Tall Ship Celebration

Today I realized one of my longtime dreams....climbing aboard an ancient tall ship (or at least a replica thereof).  I know that sounds a bit out of character for me but I've had a fascination with tall ships for over a decade and have never been near one until today.  We drove the 2.5 hour trek down to Bay City this morning where the Tall Ship Celebration was in full swing on the Saginaw River.  The line to purchase tickets was incredibly long so, thanks to some quick thinking, we ordered e-tickets on my phone and were in within minutes.   We were given an armband and an Official Passport listing each ship along with her statistics and her story.  Once aboard the ship, your passport gets stamped by the official.

So, we were naturally drawn to the most magnificent ship in the harbor, the El Galeon which is a  Spanish galleon hailing from, well, Spain, of course.  She is a replica of a 16th century galleon and the only one in the world still sailing.  When the ships approached the harbor on Thursday, their sails were drawn down so the pictures do not reflect their pure beauty.  The line to board her was a 3 to 4 hour wait...what a disappointment.  This was our first rodeo so we didn't know that you needed to get there when the gates opened, then have a foot race with hundreds of others to get in line to board her.  Oh well, lesson learned.

El Galeon

So, we chose to get in a more reasonable line to see the Pride of Baltimore II which is a reproduction of an 1812 era Baltimore Clipper.  Her famous captain was Thomas Boyle, a notorious pirate who sailed to the British Isles, harassed the British merchant fleet and sank or captured 17 British vessels.  She was a beauty and we finally got our passport stamped.

Pride of Baltimore

Pride of Baltimore

While walking along the river to see the next ship, we noticed a couple of charter boats on the river, the Islander and Princess Wenonah where the passengers were getting a close-up view of the ships.  Hmm....what a capital idea!  So, we set out to the charter boat dock and bought tickets for the 3:00 cruise.  Not bad, the 2:00 cruise had just left, so on only an hour wait.  We found a place to sit by the water, wait and rest our weary bones.

 

When and If

On the way to the charter boat, we passed the When and If, an Alden schooner out of New York, NY commissioned by General George S. Patton in 1939.  Her name is attributed to Patton's quote "when the war is over, and if I live through it, my wife, Bea, and I are going to sail her around the world".  Patton died in 1945 and, unfortunately, did not fulfill his dream.

The Islander

Veterans Memorial Bridge

We boarded the Islander at 3:30 as it was running a bit late but we were 7th and 8th in line so we got a front row seat on the starboard side of the upper deck....best seats on the boat.  The Veterans Memorial Bridge opens up each time the Islander and Princess Wenonah passed through and a wave to the (female) bridge operator gets you a wave back.  What a difference this made, we could almost reach out and touch the ships.

Denis Sullivan

The Denis Sullivan's homeport is Milwaukee, WI and is an classified as a 3-Masted Schooner.  She serves as an educational sailing vessel in the Great Lakes region teaching learners of all ages and she summers in South FL.

Draken Harald Harfagre

The Draken Harald is a Single-masted Viking Longship hailing from Norway and is a spectacular site with 25 pairs of oars and recognizable dragon head.  Don't mistake the red and white canopy in the background for a sail, it's a refreshment tent...makes for a pretty picture though.

Draken Harald

She also has an interesting dinghy which was being launched just as we were passing.

Draken Harald Dinghy

Madeline

The Madeline hails from right here in Traverse City and is a Gaff Topsail Schooner.  She is a reconstruction of a 19th century Great Lakes schooner and an official tall ship of MI.

Pathfinder

The Pathfinder is a Brigantine from Toronto, Canada.  She was the original vessel of a charitable organization founded in 1962 to develop leadership, discipline and citizenship in a maritime environment.

Playfair

The Playfair joined the Toronto Brigantine in 1974.  She was christened in 1973 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and is the only Canadian ship to be commissioned by a reining monarch.

Appledore IV and V

The celebration was on both sides of the river with a total of 13 ships plus, for $50 pp, you could sail on the Appledore IV or Applendore V. 

These two  schooners are owned and operated by  a non-profit organization in Bay City and their mission is to "foster environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay watershed and the Great Lakes ecosystem and to provide personal development opportunities for learners of all ages through shipboard and land-based educational experiences".

The Islander made two passes around all of the ships and this was the delight of the day.  Good close-up views, good pictures, good weather, etc and all for a $15 ride.  Here is a view of the crowd crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge and of the celebration.

Crowd crossing the Bridge

Tall Ship Celebration

Got home around 8:00 after a long, tiring day but what a delightful day for me, not so sure about George. I want to thank him for being the patient, wonderful  husband and traveling companion that he his, and for sharing this adventure with me and making my dream come true....love you to the moon and back!