NORFOLK, Va. — The 48th annual Norfolk Harborfest kicks off Friday at Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk waterfront, the city's annual celebration of the maritime and Naval community that makes Hampton Roads so special.
Part of the festival is the Parade of Sail, where a fleet of tall ships, character vessels, sleek power cruisers, sailing craft, antique and classic wooden boats, military vessels, tugs, and more will make its way down the Elizabeth River toward Town Point Park.
You'll be able to catch the parade on-air on 13News Now or via live stream on 13News Now+ on Friday starting at noon.
Also, ships will be open for public tours from around 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, and from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The tours will be free and open to the public.
Here's a look at this year's lineup:
American Rover
Owned and operated by Rover Marine, the American Rover is a 135’ 3-masted topsail schooner. It sails daily from The Waterside Marina in Downtown Norfolk, and for Harborfest it will be docked on the wave screen behind the Waterside Marina this weekend for its harbor cruises and public tours.
19th-century cargo schooners inspired her design, yet she possesses the modern amenities that assure a comfortable cruise: spacious topside decks with seating, climate-controlled below-deck cocktail lounges, clean restrooms, and a ship’s store offering souvenirs, snacks, sandwiches, and beverages.
Kalmar Nyckel
The tall ship Kalmar Nyckel serves as a floating classroom and an inspirational platform for educational outreach and is run by the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation offering sea- and land-based learning and recreational experiences.
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a non-profit educational organization with a mission of “preserving and promoting the cultural and maritime heritage of Delaware and the Delaware Valley for the education and enrichment of all.” The Foundation is a volunteer-based organization that built, owns, and operates the Tall Ship of Delaware, Kalmar Nyckel.
The original Kalmar Nyckel was one of America’s pioneering colonial ships, a Mayflower of the Delaware Valley, yet her remarkable story has never been widely told.
The namesake of Kalmar Nyckel served as Governor Peter Minuit’s flagship for the 1638 expedition that founded the colony of New Sweden, establishing the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley, Fort Christina, in present-day Wilmington, Delaware. She would make a total of four roundtrip crossings of the Atlantic, more than any other documented ship of the American colonial era.
The historical ship was a new type of gun-armed merchant vessel called a Dutch Pinnace. The Dutch built her in Amsterdam in about the year 1625 and later purchased it in 1629 by a Swedish consortium to serve as an auxiliary warship for the Swedish navy, which she did until her decommissioning in 1651 — except for the years from 1637 to 1644 when she sailed the Atlantic for the New Sweden Company.
An exceptional ship with a long and remarkable career, she was sold to a private merchant after being decommissioned from the Navy. No completely definitive records have been uncovered as of yet, but Kalmar Nyckel was probably resold to the Dutch navy as an escort vessel and sunk in the North Sea while fighting for the Dutch in a war against the English in 1652.
Impossible Dream
The Impossible Dream is a catamaran that is uniquely designed as a universally accessible vessel. The Impossible Dream works outside of just a physical vessel as an organization dedicated to the inclusion of marginalized populations into the maritime community, mainly those who are disabled. They offer virtual explorations, experiences, and education for those who are unable to physically visit the Impossible Dream.
This all-carbon-fiber, fast cruising yacht is the world’s only catamaran built from the ground up to be fully universally accessible.
This vessel can be independently and easily handled by wheelchair users. All sail handling, docking, anchoring and maintenance can be performed by wheelchair users.
Designer Nic Bailey’s vision came to fruition in 2002 with an LOA of 58 feet and a 27-foot beam. It has 4 cabins. All areas can be accessed by wheelchair including below deck by using an internal lift in each hull.
A.J. Meerwald
The A.J. Meerwald is a restored oyster dredging schooner, originally launched almost 100 years ago! She was one of hundreds of schooners built along South Jersey’s Bayshore before the Great Depression and the decline of the shipbuilding industry. Today A.J. Meerwald functions as a traveling classroom and vehicle to enjoy waterways.
After a 3-year project in 1995, she was fully restored and added to the National Register of Historic Places, leading to Governor Whitman designating her as New Jersey’s official tall ship in 1998.
The A.J. Meerwald is a wooden construction with a white oak hull and an 85-foot cedar deck. It displays over 3,500 sq feet (about the area of a tennis court) of sails and is supported by a John Deer engine with 230 HP.
Schooner Virginia
The Schooner Virginia is a reproduction of the last all-sail vessel built for the Virginia Pilot Association. The original ship sailed for the pilots from 1917-1926, training apprentice pilots in seamanship and navigation, and even served as a pilot vessel during World War I.
