Tall ships will convene just across the water in Greenport this weekend
Just across the channel this weekend, Greenport is hosting the 2012 Tall Ships Challenge that is bringing seven tall ships to its harbor for a Tall Ships Festival and that local businesspeople hope draws thousands of tourists to the area.
The majority of the weekend’s events are free. In addition to the ships, six of which people can tour and one of which will be making passenger excursions, there will be 10 bands playing over the three days at two band stages, a variety of historical and nautical displays in Mitchell Park, three hospitality tents, andseveral sponsor tents and displays.
The Tall Ships Challenge, sponsored by Tall Ships America — a non-profit organization focused on youth education, leadership development and the preservation of the maritime heritage — is an annual sailing event that rotates on a three-year cycle between the Atlantic Coast, the Great Lakes and the Pacific Coast.
Greenport was also a host port in 2004. Each port makes its own arrangements for which of the tall ships will visit local waters.
The tall ships coming into Greenport Harbor for the festival, which begins Friday, May 25 and runs through Sunday, May 27, are the Picton-Castle from Nova Scotia; the Lynx, a replica of an 1812 warship based in Newport Beach, California; the Unicorn with an all-female crew from New Jersey; the Pride of Baltimore II from Maryland, modeled after a topsail schooner; the Roseway, a wooden schooner restored and listed on the National Historic Landmark Register and now operated by the World Ocean School, a non-profit educational organization based in Camden, Maine; the Summerwind, a schooner ship belonging tot he U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point; and the Bounty, a replica of the English ship made famous in the film “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
Greenport is the Bounty’s home port, although the ship spends little time in the harbor there, primarily returning for special events such as the Tall Ships Challenge.
At 10 p.m. Friday night, there will be a fireworks display planned for Greenport Harbor. The East End Seaport Museum will be open for its exhibit called “Tattoo Lou’s Airbrush Tattoos” and will also be offering excursions and a tour of Long Beach Bar “Bug” Lighthouse for $30 for members or Southold residents and $35 per person for others. Children and teens will be charged $25.
Tickets to visit the ships can be purchased at ticket booths at the Long Island Rail Road Museum or in Mitchell Park at the Zamboni building and the marina office. The fee is $15 for adults; $10 for seniors and veterans; and $5 for children, ages 3-5. Those under 3 are free. The tickets will provide access to all the boats except the Roseway, which will be offering excursions on Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m.; and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.. There’s a separate fee for the excursions of $65 for adults, $55 for seniors and active military and $35 for children 12 and under. For reservations, call (866) 446-5969 or visit privateerlynx.com.
While grant money was available back in 2004 then to offset the costs of hosting the ships, this year Greenport Village officials are relying on small sponsorships and ticket fees to cover the anticipated $130,0000 it’s costing to bring the ships into port.
Despite the economic turndown that has made it a struggle to attract sponsors, Mayor David Nyce said hosting would be a boon to local businesses and he predicted that sufficient revenues would result in break-even situation for the village.
The starting point for this year’s Tall Ships Challenge sail was Savannah, Georgia, from May 3-7. After Greenport, the Tall Ships Challenge will be headed to Newport, Rhode Island, for an Ocean State Tall Ships Festival July 6-9 and then Halifax, Nova Scotia July 19-23.
