Beautiful tall ships visit San Diego for Festival of Sail!
Masts of a few visiting tall ships during 2015 Festival of Sail, at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
The 2015 Festival of Sail is underway! The cool event runs through Labor Day and takes place on the Embarcadero at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. This morning I got some photos!
The popular festival, which is held every year in late summer, features a large gathering of beautiful tall ships. A few belong to the museum; others are visiting San Diego for this very special occasion.
Last year I wrote several detailed blogs and covered many of the tall ships which I saw again today. So this year I figured I’d just mosey from ship to ship, taking random photos, not worrying too much about jotting down gobs of information. Here’s the result…
The brig Pilgrim, approximate replica of the historic ship Richard Henry Dana sailed in, is visiting San Diego again for the annual tall ship festival.Visitors enjoy touring the deck of the Pilgrim on Sunday morning. It’s another sunny summer day on blue San Diego Bay!Ship’s navigation light and galley. Signs on the Pilgrim describe life on the sea a couple centuries ago, when Two Years Before the Mast was written by Dana.Kayaks on the smooth water cruise past a collection of very cool tall ships.Plaque on tall ship American Pride indicates that down below is the Captain’s Quarters.Close look at wooden steering wheel of the American Pride.Volunteer crew members of American Pride assembled on deck as their fine ship visits San Diego.Lion’s head decorates spar projecting from hull of topsail schooner Amazing Grace.A visitor at 2015 Festival of Sail in San Diego looks down into the cabin of Amazing Grace.A second floating dock and even more cool tall ships can be seen beyond Amazing Grace.Curious eyes peer below deck of the Bill of Rights, perhaps wondering what it would be like to live in very close quarters while at sea.Bill of Rights tall ship crew members were dressed in seafaring garb. This pirate had a collection of pistols and a small cannon on display.Star motif on a block used by a single rope in some complicated rigging. Masts of another nearby tall ship rise in the background.To step off the Bill of Rights one must walk the plank!Stern of Bill of Rights seen from rear deck of the brigantine Irving Johnson.Photo of ship’s cabin containing shelves of books, a globe and navigational charts.Friendly crew member on the Exy Johnson was playing familiar seagoing tunes on a concertina.It appears this ladder has seen a great deal of usage and weather.Festival of Sail visitors check out many cool sights! I see someone climbing one of the Irving Johnson’s shrouds!Watch out! This wild-eyed pirate has two wicked swords! Run for it!Looking at more ships docked behind the Maritime Museum’s historic Steam Ferry Berkeley. I see masts of the San Salvador, Californian and America.American flag in deep blue sky curls in the pleasant sea breeze.I saw various folks in period costumes. This lady had a nice smile!Another photo of the ships behind the Berkeley. The red star is on the museum’s B-39 Soviet diesel submarine which operated during the Cold War.A land battery took part during the festival’s cannon battles. A beautiful tall ship heads across the bay.View of historic bark Star of India from deck of HMS Surprise.Someone checks out the high masts of HMS Surprise, the ship used in the filming of Master and Commander starring Russell Crowe.Written on the ship’s bell is HMS Rose, the original name of the Surprise.Two members of the Royal Guard enjoy a drink and snack on San Diego’s Embarcadero during the Festival of Sail. They must be on shore leave.White sails, wooden ships, blue sky and living visions of a rich maritime history.Kids on deck of Star of India watch a cannon battle on San Diego Bay.
A special thank you to everyone following Cool San Diego Sights. You all are the greatest! I just wanted to say that.
Where will we go next? I don’t know! Life is an adventure!
Downtown San Diego has been my home for many years. My online activities reflect my love for writing, blogging, walking and photography.
View all posts by Richard Schulte
3 thoughts on “Beautiful tall ships visit San Diego for Festival of Sail!”
Great shots. Very exciting, Richard. I like the young man playing the concertina, and the costumes some were wearing. I’m amazed at the amount of ships that were on display. Thanks for this post. 🙂
Ships came in from Dana Point, San Pedro and elsewhere along the California coast! Plus a couple other non-museum ships are based in San Diego! It’s the biggest tall ship festival on the West Coast!
Cool San Diego Sights! 
Great shots. Very exciting, Richard. I like the young man playing the concertina, and the costumes some were wearing. I’m amazed at the amount of ships that were on display. Thanks for this post. 🙂
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Ships came in from Dana Point, San Pedro and elsewhere along the California coast! Plus a couple other non-museum ships are based in San Diego! It’s the biggest tall ship festival on the West Coast!
LikeLiked by 1 person