Today’s wooden craft was commissioned by the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation in 2005 and was sold to the Nauticus Foundation in 2016. Virginia is 126 feet long, has a beam of 23 feet, and a draft of 12 feet. She carries over 6,500 square feet of canvas and is a gaff topsail schooner.
The Schooner Virginia is docked at Nauticus and serves Nauticus programming as a platform for sail training and teaching maritime sciences, history, teamwork, and leadership to the youth of Hampton Roads. Youth programs feature dockside education, day trips, and overnight adventures.
A dedicated group of volunteer and professional crew members maintain and operate the ship throughout the year. New volunteers are welcome. No experience is necessary as they provide training and instruction in tall ship sailing and vessel maintenance.
The Schooner Virginia will be dockside at Otter Berth starting at 3 p.m. Friday and throughout the festival, available for public visitation.
USACE Ewell
The US Army Corp – Ewell was commissioned in January of 2018 and is homeported at the Norfolk District of the US Army Corp of Engineers. This survey vessel is a 61-foot foil-assisted catamaran outfitted with an aluminum hull, stainless steel hydrofoil, and the latest multibeam SONAR technology. The Ewell proudly displays a crane capable of lifting 4,500 pounds.
The ship serves both as a survey vessel and removes debris from Norfolk Waterways. With a top-end speed of more than 34 knots, the 1,970 horsepower twin-engine, jet-propelled Ewell is the fastest vessel in the district’s fleet.
Norfolk Rebel
The Tugatine “Norfolk Rebel” is a sail-assisted workboat designed for towing and salvage.
Built by Howoy Bailey and designed by Merritt Walter, her unique design was commissioned to use wind power to help save fuel. This idea was created during the 1920s during the gas shortage. She sometimes works as an escort vessel for tall ships and participates in Opsail 2000 festivities.
In 1984 she circumnavigated Virginia and was featured at the New Orleans World’s Fair.
Her first Captain, Lane Briggs was one of the Founding Fathers of Harborfest, who sadly passed away in 2005. Capt. Briggs worked tirelessly to promote sail training and promote the “Harbor of Hospitality.” Today his sons Steve and Jesse are carrying on with this tradition.
Rainbow Chaser
Rainbow Chaser is a 40’ Chesapeake Bay Deadrise that has been coming to Harborfest for more than 25 years. She is powered by a Volvo Penta diesel engine and is the fastest wooden deadrise on the Chesapeake Bay, winning workboat racing events since 2006. Her captain is Shannon Gay.
Spirit of Norfolk (Mount Vernon)
Since 1978, the Spirit has delivered a vibrant and unique combination of dining, dancing, entertainment, and breathtaking views. With a capacity of 400, the Spirit of Norfolk is perfect for cruising year-round from The Waterside in Downtown Norfolk, City Cruises Norfolk offers Lunch, Brunch, Dinner, Cocktail, Moonlight Cruises, and much more!
Victory Rover
Victory Rover is a 95-foot vessel that once served as a crew and supply boat for offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2001, Victory Rover was converted into a sightseeing passenger boat by Rover Marine Co. She has 3 Detroit V1271 diesel engines, triple screw, with 1,350 HP, which allows her to cruise at 20mph.
US Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish
The USCG Cutter Sailfish is an 87-foot-long patrol vessel homeported in Little Creek. It is a Coastal Patrol Boat that is manned by highly skilled sailors, responding to emergencies along the coast.
You may ask why are Coast Guard ships called cutters? Government agencies use the term “Cutter” for vessels employed in patrolling their territorial waters and other enforcement activities. This terminology is derived from the sailing cutters which had this sort of role from the 18th century to the end of the 19th century.
USS Gonzalez (DDG 66)
Rounding out this impressive example of maritime history is the USS Gonzalez (DDG 66). The U.S. Navy destroyer proudly serves “Beyond the Call” in the ship’s namesake of SGT Alfredo Gonzalez, who served from 1965 and was mortally wounded in 1968 while fighting in the Vietnam War.
Within his 3 years of service, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with star, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, the Military Merit Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal for his bravery, leadership and heroism.
Today the USS Gonzalez goes “Beyond the Call” in honor of its namesake. This Arleigh Burke Class Destroy spans over 500 feet in length and 66 feet in breadth.
It is capable of traveling more than 30 knots and is equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry such as an AEGIS Weapons System, Two MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems, 14 triple torpedo tubes, and Mk 36 MOD 12 Decoy launching system. It also utilizes a high-tech surface USW Combat System Suit, hull-mounted surface search radar, Sonobuoy Sensor Processing System, and Electronic Warfare system.
As of today, Commander Kartina Stegner serves as commanding officer with Commander Ashley Carline as Executive Officer and Master Chief Terry Vines by their side.
