The Sea Lion is a Replica of a late 16th Century British Three-Masted,square rigged Sailing Ship. It was built in the same way they built ships in the 16th Century. It was a several year project, muliti person project headed By Ernest Cowan of Mayville New York. It was commissioned on Chautauqua Lake in 1985. Local residents, businesses, and foundations contributed most of the labor,materials and money for the Sea Lion.
After a legal battle, the ship was sold in 1992 to the Buffalo Maritime Society. It was taken on a journey from Chautauqua Lake to Barcelona New York where it was towed to Buffalo New York. It operated in Buffalo until it sank in 1999 in Lake Erie. Some super local divers headed By Sam Genco and other local people raised the ship in 2000. It was towed back to its new home in Barcelona New York.

Restoration is in process.