Dates Of Event June 17-22, 2017
Location: Boston, MA
Cost: Free (if you take a cruise out to see to the boats as I did fees would apply. It costs $35 for adults and $30 for seniors. Children and students also get reduced rates)
Parking: Due to the increase in visitors (they are expecting 2 million or more people) parking is limited. The closest public transportation station is South Station on the Red line of the MBTA (fares are reduced for this period of time while people visit the event)
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes
Highlights: tall ships from all over the world in Boston Harbor
Website: Sail Boston
Normally, when we see foreign boats in our harbor, it would be cause for alarm, especially given our past. But, this group of ships from all over the world came in peace.
Millions have been predicted to descend upon Boston as we celebrate Sail Boston 2017.
To avoid the crowds and get a better view of the ships, I decided to book a boat on Mass Bay Lines to cruise by these majestic ships. The boat was comfortable, wecould roam around the boat to get better views and we got so close to some of the freighters that we could wave and even shout to the crews on the boats. In fact, some people on our boat shouted greetings in the language of the crew based on their point of origin. I highly recommend taking a boat cruise if you plan on going to Sail Boston before the ships leave Thursday.
Our boat, The Freedom was docked at Rowes Wharf in the heart of the seaport district.
The views leaving the pier were beautiful.
The first ship we noticed was the Europa.
From Netherlands, the Europa has a steel hull and has a rig height of 33 meters. It was built in 1911.
When the ships did not have their sails up, it was difficult to identify them. Someone did announce the names of the ships as we passed by them. But, it was hard to hear him at times and it was also hard to keep track of them all. I think this is Thomas E. Lannon, a 93 foot schooner from Gloucester, MA. It was built in 1997.
This is the Esmeralda, the pride of the Chilean Navy. Check out the condor on the figurehead. To show just how different the ships look with and without their sails up, look at the photo below from the Sail Boston website. Big difference. Oh yeah, and their photography might be a little bit more professional. Just a little though.
The Oliver Hazard Perry from Newport, RI, is a baby compared to most of the other ships from the Tall Ships festival. It was built in 2016.
Again, it looks much more impressive with its sails raised.
Alert is a 70 foot schooner from Bailey Island, Maine. It has a wood hull and it was built in 1992. I was able to get the ship in various stages of dress.
The Adirondack III is an 80 foot schooner from Boston, MA. It was built in 1997 and it has a wood hull.
The Schooner Adventure is from Gloucester, MA. It was built in 1926 and it is 122 feet long.
When and If is another 80 foot schooner. It is from Key West, Florida and it was built in 1939.
The Formidable is a brigantine from Boston, MA. It is 72 feet long and was built in 2000.
I was hoping to see more ships, especially with their full sails on. But, I still think we saw a variety of pretty ships and boats. What really caught my eyes was the buildings and structures against the ships and boats in the harbor.
These kayakers may have had the best views. But, I think being dry on the boat was better for taking photographs.
Dogs like the tall ships also! Cole, an 8 year old poodle, and his mom came by to view the tall ships.
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New England Nomad 
June 21st, 2017 at 4:40 am
I love the tall ships!! We don’t get the big ones like that out here on the west coast. Great shots!
On Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 9:24 PM, New England Nomad wrote:
> New England Nomad posted: “Dates Of Event June 17-22, 2017 Location: > Boston, MA Cost: Free (if you take a cruise out to see to the boats as I > did fees would apply. It costs $35 for adults and $30 for seniors. > Children and students also get reduced rates) Parking: Due to the in” >
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June 21st, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Thank you! They don’t come by here very often. So, I had to go see them while I can!
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June 21st, 2017 at 5:42 am
Lovely collection.
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June 21st, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Thank you Jacqueline!
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June 21st, 2017 at 7:01 am
What beautiful ships! Ten years ago in Cornwall I met an old man who had worked on sailing ships in the 1930s, sailing between California and Chile. It sounded very spectacular but I suspect it was hard work to raise or lower those sails when the wind was strong!
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June 21st, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Yes, it must be very hard to raise the sails and navigate those ships, particularly since we can get some rough waters this way! Thank you!
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June 21st, 2017 at 10:39 am
Great pictures! These ships are amazing. I love the ships with the big sails. I would like the chance to see one of them sailing and unfurling the sails as they move through the water.
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June 21st, 2017 at 1:36 pm
Thank you, Brenda! Yes, they really are beautiful! It is fun to see them raising the sails and gracefully sailing along the water.
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June 21st, 2017 at 11:29 am
Great post and photos!
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June 21st, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Thank you, Ann!
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June 25th, 2017 at 10:43 pm
Loved that you got to go on a cruise to see many of the ships much closer! I’ll have to remember that if there was a next time for me, though the views from east boston weren’t bad at all for free seating 😉
https://alwaysalfresco.com/2017/06/25/sail-boston-grand-parade-of-sail-2017/
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June 25th, 2017 at 11:49 pm
Thank you Valerie. I stopped by your post. Well done!
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June 26th, 2017 at 12:04 am
Thanks so much!!! That means a lot!
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June 26th, 2017 at 12:09 am
You’re very welcome! Keep up the good work!
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June 26th, 2017 at 11:23 pm
Informative and I thank you,
Shoko
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June 27th, 2017 at 1:35 am
Thank you!
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July 10th, 2017 at 9:23 pm
What about Old Ironsides?
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July 11th, 2017 at 1:14 am
Good point. Lloyd. I must have missed that one. She is a pretty ship.
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July 11th, 2017 at 1:24 am
I visited Boston once in my life back in the 1970s and one of my goals was to visit Old Ironsides. As a child, I’d read about the ship’s exploits. Actually, it was the one thing I wanted to do the most while I was in Boston. When I arrived, I discovered to my disappointment, that the ship was closed for renovations. :o(
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