Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware, is returning to Greenport next month.
The ship last docked in the village as part of the Tall Ships of America festival in 2015.
“We’re very excited to return because it’s a beautiful seaport and we know there’s a lot of people that enjoy maritime history and sailing and just the fun of being on the water,” said Jan Ross, director of marketing and public relations for Kalmar Nyckel Foundation.
The ship’s second trip to Greenport was made possible through a partnership with East End Seaport Museum. The ship will be sailing daily from the Third Street museum from Thursday, August 4 through Sunday, August 7.
“Welcoming the Kalmar Nyckel, with its education mission and rich history, to our waterfront village is a thrill,” said Tracey Orlando, interim director of the East End Seaport Museum. “It’s a great opportunity for the public to sail and tour, and for the museum to partner on membership programs.”
The ship is a full-scale replica of the Swedish merchant ship that landed in present day Wilmington in 1638 to establish the colony of New Sweden, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley, according to a press release by the foundation.
“We’ll poke our noses out into Gardeners Bay and sail the ship around and enjoy the sort of 17th century, pace and technology and the teamwork involved in making this huge thing sail,” Captain Lauren Morgans said. “Guests are more than welcome to help us out with handling line if they want to get a chance to try out pulling rope.”
Captian Morgans said the crew coming to Greenport will be made up of about 24 people. Guests will have the opportunity to ask them about their experience on the ship.
“They’re a really interesting group of people,” she said. “They all have kind of other lives, careers … they are regular people who also do this really interesting thing in their spare time. So that’s something that I really recommend if people come visit the ship that they take some time to chat with the crew.”
The replica ship, also known as “Delaware’s Mayflower,” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer with appearances in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. She will voyage over 2,400 nautical miles throughout the mid-Atlantic.
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, the non-profit organization that built, owns and operates the ship, is an educational organization with a crew of 200 trained volunteers who help maintain, sail and teach programs.
It provides educational field trips, classroom programs, festivals and events for all ages throughout the year.
Sailing tickets aboard Kalmar Nyckel are $65 for adults and $40 for anyone under 12. It is recommended you buy in advance.