Take a trip on a sailing ship: Tall Ship the Kalmar Nyckel is in our waters

The tall ship Kalmar Nyckel is in Greenport,  a nod to the village’s maritime history when merchant and whaling vessels dotted the harbor. 

The ship, which arrived July 22, will be here until Sunday, Aug. 3, offering two-and-a-half-hour day and evening sails during that period, as well as free deck tours on Sat. Aug. 2, from 3-7 p.m. 

The Kalmar Nyckel is the official tall ship of Delaware and is a full-scale replica of the original vessel, a Swedish war ship which sailed in the 1638 expedition that founded the colony of New Sweden, now Delaware. During its wartime career, it carried a crew of 55 men and 12 six-pounder cannons. In 1652, the ship was sunk defending the Dutch herring fleet in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland.

Today’s Kalmar Nyckel serves as an ambassador for the state and has a crew of trained volunteers who help maintain and sail the vessel, as well as presenting educational programs. The ship’s home base is the Copeland Maritime Center in Wilmington, Del., on the Christina River.

“People come to the ship to volunteer. They stay for the community,” says crew member Elaine Autry, from Wilmington. 

“I get to meet people I would never cross paths with,” said Chris Brooks, another Wilmington-based crew member. 

The two volunteers agreed that they love visiting Greenport. “People are friendly, the town is cute — there are lots of things to do,” says Ms. Autry. Mr. Brooks notes that “the East End Seaport Museum has been so helpful, and the ferries and the commercial boats are great … Greenport is a fantastic place to visit. It’s one of the crew’s favorite ports.” 

Laura and Craig Rosenberg of Greenport sailed on the ship last week. “It was a lot of fun … very educational,” Ms. Rosenberg said. “We enjoyed it, especially because we’re sailors.” Mr. Rosenberg added, “We helped raise and adjust the sails … it was very well-run and well-organized.”  

To reserve your tickets (which are going fast), book online on the Kalmar Nyckel’s website or by calling 302-429-7447. Tickets are $75 for adults and $40 for children ages 12 or younger. Sails and tours will be conducted on Greenport’s railroad dock; parking is available at 104 Fourth Street, adjacent to the East End Seaport Museum.

The ship’s 2025 schedule also includes visits to Provincetown, Mass.; historic New Castle, Del.; Chestertown, Md.; Norfolk, Va.; and Yorktown, Va.