The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is the star of this year’s festival, which will also feature the two-masted schooner Ernestina-Morrissey and the three-masted schooner Denis Sullivan.
The all-volunteer nonprofit Sail Portsmouth presents the annual tall ships festival.
“The festival’s planning process has gone really well. Because of the dedication and effort of so many, every detail is in order,” said Robin Comstock, a member of the Sail Portsmouth board of directors. “All of our approximately 120 volunteers have extraordinary experience they bring to the festival. They care deeply about our community and simply have a passion and a deep appreciation for our maritime history, and what our community will be in the future because of our connection to the sea.”
Sail Portsmouth works closely each year with the New Hampshire Port Authority to stage the festival and determine the timing of the Parade of Sail according to the tides.
“Hats off with gratitude to the staff of the Port, who are exceptional at all that they do, while being tremendously supportive of this event.” Comstock added.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 Sail Portsmouth festival:
When will the tall ships arrive?
The Parade of Sail on Friday, July 26 kicks off the festival. The three tall ships will begin their sail up the Piscataqua River at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday and are expected to arrive in the downtown Portsmouth area at about 11:15 a.m. Portsmouth’s own tall ship, the Gundalow Portsmouth, will accompany them as will a flotilla of civilian and commercial fishing boats, recreational boaters, municipal fire boats and military craft. All local boaters are invited to join in the Parade of Sail and encouraged to gather early at the mouth of the river to participate.
In past years, some of the ships have arrived the day before the Parade of Sail. The Ernestina-Morrissey will be offering two-hour sails to the public this Thursday, July 25, from the University of New Hampshire pier in New Castle so you may see that schooner as early as Wednesday and definitely on Thursday from shore. The Eagle may be docked off the coast and may be able to be seen from the shorelines of New Castle and Rye on Thursday and most likely will be on Friday morning. On past visits, it arrived the day before the festival and was easy to see from New Castle Common and Odiorne Point.
Where can I watch the Parade of Sail?
The Parade of Sail will begin at the mouth of the Piscataqua River and proceed up the river into Portsmouth Harbor and will be visible anywhere along the banks of the river. Ships will begin to gather at 9 a.m. and the whole procession should wrap up by 11:30 a.m. Good places to watch from are New Castle's Great Island Common, Fort McClary State Park in Kittery, Prescott Park of Portsmouth, the decks of restaurants along Bow Street and on Ceres Street in Portsmouth, along the shore of Badger’s Island in Kittery, and on either side of the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth and Kittery.
Where will the tall ships be during the festival?
The Parade of Sail will end at the Memorial Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery. The Eagle will go under the Memorial Bridge and sail to its berth at the Port of New Hampshire. The Ernestina-Morrissey and the Denis Sullivan will turn around at the bridge and head to their berths at the University of New Hampshire pier in New Castle. The Denis Sullivan will leave on Saturday for its one-way sail to Boston.
Can I sail on a tall ship?
You can buy a ticket to sail on a tall ship. Tickets are still available for the two-hour sails on the Ernestina-Morrissey from Thursday through Sunday. The rides on the Ernestina-Morrissey and the M/V Shining Star in the Parade of Sail are all sold out so you’ll have to find a ride with one of the recreational or commercial boaters that will be participating in it. The one-way, one-day sail to Boston on the Denis Sullivan is also sold out. Those interested in the two-hour sails must purchase tickets online in advance at sailportsmouth.org.
Can I tour a tall ship?
The public will be able to tour the Eagle during the festival. The Eagle will be open for free tours from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 26, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28. Be prepared to wait in line as crowds are expected. The Eagle will be berthed at the Port of Portsmouth’s Market Street Terminal, 555 Market St. A dockside Maritime Tent will also be located at the Market Street Terminal during the tours. There’ll be exhibitor and educational booths, live music, a DJ and other entertainment, food for purchase, and you may even meet a pirate or two among other historical re-enactors.
Where can I park for tall ship tours in Portsmouth?
Parking in Portsmouth's Foundry Place or High-Hanover parking garages is strongly recommended. Parking is on a first-come, first-served basis and regular rates apply.
There will be three 20-passenger shuttle vans transporting festival-goers from those garages on a route to the berth where the Eagle will be located every 20 minutes on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To see the route the shuttles will take, visit portsnh.co/sailshuttle24.
The shuttles will drop off and pick up visitors at the Granite State Minerals entrance on Market Street, which is a short walk away from where the Eagle will be located.
There will not be shuttles available during the two hours the Eagle is open for tours on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.
“Shuttle Stop” signs will designate where the shuttle will pick up visitors.
At mid-day, each shuttle driver will take a staggered 30-minute lunch break, so the 20-minute schedule will get a little extended during that time.
Where will ADA accessible parking be available?
There is limited ADA-accessible parking at the Market Street Terminal where the Eagle will be berthed. If you have a tag that indicates you require ADA-accessible parking, present it at the security gate and they will know if any spaces are available at that time.
Both the Foundry Place and High-Hanover garages have ADA-accessible parking at regular paid rates. It is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
One of the three shuttle vans will be ADA-accessible. Visitors who require the ADA-accessible van can let any of the shuttle drivers know, and they will do their best to accommodate them as soon as possible.
What is the history of the tall ships coming to Portsmouth?
The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is a 295-foot, three-masted barque used as a training vessel for future officers of the Coast Guard. Known as “America’s Tall Ship,” the Eagle is the largest tall ship flying under the American flag and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service. It has 23 sails, and its tallest mast is 150 feet high. It has six miles of rigging. It requires a working crew of 55 and can carry 239 people. It was built at the Blohm+Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany in 1936, and commissioned as Horst Wessel. It was one of three sail-training ships operated by the German navy before World War II. At the close of the war, the U.S. took possession of the ship as a war and recommissioned it as the Eagle, which has been home-ported in New London, Connecticut ever since. Its primary mission is training cadets and officer candidates, but it also performs a public relations role for the Coast Guard and America. It welcomes public visits during domestic port calls, and makes calls at foreign ports as a floating goodwill ambassador.
The Denis Sullivan is a replica three-masted, wooden, gaff rigged schooner originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was built in 2000 as a sail training classroom and was a flagship of both the state of Wisconsin and of the United Nations Environment Programme until she was sold to the World Ocean School and moved to Boston in late 2022. The Denis Sullivan is not a replica of a single ship, but was inspired by the design of the Great Lakes cargo schooners of the 19th century.
Ernestina-Morrissey: The schooner Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester, Massachusetts fishing fleet. It first served as a Gloucester Grand Banks fishing vessel, then as an Arctic explorer sailing to within 600 miles of the North Pole, and as a World War II survey and supply vessel. Between 1946 and 1965, she served as the last of Cabo Verde’s transatlantic packet ships, bringing immigrants to the U.S. The Republic of Cabo Verde gave the ship back to the United States as a gift in 1982, and she became a maritime education and ambassador. The Ernestina-Morrissey recently underwent a full restoration at the Boothbay Harbor/ Bristol Marine Shipyard in Maine.
Portsmouth summer 2024:Guide to festivals, music, shows, history, food, more
Where can I get more information?
You can visit sailportsmouth.org, email info@sailportsmouth.org or call 603-688-7437.
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