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.

There he went into business with Captain Richard Thomas Rundle and started shipping timber to San Francisco from the Mendocino coast.

[4] 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.

"[2] Despite the predictions of sceptics that the ship would dive and pitch into the water, resulting in a very wet ride, Nautilus proved a great success.

[1] According to Gibbs, "although many [vessels] were small in size, this record was probably never equalled by any other individual shipbuilder in the American era of sail.

[2][5] History in the Making: The legacy of Matthew Turner is being honored with the construction of a new wooden tall ship bearing his name.

The 132-foot Brigantine Schooner, set to launch in 2016 is inspired by Matthew Turner's classic vessel, "Galilee" Call of the Sea: When complete the "Matthew Turner" will join the fleet of "Call of the Sea" a non-profit organization started by Captain Alan Olson.

"Call of the Sea" based in Sausalito, California is dedicated to preserving maritime traditions and teaching the skills of seamanship and teamwork through its experiential sailing programs.

Bypassing the petroleum era and embracing new technologies: No fossil fuels will be used for normal operations of the new "Matthew Turner”.

Every aspect of construction, from the FSC certified lumber to the latest non-toxic paints, has been scrutinized to minimize negative environmental impacts.

Marks, Ben "Wind Power: How the 19th-Century’s Greatest Shipbuilder Opened the Pacific," Collectors Weekly, September 19, 2019.