Tall Ships arrive in Portsmouth, NH

(NECN: Lauren Collins, Portsmouth, NH) – It’s a highly anticipated event on New Hampshire’s seacoast. “We’ve had it on our calendar to watch the parade in the morning and then be able to board the ships,” says Portsmouth resident Kathy Frost. “It’s a rare opportunity. ” 20,000 sightseers are expected to board the tall ships in Portsmouth this weekend. Governor John Lynch was on hand Friday to welcome the vessels, the Kalmar Nyckel, the Spirit of South Carolina, the Spirit of Massachusetts, and the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. “It’s really great to see so many people from New Hampshire here and people from all over New England who will be visiting Portsmouth,” comments the Governor. Mighty masts aloft, these ships harness the power of the wind and the determination of their crews. The public — welcome aboard each one — will discover the ships’ historic origins and this port city’s tradition. “The history is what makes this so interesting,” says Coast Guard Northeast Sector Commander Capt. Jim McPherson. Portsmouth’s maritime history is more than 400 years old. It is most appropriate that the coast guard eagle is here. The very first commissioned officer in the coast guard was from this city. “Hopley Eaton, who was a resident of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was the first officer that received a commission from George Washington,” says the ship’s captain, Eric Jones. The Eagle, launched in 1936, was used by the Germans in World War Two. It later carried Hopley’s remains from Maine to his memorial at the coast guard academy in New London, Connecticut. Dubbed “America’s Tall Ship,” this is also where every swab gets his or her first experience at sea. “Of course, being on a tall ship,” says Capt. Jones, “they get to experience the ocean in its majesty and in its full strength.” All four tall ships, and their deckhands, will be docked at the state pier in Portsmouth through Sunday.