Saturday, February 15, 2025

Tall ship arrives, opens for tours (with photo slideshow)

Residents and tourists gathered at the Southport waterfront Friday to watch the tall ship El Galeon en route to Wilmington. Photo courtesy Harley Martin.
Residents and tourists gathered at the Southport waterfront Friday to watch the tall ship El Galeon en route to Wilmington. Photo courtesy Harley Martin.

Visitors to the Southport waterfront and downtown Wilmington, many with cameras and cell phones ready, were greeted with an impressive sight Friday–the tall ship, El Galeon, en route to Port City Marina.

The 170-foot, six-deck ship will remain docked at the newly opened marina and open for tours through Aug. 23. It serves as a floating museum of sorts, where visitors can get a sense of what life was like aboard a galleon, which were used primarily for their cargo transporting abilities–and often the targets of pirates that traversed the rough Caribbean Sea.

Admission to board the ship is $10 ($5 for children 12 and under). The group rate for youth- and education-centered organizations is $5 per child, with chaperones attending for free.

 

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