Tag: tall ships

Step aboard an amazing Mexican tall ship!

The amazing tall ship Cuauhtémoc is visiting San Diego and you are invited to step aboard her!

Those who walk along San Diego’s Embarcadero during the next few days will undoubtedly see the three high masts and many furled sails of Mexican Navy training vessel Cuauhtémoc.

ARM Cuauhtémoc, built in Spain in 1982, is extraordinarily beautiful. It’s now docked at the B Street Pier, across from the Cruise Ship Terminal, and the public is welcome to walk down the pier and come aboard. I was told by a friendly officer that the ship will be open to the public from 8 am to 8 pm through next Monday.

If you love tall ships (who doesn’t?) you’ve got to take advantage of this rare opportunity. (It’s been ten years since I last saw her in San Diego.)

The following photographs that I took this evening provide an idea of what you’ll find, but they really don’t do justice to the experience of being on the deck of an immense, truly spectacular tall ship!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Star of India’s mizzen gaff carefully descends!

Today volunteers and crew members at the Maritime Museum of San Diego undertook a complicated operation. Very carefully, they slowly removed and lowered a spar on the Star of India called the mizzen gaff.

The mizzen gaff of the historic, 161-year-old tall ship hadn’t been inspected for 15 years, and it was time for another look. The United States Coast Guard is tasked with ensuring that working ships like the Star of India remain in safe sailing condition.

I stood and watched for a long while. You can see why special care must be taken when lowering this long, heavy spar. Imagine what might happen if somehow it slipped! Many lines held by steady hands were supporting and maneuvering it, making sure a calamity could not happen.

I watched for probably half an hour, and it seemed to my eyes that little progress was made in that time. That’s how carefully the operation was conducted!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Evening’s golden hour on the Embarcadero.

This series of photographs attempts to capture the magic of the “golden hour” along San Diego’s Embarcadero. This evening, about an hour before sunset, I walked south from the Maritime Museum of San Diego to Tuna Harbor.

As the sun approached the horizon across San Diego Bay, its light reflected from downtown’s many windows, creating a magical scene.

When San Diego’s blue sky contains big fluffy clouds, the drama is heightened! The weather experts say a small storm is approaching–showers late tonight.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Reenactment of Boston Tea Party in Chula Vista!

A reenactment of the Boston Tea Party was performed today in Chula Vista Harbor aboard tall ship Bill of Rights!

The reenactment was part of a larger San Diego event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. I blogged about it and posted photographs here.

During the Boston Tea Party reenactment, a crowd watched from across the marina as Sea Scouts in historical attire rowed out to the schooner Bill of Rights, boarded her, and proceeded to toss crates of tea from her stern!

I photographed the action from the deck of Bill of Rights and the adjacent dock!

Yes, those weren’t really crates of tea, and the performance was a bit improvised and very loosely based on the actual historical event, but the spirit of the reenactment was appreciated by all who watched.

As tea was flung over the ship’s side, a cheer rose from the onlooking crowd at Bayfront Park on the other side of the marina!

Because the crowd continued to stand and watch, the floating crates were gathered up, reloaded onto Bill of Rights, and tossed into the water again!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Boston Tea Party to be reenacted in Chula Vista!

A very unique event is coming to Chula Vista. On Saturday, December 16th, there will be a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party in San Diego’s South Bay!

The event, marking the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, will be held at Chula Vista Bayfront Park, beside the marina. The event runs from noon to 4 pm, with the historical reenactment starting at 1 pm.

The event is free and open to all. It will be a great opportunity for young people to learn a little about our country’s history. You can read more about this special event and view a map showing where it is taking place exactly by clicking here.

I was told Chula Vista based tall ship Bill of Rights will take part in the reenactment. By sheer coincidence, I spotted the Bill of Rights last weekend at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, where it was docked for a Tall Ships America Pacific Coast community muster. That’s when I snapped these photos!

Six years ago I stepped aboard Bill of Rights during the Festival of Sail. See those photographs here!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Star of India starts across San Diego Bay!

