Sail Aboard A Tall Ship! View the International Fleet of Tall Ships!
June 8-12 Special Event Tickets Now On Sale from Tall Ships At Cape Charles
(May 2012) — As an official affiliate port for OpSail 2012 Virginia™, Cape Charles and her sister town of Eastville are presenting an unprecedented boutique visitor experience commemorating the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.
Kicking off the long weekend of June 8-12 2012, Cape Charles, our deep water Harbor To Hospitality, presents a rare opportunity to get up close and personal as you explore the decks and meet the costumed crews of three magnificent tall ships: the Sultana, Lynx and Appledore V.
Two Hour Day Sails On The Chesapeake Bay Aboard Tall Ships Out of Cape Charles Harbor
Tour the ships for free daily, or visit our website: www.tallshipscapecharles, to buy tickets for a two-hour Chesapeake Bay day-sail aboard one of these historic tall ships. Some day sails are already sold out, so don’t delay. Tickets are $50-$55 per person depending on the ship.
Tickets are also available at www.tallshipscapecharles.com for two spectacular Parades of Sail up the Chesapeake – a rare and very special opportunity available only from Tall Ships At Cape Charles.
June 8th Parade of Sail
By special arrangement with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and by advance motorcoach reservation only (no passenger vehicles will be permitted), Island Two on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel will be open for public viewing of the June 8th tall ships International Parade of Sail. This spectacular fleet of tall ships from around the world will pass before your eyes with billowing sails and flags flying, and they can be seen from this amazing vantage point in the middle of the Bay only by advance ticket purchase ($20 per person).
June 12th Parade of Sail
Advance reservation ticket sales are also available at www.tallshipscapecharles.com for a six-hour sail aboard one of four tall ships departing Cape Charles Town Harbor at 11 a.m. on June 12th. Your ship will meet and mingle with the departing tall ships international fleet as it makes its way up the Chesapeake en route to its next port of call. Cape Charles-based tall ships will return you to our harbor by 5 p.m.
Eastville’s Star Spangled Day set for Saturday, June 9, 2012
Eastville Joins Tall Ships At Cape Charles’County-Wide Celebration In Association With OpSail
2012 Virginia ™
(Eastville, VA; April 2012)-Historic Eastville, Northampton County’s seat since 1677, will commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812 and the writing of The Star Spangled Banner with a gala festival “Eastville’s Star Spangled Day” on Saturday, June 9, 2012. Eastville’s celebration is in part under the auspices of Eastern Shore of Virginia Festivals’s (ESVAF, INC.) Tall Ships at Cape Charles festival June 8-12 in association with OpSail 2012 Virginia™ .
Eastville boasts one of the most vibrant histories of any town on Virginia’s Eastern Shore having been the home to the oldest continuous court records in the nation, since 1632. The town’s history also boasts a rebellion of taxation without representation a full century before the Boston Tea Party and the public reading of The Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Old Courthouse on August 13, 1776. The Court Green is one of the oldest intact court greens in the nation. The Old Courthouse dates from 1731, the Old Clerk’s Office c. 1800, and the Old Debtor’s Prison c. 1815.
On Eastville’s Star Spangled Day, the historic buildings will be open to the public with members of the Preservation Virginia Association (PVA) serving as costumed docents to give tours. Visitors will also be invited to enjoy a Walk Thru Eastville-A WalkThru History, a self-guided walking tour with an accompanying brochure of Eastville. Also open for visitors that day will be the historic Christ Episcopal Church (1828).
A rare opportunity will be available for historians and genealogists as the Circuit Court with our original court records will be open for research between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Also, while the Circuit Court is open, the Clerk will be happy to issue marriage licenses, available with the payment of $30.00 cash with both the bride and groom present. Each must have a valid state-issued picture ID with a control number, such as a driver’s license. At 3:00 PM at the Town Park Traci Johnson, Clerk of Court, will be delighted to marry anyone licensed and wishing to be married on this special day.
The historic Eastville Inn will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yuk-Yuk and Joe’s will be offering boxed lunches at the event and will be open for lunch and dinner at their place of business, also.
