The Friendship at Portsmouth Harbor Light

The Friendship at Portsmouth Harbor Light, originally uploaded by cheezfud.

The Friendship eases into the harbor just as the fog is lifting. Taken from Great Island Common - Julie Powers, Hampton, NH

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Tall Ships in Portsmouth

The Piscataqua Maritime Commission (PMC) and Grimmel Industries are proud to announce the schedule of events for the 2008 Tall Ships visit to Portsmouth, dates are August 15-17 at the State Pier, 555 Market Street in Portsmouth.

The festivities start with the Parade of Ships commencing at about 10:45 am from Buoy 2KR in the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor. The Tall Ships will be escorted by two fireboats with their hoses spraying and a flotilla of private yachts. Anyone interested in having a boat in the Parade call 603-431-7447. Best viewing of the boat parade is from Newcastle Common, or Four Tree Island and Prescott Park in Portsmouth.

The docking at the State Pier and welcoming ceremonies are open to the public starting at 11:00. Governor John Lynch and others will welcome the ships to Portsmouth.

Public ship tours are from 1:30-5:30 on Friday, and 10-5:30 Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $8 per person and $25 for an immediate family group.

The first ship is the Friendship – a 171’ fully rigged ship, a replica of a late 1700’s New England East Indiaman trading vessel. There will be tours above and below decks, and the ship is handicapped-accessible. Don’t miss this rare and beautiful ship.

The second is the Roseway – an original 137- foot 1925 Grand Banks private fishing schooner built in New England. It served as a Boston Harbor pilot boat from the 40’s to the 70’s, where she was retired and joined the Windjammer Fleet. In 1977 she was the start of a movie: Captains Courageous. Today, after 78 years of continuous service, she is one of the last Grand Banks schooners in existence. In 1997 she was named a National Historic Landmark, a living piece of New England maritime history.

Next is the Gundalow, a replica of an 1800’s Piscataqua River Barge. Gundalows were used to carry freight between ocean going schooners, which could not navigate the shallow rivers in the area, and the growing towns in the region. Carrying up to 50 tons of cargo and sometimes measuring more than 70-feet long and 19-feet wide, gundalows were the equivalent of today’s tractor-trailer rigs. These gundalows, the large ones drawing only 4 feet of water when fully loaded, had a spoon-bow, a round stern and a stump mast to carry the 70 square yards of its massive lateen sail. Docents from the UNH Marine Dept will be on hand to walk small groups through the both ships and discuss their history.

Finally, open to the public for the first time, is the new Portsmouth Fire Boat. There will be tours of the boat, and demonstrations of the equipment and talks about the newest addition to the Fire Department. Come see this beautiful 40-oot fire-fighting tool.

The UNH Docents Sea Shanty group will sing sea shanties along with the Dog Watch Singers. The Underbelly Tours will be there to entertain and converse with attendees.

Saturday night the PMC will have the Captain’s Reception under the tent dockside. The public is invited. Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are required. Call 431-SHIP to make your reservations.

Free Parking is at the Bethany Church on Market Street, the Albacore Parking lot, the City of Portsmouth Public Parking Garage and there is limited parking at the State Pier. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather, whatever it will be.
All during the festivities there will be exhibits under the tent all related to the maritime history of the region. Come and enjoy these educational exhibits for FREE!