Days 33-38: July 18th - 24th

Tall Ships Week: Preparation, Arrival, Tours, Sails.

The week leading up to the Tall Ships arrival was filled with poster making, advertising the ships, selling tour and sail tickets, and organizing all of the items that would have to be brought down to Mattson's Lower Harbor Park.

I made all of the signs that were hung up by the ticket sale tent.

I also created the staff and volunteer tags that were worn by the workers at the Lower Harbor Park.

I was asked to arrive earlier at the museum on Friday the 22nd to help the other staff answer the phones. The Maritime Museum was receiving so many phone calls, it was difficult for to answer the phones while helping with customers and giving tours. Around 4 p.m. I headed down to the park to help set up the tables, tents and merchandise before the arrival of the ships.

The ships did a Parade of Sails at 6 p.m. before entering the harbor. The two tall ships, Marquettes resident tall ship: the Coaster II, and many other sail boats was an exciting sight to see entering the harbor. 

The lower harbor was packed with spectators. Everyone cheered and clapped their hands when the ships set off their cannons. 

I spent the rest of the weekend with the ships. I sold tour and sail tickets, merchandise, punched tickets, and ran errands. I enjoyed getting to know different crew members from their ships and the captains. It was interesting to learn how the crew members began working on the ships, and if they planned to crew tall ships for a career. Most of the members of the crew on the Pride of Baltimore II work on tall ships as a career. The crew on the Lynx America's Privateer were mostly summer employees. 

I was able to tour the ships when they were in the harbor. The tours of the deck of the ships were self-guided. The crew was available to talk to and answer questions. 

On Saturday night I was lucky enough to be able to sail on the Pride of Baltimore II. The crew invited the visitors to help with the raising and lowering of the sails. 

My parents were on the sail Saturday night. My dad pitched in to help raise the sails. 

Sunday was a relaxing day at the harbor. The ships were open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for tours. At the end of the day I went with my boss, Carrie, to pick up pasties for the crew of the ships as a thank you.

The weekend was filled with meeting new people, talking about maritime history and tall ships, sunburns and an amazing sailing experience.