Photo by: Andrew Hanna
Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware's Tall Ship, is shown with all flags flying.


Kalmar Nyckel, Tall Ship of Delaware, departed Wilmington May 15 for a stop in Lewes followed by visits to Portsmouth and Cape Charles, Va., and Solomons Island, Md., before returning to her home port of Wilmington in late June - just in time for the second annual Wilmington Pirate Festival Saturday, June 30, at Tubman-Garrett Park.
During her stay in Lewes, Kalmar Nyckel will be hosting school groups for education tours as well as offering public sails from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, May 17 and 18. Friday’s sunset sail will be the first Pirate Sail of the season in Lewes.
The ship will participate in OpSail 2012 Virginia and will be berthed in Portsmouth the weekend of June 8-10. She will then head to Cape Charles, boarding passengers June 12 for the Parade of Sail up the Chesapeake, a six-hour sail with the other tall ships, many of which will be continuing on to Baltimore, Md. Kalmar Nyckel will return to Cape Charles for public sails the weekend of June 15 and to Solomons Island for sails the weekend of June 22. Public sails will be offered in Wilmington on the Christina River July 1-15. The Wilmington Pirate Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 30.
Kalmar Nyckel is an authentic re-creation of a 17th century Dutch-built vessel, one of America’s pioneering tall ships that brought some of the earliest permanent settlers to the Colonies. The ship’s historical accuracy reflects the sailing methodology of the early 1600s, which passengers can experience for themselves. The ship has eight sails, eight miles of rigging and a crew of dedicated volunteer sailors to make the trip exciting for all.
“A sail on the Kalmar Nyckel is a unique way to learn about the ship's maritime and cultural history as well as experience what it is really like to sail a tall ship,” said Catherine Parsells, Kalmar Nyckel Foundation executive director.
Voted Best Living History Lesson by Delaware Today magazine in 2011, Kalmar Nyckel serves as a vital education resource for schools and the community. In the last two years, the ship has hosted more than 5,800 students for its ship and shipyard education programs.
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a volunteer-based organization, with more than 300 active volunteers. These volunteers contribute on average 40,000 hours per year to maintain and sail the ship as well as serve as program educators.
The original Kalmar Nyckel sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638, leaving her passengers to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley at Fort Christina in present-day Wilmington. Because of her historical accuracy, Kalmar Nyckel was featured last year in National Geographic Television’s “Return of the Ghost Ship,” which aired in 124 countries around the world. This documentary explored a ghost ship from the 1630s found intact at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
To celebrate the beginning of this year’s sailing season, the foundation is offering the opportunity for passengers to buy three tickets and get one free for the sails in Lewes May 17 and 18. Tickets are $60/adult and $40/child and depart from Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal dock.
For tickets and more information for all sails except for the Parade of Sail in Cape Charles, contact the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation office at 302-429-7447 (toll free at 866-659-7447) orwww.kalmarnyckel.org.
For the Parade of Sail up the Chesapeake from Cape Charles, go to tallshipscapecharles.com/about-opsail-2012r.../event-schedule. Tickets are $200 per person for the six-hour excursion and include a box lunch.
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