Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware, will offer a final free deck tour in Greenport on Saturday, Aug. 2, before departing for Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Jan Ross, director of marketing and public relations at the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, said there is no need to sign up or make reservations. Visitors can simply stop by the ship at Railroad Dock, located at 104 Fourth St., between 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday.
The dock is next to the East End Seaport Museum, which offers free parking. The museum is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing visitors to extend their trip.
Ross said Kalmar Nyckel has been in Greenport since July 22, offering day sails as part of its educational mission. While those are now sold out, free deck tours remain available before the ship departs for Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Aug. 8, and then returns to its home port in Historic New Castle, Delaware.
“We love sharing our history, and we have an educational mission,” Ross told South Shore Press. “Our goal is to share our remarkable ship and the magnificent carvings—everything about it—to as many people as possible so we encourage the public to come visit us on Saturday.”
Ross explained that deck tours include several stations where visitors learn about the ship’s design, sailing techniques, 17th-century mechanics, and life aboard a ship during that era.
The Kalmar Nyckel is a full-scale replica measuring 141 feet from bow to stern with a main mast 105 feet tall. It is not the original ship that landed in present-day Delaware in 1638 but represents the Swedish merchant vessel that founded the New Sweden colony.
The colony was established during the race for trade revenue based on beaver pelts, tobacco, and other goods. Ross said, “Sweden wanted in on that revenue… so they started this colony in what is now Wilmington, Delaware, which was called New Sweden. It only lasted for 15 years so it was a short-lived colony, and it ended peacefully—there was no war—so we like to call Kalmar Nyckel the Mayflower of the Delaware.”
Ross added that visitors have many options to make a day of their trip, including visiting the museum, shopping, ice cream, or riding the antique carousel at Mitchell Park. The Jess Owen Carousel House is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Kalmar Nyckel is operated by the nonprofit Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and supported by a crew of 200 trained volunteers. Since 1997, it has provided educational programs including classroom field trips and festivals. More information is available on the foundation’s website.