Tall Ships sail into Philly for five-day festival

A fleet of 11 masted wooden vessels made their way Thursday up the Delaware River under the DRPA's majestic bridges for this weekend's for Sail Philadelphia 2018 — a five-day festival celebrating the city's maritime history.

The festival offers nautical-themed programming and experiences, including landside views of the ships, tours, and sail-away cruises on the Delaware.

Visitors will be able to tour the Oliver Hazard Perry, out of Newport, R.I., the first oceangoing full-rigged ship built in the United States in 110 years; the Sagres, one of the international ships at the festival, which sailed from Lisbon; the Spirit of Bermuda, a training vessel modeled after the schooners constructed on the island during the 19th century; and the Lynx, based in Portsmouth, N.H., a topsail schooner modeled after a naval schooner from the War of 1812.

These vessels will make tours on the Delaware available: A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey's official tall ship, docked in Gloucester City; North Wind, which provides underserved students with an education outside traditional classrooms (it's also docked in Gloucester City); America 2.0, sailing from New York, built by Scarano Boat Building; When and If, also docked in New York, a schooner commissioned in 1939 by then-Col. George S. Patton; and the Thomas E. Lannon, a family-owned schooner based in Gloucester, Mass., that focuses on preserving the local fishing industry and the history of schooners.

On land, it's all about the maritime festival, complete with a Ferris wheel, funnel cake, carnival games, beer gardens, and the old-fashioned feel of a waterside celebration.