The town’s festival lineup includes the following events and times:
10:00 Music-Native American Flute Instruction and Performance by Alan Stanz who is the Visitor Services Manager at the ES National Wildlife Service at Kiptopeake. He is also a professional musician and has performed all over the world. He was a member of the U.S. Navy Band in a previous life. (Location C)
10:30 Opening Ceremonies with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner on the Court Green with Alan Stanz on solo saxophone and welcome greetings by Jim Sturgis, Mayor and Katie Nunez,County Administrator. SFC. ALVY POWELL, bass-baritone of the U.S. Army Chorus will then sing the National Anthem as he has for Presidents. (Location B)
12:00 Speaker Series-DR. PAUL EWELL-19th Century Chesapeake Bay Workboats – 1899 Courthouse, upstairs (handicapped accessible)-Dr. Paul L. Ewell will narrate a presentation chronicling the types of sailing vessels used for commercial fishing and transport purposes on the Chesapeake Bay and the seaside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia during and after the War of 1812. Included will be a discussion of skipjacks, bugeyes, pungies, schooners, rams, sailing scows, log canoes, brogans, and sailing skiffs. Numerous photos and artifacts will be available for viewing. An outdoor exhibit will offer visitors the opportunity to see a modern vessel and its associated equipment used in commercial industry. (Location D)
12:00-1:00 Music- “3 SHEETS” is Owen Hooks, Thom Nolan and Bill Troxler. The trio delivers a mix of Celtic, nautical, traditional and contemporary music to audiences. Owen sings tenor harmony and plays guitar and mandolin. He is a veteran of several recordings and groups including RED LETTER DAY and SALT GRASS. Thom sings lead baritone and plays percussion. Thom was a mainstay in the California based, Irish music recording and touring group CLADDAGH. Bill plays hammer dulcimer, cittern, guitar, banjo, concertina and other instruments. He toured and recorded with the Maryland based duo FULCRUM BRIDGE. (Location C)
12:30 Demonstration-MIKE “FIERCE ARROW” HINMAN- Vice-Council of the Accoohannock Indian Tribe- he will provide an Eastern Woodland Indian Primitive Weapon demonstration (Location E)
1:00 Music-THE MESSAGE CHOIR-the Multi-ethnic Eastern Shore Spirituals and Group Ensemble. MESSAGE is a volunteer youth choir based in Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The choir convenes to learn Negro spirituals such as Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Amen. (Location C)
1:30 Speaker Series-DOUGLAS ARVIDSON-The Secrets of the Ancient Pacific Navigators and The War of 1812: The Star Connection- Speaker-author & mariner -1899 Courthouse, upstairs (handicapped accessible) (Location D)
2:00-3:00-music-“3 SHEETS”-see above (Location C)
3:00 Speaker Series with Mike “Fierce Arrow” Hinman, Tribal Historian and Vice Council of the Accohnnocks Indian Tribe along with the Tribal Genealogist, Sherry Majors, will be able to help with ancestry information. Mr. Hinman will speak on the history of the local tribes and clarify the history of their culture. He will be happy to take questions. (Location D)
3:00- The Heavenly Wings Over Jordan Gospel Group which include Jerome Custis, George Christion, Edward Tucker, Elijah Corbin, and Kevin Starchley.(Location C)
3:00 TACK INTO EASTVILLE and TIE THE KNOT-Weddings at the Eastville Town Park-anyone wishing to get married on this special day, who has the proper marriage license, or any couples who would like to renew their vows need to be at the town park for their wedding ceremony at the gazebo.(Location F)
4:00 & 5:15- DEAN SHOSTAK’S CRYSTAL CONCERT is a multi-media concert that introduces audiences to glass instruments. A special part of the concert will be with the Grande Glass Harmonicon invented by Benjamin Franklin and similar to the one on display in the Chrysler Museum which is from Eastville. Mr. Shostak has been featured on All Things Considered, The Early Show, CNN and HGTV, to name a few. The concert will be held at the historic Christ Episcopal Church. (Location G)
Also participating at Eastville’s Star Spangled Day are several of our own local stars:
The Island Creamery -Best homemade ice cream on the Eastern Shore
Pungo Creek Mills-Bill and Laurel Savage grow, cure, grind and market cornmeal made from an heirloom variety of Indian corn that has been grown locally since at least 1870 (DNA tested back to 1840)
Local Artists
Face painting
Hair weaving with feathers, metallic highlights, sparkle and color
Activities for Children
A lot is happening between now and the event. We are adding vendors and fun things to do every week, so please check back and see what we have to offer at eastville.esva.net.
We are the small town with the BIG records!
For more information on Eastville, please visit www.eastville.esva.net.
