Personal ties are enhancing the Tall Ships experience at Sail Boston

Sail Boston 250 is drawing visitors not only to view tall ships from shore, but to experience them through charters and deck tours tied to centuries of maritime links. Organizers said 12 of nearly 60 visiting vessels in port are taking charter passengers out on sails, while many others offer tours. With schooners accounting for 53% of the visiting tall ships, the Nova Scotia flagship Bluenose II, a 143-foot vessel, has been especially popular in Boston. Captain Phil Watson said the province has sent the city a Christmas tree annually since 1918 and pointed to Nova Scotians settling in Boston over generations. The Bluenose II marked its first trip outside Canada since the pandemic. Nearby, the 118-foot sloop Spirit of Bermuda highlighted New England-Bermuda ties, and a Sail Boston volunteer assigned to the Spirit of Bermuda cited his long connection to the island.