The 295-foot long cutter Eagle will visit Vineyard waters this summer. That news was shared by the executive officer of the nation’s largest working square-rigger, who spoke on Wednesday night before an audience of some 60 people at the Black Dog Tavern.

Lieut. Cmdr. Jorge Martinez spoke about the history of the nation’s signature ship, its mission and his personal memories of serving aboard it. He said this summer the ship, in its 75th year, will be sailing to Europe and back. She also will be sailing from Boston to New Bedford, and can be viewed from the Vineyard.

The evening talk, which included a tavern-prepared shrimp scampi dinner with quahaug chowder, marked the second in a series of winter dinners hosted by Sail Martha’s Vineyard, an Island nonprofit organization committed to helping young people learn to sail. Seated in the audience were four students from the recently established regional high school maritime studies program.

Mr. Martinez explained that the Eagle, a three-masted barque, is used as a training ship, taking young adults out to sea for the experience of their lives. “The Eagle is a leadership laboratory,” he said. He continued:

“Imagine, being out at sea. You have 30 to 40-knot winds coming up and you have to take down sail. You have to climb the rigging whether you want to or not. It has to be done. The work has to get done. The ship is obviously rocking and rolling . . . If that doesn’t build character, if that doesn’t build a sense of confidence and leadership, I don’t know what else we can do.

“I can think of no better place to build character than out at sea, and being out on a tall ship. For me, I think before you can lead, you have to know how to follow. When you go out on a tall ship, you listen. You listen to those who have gone before you.”

The tall ship Eagle has over six miles of standing and running rigging. The peak of the main mast is over 147 feet above the water. “Gravity is not a suggestion; it is the law,” Mr. Martinez declared.

He described the Eagle as having multiple missions. The first is to train Coast Guardsmen in the experience of the sea. The ship is also used to train those who operate other tall ships in the world, such as the USS Constitution. “In the past we have had People’s Republic of China cadets,” he said.

Another mission is to represent the United States. “Here we are, the Coast Guard. We wave the flag,” Mr. Martinez said. Last year the ship traveled across the waters of the Caribbean from Florida to just north of Venezuela. Mr. Martinez said it is an impressive sight to see the Eagle sailing along with other great tall ships of the world.

The ship has an intriguing history. She was built in Germany in 1936 for cadet training purposes. After World War II, she became a war prize for the United States and was sailed from Germany to New York city in 1946, when she was commissioned into the Coast Guard.

“It took them five months to retrofit her,” for the trip across the Atlantic the officer said. “She was built by the Germans, who by the way, built the most beautiful ships in the world, in my opinion,” he said. A moment later he added that the United States makes great-looking ships as well.

“She [the Eagle] has been doing her work for the Coast Guard for 65 years. She served in the Nazi Navy for 10 years, so out of her 75-year history she has been sailing and training for the United States Coast Guard for 65 years. I think that is phenomenal,” Mr. Martinez said.

Bernie Holzer of West Tisbury asked the officer to describe the ship’s best run.

“Our primary means of travel is by sail. We were green before green was cool. We can do 17.5 knots,” Mr. Martinez said. “Last summer going from New London to Puerto Rico, the winds were perfect. In a six-hour run we made 16.5 knots. Imagine a ship of 1,816 tons of steel being powered by the wind. The sails were trimmed perfectly. It was a straight line.”

Asked how many women are in the crew, he said about a quarter of the crew are women. “Any job can be handled by a man or woman, there is no distinction,” Mr. Martinez said.

Looking ahead to summer, Mr. Martinez said the Eagle will travel to Europe in May to attend a 75th anniversary celebration in Hamburg, Germany, with other sister ships and then head back to the United States. She is scheduled to arrive in Boston on July 25, and in New Bedford on July 29. “Hopefully, you will see us around the end of July and beginning of August,” Mr. Martinez said.

As part of the program, Vineyard woodcarver Joe Uranker told the audience that he was commissioned by the Coast Guard to do the stern board and restore the figurehead for the Eagle almost 10 years ago.

The Sail Martha’s Vineyard dinner series began three years ago and has attracted a steady following during the cold winter months. Each dinner includes a talk with a maritime theme.

The next featured speaker will be Dyer Jones, executive director of the Herreshoff Maritime Museum in Bristol, R.I. The dinner will take place Wednesday, March 23 at the Black Dog Tavern.