Tall Ships America pitches bicentennial visits to Maine port communities
Courtesy / Tall Ships America
In 2015, Portland hosted a fleet of Tall Ships, seen here during their parade of sail. Tall Ships America is reaching out to smaller Maine ports about hosting vessels for the state’s bicentennial this year.
Tall Ships America, a Newport, R.I.-based nonprofit that promotes the historic craft, is discussing potential visits with at least a half dozen Maine communities as part of the state’s bicentennial.
Boothbay Harbor has contracted for visits by three or four Tall Ships from June 25 until the morning of June 29, the association’s Erin Short told Mainebiz. The vessels will be open for public boarding during their stay.
The association is also in discussions with Castine, Searsport, Bucksport, Bath and Wiscasset, she said.
In December, the Rockland City Council voted to authorize the city manager to enter into a host agreement with Tall Ships America.
But the agreement hasn’t been executed yet, Thomas Peaco, executive director of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce and a member of the planning committee, told Mainebiz. The formal decision whether to host a ship will be made by the planning committee, which includes representatives from the city council, local businesses, the chamber and Rockland Main Street, as well as captains of the local windjammer fleet.
“The planning committee for this event has been inactive over the holidays, but will soon be reconvening to finalize plans for Rockland's role in the Maine Bicentennial celebration,” Peaco said via email.
Tall Ships America was last in Maine in 2015, when Portland was the host port.
“This year we’re focusing on Maine because of the bicentennial, and on bringing in additional ports that normally wouldn’t necessarily be part of our overall series,” said Short of Tall Ships America. “We wanted to bring the Tall Ships to events in additional smaller communities to highlight Maine’s maritime history.”
A tall ship is a traditionally rigged commercial sailing vessel, she explained. While there's no size requirement, member ships range from 45 feet to 300 feet. An example of smaller Tall Ship is one that’s 60 feet long and has three masts, each mast with three sails. Most member vessels are U.S.-based; others come from Canada, the European Union and even the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
The association has about 250 member vessels that perform a variety of functions.
“Some take passengers out for day sails or for longer voyages,” Short said. “Some sail around the world. Some are focused on environmental education, work with schoolchildren and take school groups out for day sails or camps. Some vessels sail to Antarctica every year. Several ships are ambassadors for their state, like the Pride of Baltimore for Maryland.
"Ultimately, what they’re doing is maintaining maritime traditions, teaching people about ocean stewardship and reconnecting people to the sea.”
The association acts as an advocate for the tall ship community and sponsors the Tall Ships Challenge, an annual series of tall ship races and maritime port festivals, she said.
The association focuses on one coast at a time, she said. Last year, tall ship events were held in the Great Lakes.
Maine is home to many tall ships, including those in the Rockland and Camden windjammer fleets.
The association works closely with local communities to ensure the success of events.
“It’s a way to highlight the waterfront,” she said. “Tall Ships coming in highlights that these are working waterfront communities. These vessels didn’t get trucked in. They sailed in and they’re crewed by professional sailors. You walk onboard and talk with crew and touch these ships built 200 year ago. They’re touching history. It’s a way to bring history to life.”
Tall ship visits also provide economic benefits to host ports by attracting visitors. Last year’s visits around the Great Lakes were conducted in conjunction with festivals in a variety of ports. Small communities of some 20,000 to 30,000 people saw as many as 50,000 visitors attracted by the ships.
Visitors are “not only driving to smaller communities that might not have necessarily been on their tourism radar but, because the tall ships are there, people drive four, five, six hours to spend the weekend and spend money,” she said.
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