Explore the vessels of the 2016 Tall Ships Erie festival
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Sept. 8, 2016 during the 2016 Tall Ships Erie festival.
Ready to sail into your weekend? Are your plans looking ship shape? A boatload of fun awaits at the Tall Ships Erie festival, held Sept. 8 - Sept. 11, 2016.
Nine majestic tall ships, led by Erie's own U.S. Brig Niagara, will launch the festival Thursday with a 4 p.m. Parade of Sail from Lake Erie into Presque Isle Bay.
The festival flotilla includes brigantines, schooners and the first Erie appearance of El Galeon, a reproduction of a 16th century Spanish galleon, making its first voyage across the Great Lakes this summer.
So anchors aweigh. Here's a rundown on each vessel.
U.S. Brig Niagara
The Niagara is a reproduction of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's victorious vessel from the War of 1812's Battle of Lake Erie.
Flag: U.S.
Homeport: Erie
Normal cruising waters: Great Lakes and connecting waters
Built: 1988 in Erie
Sparred length: 198 feet
Website: flagshipniagara.org
Denis Sullivan
The Denis Sullivan, a replica of a Great Lakes schooner, is captained by Erie native Tiffany Krihwan.
Flag: U.S.
Homeport: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Normal cruising waters: The Great Lakes, Florida and Bahamas
Built: 2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sparred length: 137 feet
Website: discoveryworld.org
El Galeon
El Galeon, a reconstruction of a 16th-century Spanish galleon, sails throughout the world teaching Spanish maritime history.
Flag: Spain
Homeport: Seville, Spain
Normal cruising waters: Worldwide
Built: 2009-10 in Huelva, Spain
Sparred length: 170 feet
Website: fundacionnaovictoria.org
Pathfinder
The Pathfinder, a brigantine, was designed and built in 1963 as a sail-training vessel.
Flag: Canada
Homeport: Toronto, Canada
Normal cruising waters: The Great Lakes
Built: 1963 in Kingston, Ontario
Sparred length: 72 feet
Website: torontobrigantine.org
Playfair
This brigantine is the sister ship of the Pathfinder. Both vessels were christened by Queen Elizabeth II.
Flag: Canada
Homeport: Toronto, Canada
Normal cruising waters: The Great Lakes
Built: 1973 in Kingston, Onatario
Sparred length: 72 feet
Website: torontobrigantine.org
Pride of Baltimore II
The Pride of Baltimore II is a reconstruction of a 19th-century Baltimore schooner.
Flag: U.S.
Homeport: Baltimore, Maryland
Normal cruising waters: East and Gulf coasts, Canada, the Great Lakes and Europe
Built: 1987-88 in Baltimore, Maryland
Sparred length: 157 feet
Website: pride2.org
Mist of Avalon
The Mist of Avalon was built in 1967 as a fishing boat and was originally named the Liverpool Bay. After 20 years of cod fishing off the banks of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the vessel was left abandoned in 1987 at a Halifax pier. In the early 1990s, the ship was converted into a 19th century Grand Banks schooner and renamed as the Mist of Avalon in 1997.
Flag: Canada
Homeport: Toronto, Canada
Normal cruising waters: The Great Lakes
Built: 1967 in Nova Scotia, Canada
Sparred length: 100 feet
Website: mistofavalon.org
Appledore IV
Appledore IV is a schooner operated by BaySail, a nonprofit in Bay City, Michigan.
Flag: U.S.
Homeport: Bay City, Michigan
Normal cruising waters: Saginaw Bay and the Great Lakes
Built: 1989 in Palm Coast, Florida
Sparred length: 85 feet
Website: baysailbaycity.org
When and If
When and If was commissioned in 1939 by U.S. Gen. George Patton and remained in the Patton family until 1972.
Flag: U.S.
Homeport: New York City
Normal cruising waters: East Coast and the Great Lakes
Built: 1939 in Wiscasset, Maine
Sparred length: 83 feet
Website: sailwhenandif.com
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 2016 Tall Ships Erie festival: Explore the vessels