Tall Ships At Cape Charles Festival: June 8-12, 2012
Family Fun On Virginia’s Eastern Shore
(March 2012) — As an official affiliate port for OpSail 2012 Virginia™, Cape Charles and her sister towns on Virginia’s Eastern Shore present an unprecedented boutique visitor experience commemorating the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Kicking off the long weekend of June 8-12 2012, Cape Charles, our deep water Harbor To Hospitality, presents a rare opportunity to get up close and personal as you explore the decks and meet the costumed crews of three magnificent tall ships: the Sultana, Lynx and Appledore V. They will be surrounded and welcomed by a bevy of other craft of every conceivable kind and shape: buy boats, sloops, skipjacks, Navy and Coast Guard vessels, private yachts, kayaks, dinghies and even paddleboards!
Tour the ships for free daily, or visit our website: www.tallshipscapecharles, to reserve a two-hour Chesapeake Bay day-sail on one of these historic tall ships or two spectacular Parades of Sail up the Chesapeake – a rare and very special opportunity.
By special arrangement and advance motorcoach reservation only, Island Two on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel will be open for public viewing of the June 8th tall ships Parade of Sail. Dozens of tall ships from around the world will pass before your eyes with billowing sails and flags flying, and they can be seen only from this amazing vantage point in the middle of the Bay! Additional advance reservations are being taken for a six-hour sail aboard a tall ship out of Cape Charles Town Harbor to join up with the departing Parade of Sail up the Chesapeake Bay on June 12th.
This is small town, family-friendly America the way it used to be. Enjoy a rich panoply of events in our charming villages: professional musicians, crafts and art vendors, historical re-enactments ,costumed guides for tours of historic buildings at Eastville, our County seat, adult and childrens’ art shows, a play, Piece of Eden dramatizing the history of the Eastern Shore at the historic Palace Theatre, and evening harbor parties at Cape Charles. Kids may make and sail a model boat, get their faces painted, ride a pony or try their hands at hauling the yard-arm.
Everywhere savor our succulent seafood and revel in our spectacular sunsets. Virginia’s Eastern Shore: easy to reach, hard to leave.
February 22, 2012: Northampton and Cape Charles Prepare for Arrival of Tall Ships [Read on Eastern Shore News]
For Immediate Release
TALL SHIPS AT CAPE CHARLES ANNOUNCES THIRD SHIP FOR JUNE 8-12 FESTIVAL
Appledore V
SCHOONER APPLEDORE V JOINING LYNX AND SULTANA
(Cape Charles, VA; February 2012) – Cape Charles Town Harbor will be a sight to see June 8-12 with three magnificent tall ships gathered to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Tall Ships At Cape Charles announces the schooner Appledore V will join the historic tall ships Lynx and Sultana dockside, offering free deck tours and paid two-hour day sails for the four-day festival.
The June event is managed and organized by Tall Ships At Cape Charles under the auspices of Eastern Shore of Virginia Festivals (ESVAF, Inc.), a non-profit organization promoting the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a destination for visitors. Cape Charles is an official affiliate port of Opsail 2012 Virginia™. For more information about Tall Ships At Cape Charles, including prices and online reservations for day sails during the June 8-12 festival, visit http://tallshipscapecharles.com . The event is also on Facebook as Tall Ships Cape Charles.
Appledore V is a 65-foot, two-masted gaff-rigged schooner owned by BaySail, Bay City, MI, where she sails Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron with her sister ship, the schooner Appledore IV. Both ships were originally commissioned by Herb and Doris Smith. Appledore V was commissioned in 1992 and was the fifth in a series of schooners built for world voyaging. The Smith’s adventures aboard the Appledores are chronicled in two books Dreams of Natural Places and Sailing Three Oceans.
Appledore V was later sold to the Traverse Tall Ship Company, who sailed her under the name of Westwind, in Traverse Bay, MI. BaySail acquired her in October of 2002 and changed her name back to the original Appledore V. Today the schooner is used for overnight voyaging all over the Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast. The ship is also used to deliver BaySail’s K-12 shipboard science program Science under Sail from Great Lakes ports in summer and the Gulf Coast of Florida in winter.
Both ships are steel hulled gaff rigged schooners of a type typical of those sailed on coastal waters and in the Great Lakes right up to the end of the age of sail. Schooners were the workhorses of their era providing the primary means of transportation for goods and passengers over long distances.
The name Appledore was chosen by Herb Smith as a tribute to his wife Doris whom he first saw while sailing a small boat off Appledore Island. Doris, who lived on the Island, was standing in the doorway of her home as the teenaged Herb sailed by on a sunny Maine morning.
