Tall Ship Fest Begins Today

Latitude 38 recommendation: Drop whatever you’re doing right now and head down to the San Francisco waterfront. If you hurry, you can catch the grand procession of tall ships gliding along the Cityfront, led by ‘America’s tall ship’, the majestic 295-ft square rigger Eagle. The Parade of Sail begins at noon, and for once it should be a sunny, fogless day for this auspicious event.

So don’t delay — just slip out of your office quietly, or use the old reliable, "Oh! I just remembered, I’ve got a dentist appointment."

If you can’t break away for the waterfront promenade, you’ll still have all weekend to tour the ships at dockside and enjoy a wide variety of activities, including all sorts of nautical demonstrations and a Pirate Academy for kids. Check out the event’s excellent website for complete details.

The Festival of Sail is associated with a series of tall ship events staged all along the West Coast every three years. Hosting such sail fests requires a massive effort by dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers. We highly encourage you to get out there and show your support of their efforts — and of these beautiful, traditionally rigged vessels. We’re sure you’ll be glad you did.