WindCheck Magazine

Ahoy Mates! It was schooners galore from shore to shore and on the horizon of Greenwich Harbor in Greenwich, CT. The weekend of April 23 - 25 brought smiles to a potpourri of maritime enthusiasts, history buffs, and even a few buccaneer bow-wows as HarborFest 2010 launched its inaugural event. As the prime beneficiary, Hamilton Avenue Renaissance School used the occasion to thank the Town of Greenwich for rebuilding and modernizing the century-old public elementary school. In addition, charitable proceeds were shared with the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, At Home in Greenwich, and Stamford Education for Autism.

The three-day extravaganza began late Friday afternoon with three events: the family-oriented Renaissance School Carnival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, a two-hour dinner cruise (cancelled due to weather) aboard the Mississippi riverboat Annabelle Lee, and an invitation only silent auction at The Delamar Hotel on Greenwich Harbor featuring some great premiums including a cruise on the schooner Quinnipiack, an accommodation package at The Delamar, and an exciting private sail for nine people aboard America II, a veteran competitor at the 1987 America’s Cup competition in Perth, Australia, now owned and operated by the Greenwich-based 12 metre Yacht Development Foundation.

By Land, By Sea, and By Air...

They came, they saw, and they celebrated en masse the proud maritime history of New England as Saturday’s events underscored the theme of the first ever HarborFest 2010 with the Parade of the Tall Ships. At 7am, the flotilla of five distinctive ships was escorted by the Greenwich Police patrol boats to nearby Island Beach that served as the staging area for the 9am parade. Three in-formation flyovers of World War II “warbirds” from Westchester Airport accentuated the pageantry of the gallant ships. Following the spectacle, guests were welcomed to enjoy deck tours, public sails and private charters aboard the ships. Tours of the planes and flights in them were also available at Westchester Airport where the warbirds were based during Harbor- Fest from 10am to 5:30pm. For art aficionados, there were plenty of beautiful Peter Arguimbau maritime art works to see at The Delamar Fine Arts Show. For families with children, another fun-filled day of rides and attractions was offered from 11am until 10pm at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, including pony rides for the very young and live entertainment. The enticing aroma of burgers, pizza and fried clams, to name a few temptations, wafted in the air, with the premium ice cream concession definitely delighting the taste buds of many.

The Ships

The flotilla comprised five historically noteworthy vessels that currently offer a variety of educational programs on maritime history and the protection of the marine environment.

Argia – A two-masted gaff topsail schooner from Mystic, CT originally launched in 1986, Argia is a modern replica of a 19th Century sailing schooner. Her overall length is 81 feet with a 19-foot beam. Her sailing season is from May 1 to late October. Two educational cruises offer curricula on the “History of the Sea” and “Marine Science.” Visit VoyagerMystic.com for further information.

Christeen – Built in 1883 in Glenwood Landing, NY as a gaffrigged sloop, Christeen had several homes including Essex, CT. However, in 1992 she arrived back in the hamlet of Oyster Bay, NY at The WaterFront Center. She is the oldest oyster sloop in the United States and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992. She currently serves as a floating classroom and a working museum ship to educate about the operation of historic vessels and protection of Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound. Visit thewaterfrontcenter.org.

Pioneer – A 102-foot gaff topsail schooner from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport Museum, Pioneer was built in Marcus Hook, PA in 1885 as a cargo sloop. She was the first of only two American cargo sloops ever built with a wrought iron hull. After ten years of service in the Delaware Bay, she was re-rigged as a schooner for easier handling. Pioneer sails seasonally from South Street Seaport, offering daily sails to the public as well as charter sails and educational programs for children. Visit southstreetseaport.com for more information.

Quinnipiack – A 91-foot, two-masted gaff schooner based in New Haven, CT, Quinnipiack was built in 1984 and is owned and operated by Schooner Inc, a non-profit marine education organization that promotes environmental awareness and personal growth. She is the City of New Haven’s “Official Tall Ship” and is available for public sails, charters and special events. For more information, visit schoonerinc.org.

SoundWaters – An 80-foot, three-masted gaff schooner, SoundWaters was built in 1986 and is owned and operated by SoundWaters, a non-profit organization based at Cove Island Park in Stamford, CT dedicated to protecting Long Island Sound and its watershed through education. For more information, including Camp SoundWaters’ Schooner Adventure, visit soundwaters.org.

Thanks to the efforts of Bob Macintyre, Hamilton Avenue School’s “unsinkable” PTA Vice President of Fundraising and a dedicated crew of volunteers, the inaugural event was a success despite Mother Nature’s inclement cause for cancellation of Sunday’s scheduled festivities. “Tall Ships - Greenwich 2010” has garnered the recognition of the American Sail Training Association (ASTA), and is now fully sanctioned by the Newport, RI-based organization. “This action taken by ASTA will give the event added credibility and meaning to Tall Ship organizations in the region by assuring that protocols typically followed in similar events, but on a much larger scale, will be followed here as well,” said Macintyre. “It’s a positive sign to other Tall Ship organizations considering attending, and certainly a significant achievement for us...we saw a lot of smiles and happy people enjoying the event!” ✦