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Sail Portsmouth 2011 Welcomes Tall Ship Gazela |
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The 177-foot-tall ship Gazela will headline the festival this Memorial Day Weekend in Portsmouth, NH. The Gazela Primeiro, is the world's oldest active wood hulled sailing vessel. It is a three-masted, square rigged barkentine ship built in 1883 and has sailed continuously ever since. (Continued below)
When: Memorial Day Weekend May 27 - 30, 2011
Where: State Pier, 555 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH
The vessel was originally built to carry fishermen to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Every spring she would leave Lisbon, Portugal, with as many as 35 dories stacked on deck like drinking cups, in addition to a crew of 40. In her hold would be 90 tons of salt, used to preserve cod fish for the long trip home.
The Gazela's last voyage to the banks as a commercial ship was made in 1969. In 1985, the ship was transferred to the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, the nonprofit corporation that now maintains and operates the vessel with the help of donors and volunteers, sending her as "Philadelphia's Tall Ship" to events up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
Portsmouth will also host the Coast Guard Cutter Flying Fish an 87-foot coastal patrol boat based in Boston. The Flying Fish is one of the new Protector Class cutters. The vessel is considered state-of-the-art due to its innovative stern launch and recovery system. Primary missions of the Flying Fish include search and rescue, law enforcement, homeland security and domestic fisheries enforcement.
Portsmouth's own gundalow, the Edward H. Adams will also be on site and open for tours.
Sail Portsmouth 2011 will begin with a boat parade leaving buoy 2KR at 9 a.m., Friday, May 27. The parade will arrive at the State Pier at 550 Market St. around 10 a.m. Gates will open at noon for welcoming ceremonies, with ship tours starting at 1 p.m. The weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m Saturday through Monday. In addition to the boats, there will be educational exhibits, shanty singers, ship tours and more at a dockside tent.
Parking this year will be at Albacore Park, Bethel Assembly of God Church on Market Street and paid parking at the High-Hanover parking garage. Handicapped parking will also be available on site. However, there will be NO PARKING on Monday at Albacore Park.
Admission is $9.00, children under 12 are admitted free, with a family package available at $30.00.
Visit the official PMC WEB SITE