The Tall Ships are visiting Boston Harbor July 8^th – 13^th under the banner of Sail Boston 2009.

If you went in 2008 then you know what a wonderful event this is for all the family – and if you didn’t…

well make time this week or at the weekend to check out one of the great tall ships displays along the east coast in 2009, and see schooners from around the world.

With the current economy there were political whispers that it may not happen this year, and my understanding is there was some serious negotiations with the city required keeping it alive, but it is here and it all begins on July 8^th.

The Tall Ships fleet consists of many types of schooner rigs from not only the U.S. but from Brazil, Uruguay, France, Canada, Barbados, Netherlands, U.K., Russia, Ireland, Argentina, Portugal and Belgium. The variety of sails is what makes this such a special event. Each ship and rig is unique and it’s a wonder to look at them how they traversed the open ocean and its mighty storms and survived.

The ships will be docked at various points around Boston Harbor. The public viewing ships include:

Amistad, Eagle, Picton Castle, LeEithne and Spirit of Bermuda at Charlestown Navy Yard Pier 1 and 4.

At Fish Pier you’ll find Sagres, Mircea, Captain Miranda and Cisne Branco, all waiting for your inspection.

And Concordia, Libertad, and Kruzenshtern are docked at the Seaport World Trade Center.

There are many privately docked Tall Ships at Fan Pier and Rowes Wharf, and at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina and at Cottage Park Yacht Club. You should take time out to visit these as well and take you camera to capture these links to our past before they disappear.

Boston Harbor Cruises is offering special harbor cruises leaving from their Long Wharf location – right next to the New England Aquarium, so you can get close up and different perspective of these marvelous sea vessels. These will be popular and so plan to get there early.

In addition to visiting and touring the Tall Ships there are also special events going on around the city and harbor such as music concerts, festivals, and even a special crew and cadet soccer tournament UMass in Boston.

The Sail Boston 2009 event, along with the recent July 4^th Concert and Firework display on Boston signal the real start of the summer festivities in the city. It’s been a cool and damp early summer so far in New England, but with the arrival of the Tall Ships I sense a wind of change, and I urge you not to miss this opportunity to celebrate the heritage of Boston and New England with the ocean and it’s unique past with the Tall Ships.

I’ll be there and hope to see you there as well.

For lots more details on the ships and locations see the official Sail Boston web site at www.sailboston.com

Boston is the most historic city in the U.S. to visit and yet it is small and very easy to walk around and see lots. For more suggestions and ideas for things to see check out our special Boston destinations page here and for tons of free things to do in Boston click here.

Another New England post by one of our writers is being prepared right now so be sure to visit again or just subscribe to our RSS Feed here and get notified automatically of events and news.

Cliff Calderwood
Publisher
New England Online Magazine

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