure at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

Program Overview

Designated as a Naval Honor School in 1941, Tabor’s nautical science courses allow students to test their knowledge and apply their skills in real-life situations — and earn a Naval Honor certificate upon graduation. As one of just two Naval Honor Schools in the country, we have the privilege to nominate applicants directly to each of our nation's service academies.

Program Details

Part sail training vessel, part classroom, and part research vessel, the 92-foot, gaff-rigged, two-masted schooner SSV Tabor Boy is a unique educational asset at Tabor Academy. Manned by our Captain and student crew, Tabor Boy provides powerful leadership lessons as students take real responsibility for the safety of the crew, passengers, and the vessel. Read about our entry in an offshore sailing race using only celestial navigation.

Details Virtual Tour

Every few years, since the early 2000s, Tabor students have traveled to the Virgin Islands to conduct field research in collaboration with several government agencies on a long-term study of coral reef ecology, using the SSV Tabor Boy as home-base and a floating laboratory. In March 2019, a new land-based opportunity was created at the Gerace Research Centre in San Salvador, Bahamas, to continue our coral reef research, and help to repopulate decimated reefs by building a coral reef nursery. We now travel to Gerace twice a year in December in March with student researchers.

About R.E.E.F

Our crew teams escape the indoor rowing tank to take advantage of the spring morning calm for practice, while our sailors count on the consistent afternoon sea breeze that makes Buzzards Bay some of the best sailing water on the East Coast. Our accessibility, steps from the shore, allows athletes more time on the water.

All our students enjoy our ocean home for quiet reflection, active recreation, and for its incredible natural beauty. Watching the sunrise over Sippican Harbor is a "bucket list" item for most of our seniors; while all students can relax on the waterfront while playing volleyball, frisbee, or taking a swim.