The four-masted barque Peking represents the final chapter in the evolution of merchant vessels powered only by wind. Launched in Hamburg, Germany in 1911, she was used to carry manufactured goods to South America and to return via Cape Horn with nitrate. In 1932, she was retired and moored in England's Medway River where she served for over 40 years as a boys' school under the name Arethusa. In 1975, Peking was acquired by the museum and towed to her current home at Pier 16. With a steel hull as long as a football field, and masts as tall as an 18-story building, Peking is one of the largest sailing vessels ever built and the largest preserved by a museum. Starting in the summer of 1996, visitors could see Peking's wire rope rigging fully restored to its original condition–the product of a twelve-year long restoration, the most ambitious project of its kind ever undertaken by a museum. In addition, visitors can go below decks to tour restored living quarters, to view an exhibition of vintage photos of the ship during her active career. The Peking is available for private rental.