Free Tall Ship Tours in Baltimore

From the Baltimore Sun: If September's Star-Spangled Spectacular didn't offer enough opportunities to tour visiting ships in Baltimore, three more are set to arrive this week.

 The Norweigan Navy training vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl. Photo by Jessy Haley

A tall ship from Norway [arrived] Wednesday, followed by Navy ships from Brazil and Denmark in the next week, according to Sail Baltimore, a nonprofit that brings international tall ships and navy vessels to Baltimore in an effort to enhance the city's economic, educational and cultural offerings.

The first of the ships, the Norweigan Navy training vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl, will arrive Wednesday at the west wall of the Inner Harbor and remain there through Nov. 12. Tours will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The ship, first launched in 1914, is one of the largest sailing ships scheduled to visit Baltimore this year, at 323 feet, Sail Baltimore said. It has called in Baltimore before.

Between Friday and Nov. 12, the Brazilian Navy training vessel Brasil will be docked at Tide Point at the Under Armour pier, with tours from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. The ship was commissioned in 1984, is 431 feet long, and has traveled the globe as a floating classroom for the last 30 years.

The last and most modern ship will arrive Monday at the Broadway Pier in Fells Point. The Royal Danish Navy commissioned the 455-foot guided-missile frigate Niels Juel in 2011. Staying through Nov. 14, it will be open for tours on Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All ship tours are free, Sail Baltimore said.