The world’s oldest active sailing ship, San Diego’s own legendary Star of India, is sailing this weekend! It has been five years since she headed out into the Pacific Ocean.

At 9 o’clock this morning, Maritime Museum of San Diego crew members cast off the ropes that held Star of India to the Embarcadero, and two tug boats commenced to tow her across the bay.

Once far out on the ocean, the beautiful Star would unfurl her majestic sails and become a white cloud floating on the blue. Unfortunately, nobody would see that from downtown–unless, perhaps, one could peer out into the watery distance from a high building.

Five years ago, from the end of Point Loma, I photographed the Star of India cruising out into the wide ocean. It was accompanied by other tall ships that make San Diego their home. See those photos here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Preparing for the world’s most desired cruise!

The people you see in these photographs are extremely fortunate. They are the volunteer crew members of the Star of India, world’s oldest active sailing ship.

Next weekend, after a break of five years, the historic tall ship will be sailing from its home at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and out into the Pacific Ocean.

Today was the crew’s last chance to practice handling the ship before actually putting to sea–they must manipulate yards and sails very quickly and carefully. The iron-hulled Star of India, built in 1863, has no engine. And it’s a world treasure.

I stood on deck this morning, watching the crew members hard at work, feeling very envious.

A docent stood by me and we talked a bit. He gets to go out on the Star of India next weekend along with the many crew members. As he explained, the upcoming journey out of San Diego Bay is truly the world’s rarest, most desired cruise.

Want to go on that rare cruise in the future? You can volunteer at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and become a crew member!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Star of India crew trains for historic sail!

Crew members of San Diego’s world-famous tall ship Star of India were training today for her upcoming journey into the wide Pacific Ocean!

Accompanied by a fleet of beautiful sailboats and Maritime Museum of San Diego vessels, Star of India will sail out beyond Point Loma on November 11th and 12th, 2023, to celebrate her 160th birthday!

This morning I stood on the Embarcadero watching the sail crew hauling at lines, raising a sail, and practicing the complicated dance that is required to maneuver the world’s oldest active sailing ship. The crew will be training each Sunday up until the big weekend next month.

If you want to buy tickets for Star of India’s historic sail, go to the Maritime Museum website here.

Enjoy my photographs, taken from the nearby boardwalk…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Getting a pirate ship ready for Comic-Con!

Pirates must be more conscientious than we think, because the Voodoo Ranger pirate ship is being carefully painted the day before it sails for Comic-Con!

This morning I noticed a volunteer at the Maritime Museum of San Diego touching up the beautiful tall ship. It isn’t really a pirate ship. It’s far more amazing. San Salvador is a working replica of a Spanish galleon built and operated by the folks at the Maritime Museum.

The Voodoo Ranger sails are already up, ready to unfurl for all of San Diego and Comic-Con goers to see. Early tomorrow morning the make-believe pirate ship will head down San Diego Bay to its place behind the San Diego Convention Center.

Landlubbers beware! Even not-so-despicable pirates might engage in a little mischief!

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I’m covering Comic-Con again this year. To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Star of India readies for her November sail!

This year world-famous tall ship Star of India turns 160 years old. The last time she sailed out of San Diego Bay into the Pacific Ocean was five years ago. (To see photographs of Star of India heading out to sea in 2018, click here!)

Today I took a long walk around downtown San Diego. When I visited the Maritime Museum, I noticed work being done on the poop deck of Star of India. I learned that the Star is being readied for her upcoming November sail!

As you might imagine, the world’s oldest active sailing ship requires constant upkeep and repairs. The sun, salt and weather can be very hard on any vessel.

After climbing up to the poop deck, I watched museum volunteer Bob H. removing old varnish from the saloon’s skylight structure. In my photos you can see how the wood will then be sanded, removing an old coat of stain.

The smooth bare wood of the teak bench will be newly varnished. It will turn beautifully golden like the smaller companionway bench beside it.

A section of the pin rail on the ship’s port side is also being repaired. Part of the wood rail had to be removed to deal with rust on the standing rigging.

(Back in February, I watched as a skilled woodworker chiseled away at a section of pin rail. See those photos here!)

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!