Matthew Turner

Matthew Turner (June 17, 1825 – February 10, 1909) was an American sea captain, shipbuilder and designer. He constructed over 270 vessels, the majority of which were built in the Matthew Turner shipyard in Benicia. He built more sailing vessels than any other single shipbuilder in America,

Early life Matthew Turner was born in Geneva, Ohio on June 17, 1825, the fourth child of George Turner and Emily Atkins. George Turner owned a sawmill on the shores of Lake Erie and later launched his first ship, the sloop Geneva, in 1839, to ship lumber and building stone. Matthew, after watching the construction of the Geneva and a later vessel the Philena Mills, designed his first ship, the schooner G.R. Roberts. His father was sufficiently impressed with the design to build the boat, which was launched in 1848. Matthew took on the command of the boat and later that year married Amanda Jackson. Amanda died in childbirth with their first child. On a trip down the Mississippi River in late 1849 he heard about gold mining in California and set off for the West Coast in 1850. He spent 3½ years mining gold in Calaveras County and was quite successful.

During his career as a ship's captain he twice received recognition of his heroism and the services that he rendered to foreign governments. He was given a gold-mounted spyglass by Queen Victoria in recognition of his part in saving the lives of British sailors. The Norwegian government presented him with a silver service for his rescue of a Norwegian vessel in danger of foundering at Honolulu. The hull of Nautilus was exactly the reverse of what was customary in the area at that time, being "long and sharp forward, lean and full on the waterline aft."

(new): Call of the Sea’s brigantine Matthew Turner is a modern wooden tall ship built as a living tribute to Bay Area shipbuilder Matthew Turner, whose late-19th-century design Galilee inspired the vessel and once held the San Francisco–Tahiti speed record. Designed after Galilee and named in Turner’s honor, the ship revives the craftsmanship, materials, and sailing technology of San Francisco’s historic shipyards while serving today as an experiential learning platform for Bay Area youth. Built over seven years in Sausalito using sustainable Douglas fir, Oregon white oak, and bronze fastenings, the 132-foot brigantine combines traditional construction with advanced hybrid propulsion and renewable energy systems. By reconnecting modern sailors and students with Turner’s design legacy—now physically remembered through Galilee’s preserved stern at Fort Mason—the Matthew Turner bridges nineteenth-century maritime innovation with contemporary education, sustainability, and community engagement on San Francisco Bay.