BaySail is a private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay and the Great Lakes through engaging shipboard experiences aboard its two schooners, the Appledore IV and Appledore V. Their programs include science education for K-12 school groups, overnight voyaging for youth and adults, public sails, charters, group tours, and port visits. For more information about Appledore V, visit http://www.baysailbaycity.org.
TALL SHIPS AT CAPE CHARLES TO HOST HISTORIC SCHOONERS LYNX AND SULTANA JUNE 8-12
Schooner Sultana
Festival Commemorates Two Hundredth Anniversary of War of 1812 and Writing of Star Spangled Banner
(Cape Charles, VA – January, 2012) – Tall Ships At Cape Charles will host the historic tall ships Lynx and Sultana at its June 8-12 festival commemorating of the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. A third tall ship will soon be announced. The event is managed and organized under the auspices of Eastern Shore of Virginia Festivals (ESVAF, Inc), a non- profit organization promoting the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a destination for visitors. Cape Charles is an official affiliate port of Opsail 2012 Virginia™.
Sultana, a two-masted topsail schooner, is an almost exact replica of a Boston-built merchant vessel that served for four years as the smallest schooner ever in the British Royal Navy patrolling the North American coast just prior to the American Revolution. Her sparred length is 97 feet. Using the British Admiralty’s meticulous documentation of the original Sultana, she has been recreated with outstanding detail and offers all who sail aboard her a terrific glimpse of 18th century seafaring life. Launched in 2001, and based in the historic port of Chestertown, MD, Sultana now sails under the auspices of Sultana Projects, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c)3 educational organization. Sailing as the “Schoolship of the Chesapeake” Sultana provides accredited educational programs in history and environmental science to more than 5,000 students each year.
Schooner Lynx
The 122-foot sparred length Baltimore Clipper Lynx is an interpretation of the actual American privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell’s Point, Maryland. She was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts. To maintain the historic integrity of the onboard experience, the permanent crew of Lynx wears period uniforms and operates the ship in keeping with the maritime traditions of early 19th Century America. She sails under the auspices of the Lynx Educational Foundation as a sail training vessel and living history museum.
Free public tours of Lynx, Sultana and other participating tall ships will be offered June 8-11. In addition, paid two and two and a half-hour day sails aboard the schooners may be booked in advance online. Visit http://tallshipscapecharles.com for prices and online reservations as well as additional information about the Tall Ships At Cape Charles festival. For more information about Lynx, visit http://www.privateerlynx.com . For information about Sultana: http://www.sultanaprojects.org/.
Spirit of Massachusetts in Cape Charles
For Immediate Release
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS VISITS CAPE CHARLES
TALL SHIP WILL RETURN NEXT YEAR
(Cape Charles, VA) — Eastern Shore of Virginia Festivals (ESVAF, Inc.) and Tall Ships at Cape Charles proudly welcomed the 125-foot Tall Ship Spirit of Massachusetts when she dropped by Cape Charles for four days recently en route to the Caribbean.
An excellent example of a Gloucester fishing schooner, the Spirit of Massachusetts opened her decks for public visitation and hosted tours for Northampton County residents and visitors as well as school children.
Despite a delayed arrival due to inclement weather, the local community rallied to support the ship’s mission of experiential education for its “crew” of students for whom adventures and learning experiences ashore are an integral part of their voyage. Thanks go to all who rallied to provide the students and crew with an exceptional Eastern Shore experience: the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge; Southeast Expeditions; the Annheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center and the Cape Charles Business Association, among others.
Best of all, the captain of the Spirit of Massachusetts wants to come back next year, possibly for Cape Charles’ Blessing of the Fleet, but certainly for the ESVAF Birding Festival in October. His students on board were especially thrilled with their experience at the Refuge bird banding station.
The Spirit of Massachusetts is one of three ships owned and managed by Ocean Classroom Foundation, an educational organization that provides programs of sea education and adventure for the youth of America. She is modeled after the 1889 fishing schooner Fredonia, designed by Edward Burgess. The Gloucester fishing schooners were widely known as “fast and able” vessels, and Fredonia especially for her speed. Spirit of Massachusetts proudly upholds that tradition to this day.
Eastern Shore of Virginia Festivals and Tall Ships At Cape Charles promote the Eastern Shore of Virginia, its towns and communities, nature, wildlife, and natural resources as a destination for visitors for economic development. Visit us and “like” us on Facebook at Tall Ships At Cape Charles.
