Running Free - Member News
May 2026

Support the Fleet on National Maritime Day

Friday, May 22, is National Maritime Day and we're marking it with a call to the community that keeps this fleet sailing.

If you've been thinking about supporting Tall Ships America, this is the moment. Any gift, at any level, makes a difference and helps us do more for you and your crew.

For the most meaningful way to stay connected to our work, consider joining the 1,000 for $10 campaign. The campaign has just started and we'd love to hit 100 donors by National Maritime Day. Ten dollars a month is a small commitment with an outsized impact: it's the kind of reliable, recurring support that lets us plan ahead, pursue major grants, and build the programs and staff this fleet needs.

We also need your help spreading the word. Your crew, your passengers, your port partners, your followers — every ship in this fleet has a community that cares about what you do. National Maritime Day is the perfect moment to ask them to invest in the organization that supports all of us.

Penn’s Landing Sails & Art Philly Exhibition: Sail Through This to That
As part of the 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Schooner North Wind will be docked at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia during June and July 2026. Public sails will be offered every Friday and Saturday evening. Tickets are available at www.northwindsail.org.

While docked at Penn’s Landing, the North Wind will serve as the venue for Art Philly’s Sail Through This to That, a new commission by Indira Allegra. Sail Through This to That is Indira Allegra’s newest commission exploring the lives of Ona Judge, the seamstress and bondswoman who styled Martha Washington and escaped to freedom in 1796, and the aspiring fashion designer and trans woman Rem'mie Fells who was tragically killed in 2020. In partnership with Philadelphia’s Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, William Way LGBT Community Center, and The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Allegra will use 18th-century techniques and fabrics reflecting Fells’s vibrant aesthetic to create three schooner sails. Sail Through This to That will culminate in a community-led procession tracing Judge’s escape to the Delaware River. More information can be found at Art Philly.

Women+ Maritime Digital Roundtables

New Addition to the Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships

📷Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships

Chebacco schooner Fame of Salem has joined Liberty Star in Boston as part of the Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships. Both vessels will be participating in the Sail Boston events for Sail 250, as well as operating their usual schedule of private charters and public sails. 

Call of the Sea Updates and News 

📷Rex Frebonius

Call of the Sea's 6th annual tall ship celebration at the Bay Model in Sausalito, CA, went well and was well attended. Attendees enjoyed paella, ice cream, refreshments, live music, a photobooth, tours of the Matthew Turner, a sail, and other fun activities. It is always meaningful to celebrate the joys of tall ship sailing. 

The Matthew Turner will host dockside tours at the Port of Redwood City, CA, on Saturday, May 16th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and at the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor in Richmond, CA, on May 31st from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Those interested in a tour should visit the website to sign up. 

The Matthew Turner's voyages are now on the calendar! Call of the Sea is planning multiple overnights, a 5-day Gulf of the Farallones voyage, and a July Oceans Explorer youth voyage in the Gulf of the Farallones for ages 13 to 17. The voyages are a more immersive way to experience life at sea. Passengers can learn to sail, see wildlife, enjoy hearty meals, and see the sunsets and stars like never before. Participants can learn the ropes of tall ship sailing or simply enjoy a change of pace and a dive into the wonders of the open ocean.

Sailing Aboard USCGC EAGLE:  March 2026

📸Randy Leiser

This March, six Tall Ships America members sailed in USCGC EAGLE for five days, from New London, CT, to Boston, MA. Randy was one of the participants and generously shared his photos and experience: 

"...I am very grateful to TSA and to the Coast Guard for this opportunity.  I expected it to be a great sailing and learning opportunity (and it was!)  But it was so much more.  Discussions on leadership, managing risk, and real life examples of executing when it counts, plus sharing great stories and building camaraderie with people we've just met...  Those are things we can all benefit from in any situation or career, but especially tall ship sailing. It was truly a privilege to be aboard Eagle for the week!"

Thank you, Randy, for sharing your experience, and thank you to the Crew and Officers of America's Tall Ship EAGLE for making this an incredible journey for our members! 

The next opportunity for Tall Ships America members to sail in EAGLE will be in September 2026. Applications will open in August. Stay tuned for more details.

Introducing Tall Ships America Virtual Musters

A new opportunity for people in similar roles across the tall ships community to meet their counterparts, share what's working, and explore resources together.

First up: Tall Ship Educators! If you teach on boats, join us on May 27th at 4:00 PM EDT / 1:00 PM PDT for an open conversation about programmatic strengths and needs. We have a lot of new faces and would love to see you!

Sign Up Below — and stay tuned, as Virtual Musters for other groups, including Executive Directors, are coming soon.

Tall Ships America members receive 15% off courses.

To access this discount code and other member benefits, please visit our Member Benefit page and log in. 

We are proud to have Beacon Martime Training as a Leadership Circle Member. 

If you are not currently a member, become one today! 

Thank you for supporting the partners that help us fulfill our mission of sail training and education under sail. 

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