NEWBURYPORT — Residents walking along the city’s waterfront on Monday may have noticed one vessel that stood out among the others, the Maine-based tall ship Virginia.
The pinnace, which is defined as a light sailing ship, was built by volunteers and is a replica of a boat from 1607 with the same name. That ship was the “first English ocean-going vessel built in North America”, according to Maine’s First Ship, the nonprofit responsible for the boat.
Jeremy Blaiklock, chairman of the board of directors for Maine’s First Ship, said the Virginia was already in the area as part of Sail Boston, and after receiving an invite from members of the local boating community, they decided to make a stop in Newburyport as well to take part in festivities on Sunday revolving around the Declaration of Independence reading in downtown Newburyport.
“Initially, we decided we were going to come down to Sail Boston for the 250th, and then our captain has various contacts throughout the tall ship community, one of them being Harold Burnham in Gloucester and Graham McKay from Lowell’s Boat Shop, and they were coming to this event, and they invited us to participate,” he said.
So, following the Declaration of Independence being read aloud in downtown Newburyport, as was done 250 years earlier, residents made their way down to the waterfront to see a unique spectacle, the Virginia and another tail ship firing their cannons.
David Bellows, coordinator of the Virginia’s rigging crew, said he was shocked to see the mass of people gathered to watch the ships.
“I didn’t expect that there would be so many people. It was just staggering and wonderful to have the whole waterfront lined,” he said.
Then, on Monday, people had the chance to climb aboard the vessel, which was docked along the waterfront, and explore the ship right in their own backyard.
As residents looked around the boat, they got the chance to interact with the captain and crew members and learn about the vessel’s history.
One of those people was Brian Greenberg, a Newburyport resident who missed Sunday’s events and decided to stop by the waterfront while the boat was in town. Greenberg said he was fascinated by the ship and glad he had the chance to climb aboard.
“It’s really interesting, really, really interesting,” he said.
Similarly, those manning the ship were pleased they could teach Newburyport residents about the vessel, according to Fred Gosbee, a crew member.
“It’s great,” he said of residents coming aboard. “We are always happy to tell the story of the Virginia, both the old one and the new one.”
With the ship expected to depart Tuesday, the memories of a fun experience will likely remain for both the boat’s crew and those who visited the Virginia.