Tall ship to visit Provincetown this weekend. It will go through the Cape Cod Canal first.
Editor's note: The Kalmar Nyckel cruised through the Cape Cod Canal Wednesday. Marinetraffic.com showed it in Provincetown late Wednesday morning.
Visitors to Provincetown can get a hint of how the skyline at the harbor once appeared — bristling with wooden masts, booms and yards — as a tall ship comes to port and lowers her gang plank to welcome passengers aboard.
On Thursday, the Kalmar Nyckel, the tall ship of Delaware that's a full replica of a 17th century square-rigged sailing vessel, will arrive at MacMillan Pier for an 11-day stay, offering excursions out on the waves the old-fashioned way.
"We're excited because we haven't been to Provincetown in five years," said Jan Ross, director of marketing and public relations for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation.
The once annual visits were interrupted by the pandemic. Pier manager Jamie Demetriou said she invited the Kalmar Nyckel to return.
"I think it's wonderful that they come here," she said, noting that tall ships are a big attraction at the pier when they come.
Ship will transit Cape Cod Canal on way to Provincetown
The Kalmar Nyckel, with Captain Lauren Morgens at the helm, has already set sail from her home port, and is expected to transit the Cape Cod Canal sometime on Wednesday, depending on the conditions at sea.
“We are excited about returning to Provincetown, one of our best ports for great sailing,” said Morgens prior to setting sail.
On Monday, port Captain Sharon Dounce said she is not certain exactly what time the ship will go through the canal, "but they will come in on a slack tide. I would say, make sure you know when the slack tides are on the canal and watch marinetraffic.com."
She said as the ship approaches, it's a safe bet it will begin transiting the canal on the next slack tide.
Experience sailing as it was done in the past
The Kalmar Nyckel is scheduled to arrive in Provincetown on Thursday and will offer 2.5-hour day sails Aug. 2-12 from MacMillan Pier. The ship is a full-scale replica of a Swedish ship that in 1638 brought the settlers who founded New Sweden, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley.
During the Provincetown visit, the ship will give passengers a chance to experience sailing as it was done in the 17th century.
"Provincetown is the absolute best day sailing on the East Coast for our ship. There is nowhere better, because there is plenty of deep water and there's not a lot of obstructions, so we can go out there and sail our hearts out," said Dounce, who has captained the ship out of Provincetown herself many times in the past.
At dock, the ship's sails are furled or hanging in their gear, and engines are used to get off the dock, "but then we set sail, and that's when the fun begins," she said. "Once we get out there, it is all under sail. It's just wonderful. We put the guests to work, if they'd like to help, setting lines on a 17th century square rigged ship."
But helping out is completely optional, said Ross.
"You can haul lines and learn to heave to a chanty song or you can just relax and wander around and meet the different crew members who are from all over the country and the world," she said.
A fun part of the excursions, noted Dounce, is tacking, or turning, the ship.
"That does take a lot of people," Dounce said.
They keep the ship relatively close to land during the outings, she said. Every once in a while, they have seen whales during their sails.
"It's a rare sighting, but it's so cool," she said.
Kalmar Nyckel's Provincetown sailing schedule
The Kalmar Nyckel will offer one excursion on Friday, Aug. 2, 5-7:30 p.m. During the rest of the ship's visit to Provincetown, it will set sail twice daily according to the following schedule:
Sunday, Aug. 4, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ?and 2:30-5 p.m.
??Tuesday, Aug. 6, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ?and 2:30-5 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m.-12:30pm ?and 2:30-5 p.m.??
Thursday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ???and 3:30-6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 9, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. ???and 3:30-6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 11, 12:30-3 p.m. ?and 4:30-7 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 12, 12:30-3 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m.
How to get tickets
Morning and afternoon sail tickets are available online at KalmarNyckel.org/explore or by calling 302-429-7447.
Tickets are $75 per adult and $40 per child 12 and younger. The sails are recommended for ages 8 and above. Space is limited to 49 passengers per sail. Advance reservations are highly recommended. The schedule is weather dependent and subject to change.
Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at [email protected], or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Tall ship in Provincetown: Dates, sailing times, tickets and more