Sail Portsmouth

More than 25 years ago, a group of local business folks brought the first tall ship to Portsmouth Harbor, a modest beginning that evolved into the Piscataqua Maritime Commission.

Parade of Sail and Flotilla

July 26, 2024 – 9:00 am – 11:30 am

Starts at mouth of the Piscataqua River and ends in the vicinity of the Memorial Bridge.

The Parade of Sail kicks off Sail Portsmouth with our visiting tall ships escorted by hundreds of private pleasure craft and commercial fishing boats up the Piscataqua River to the Memorial Bridge and then to the docks.

Tall ships sailing in the Parade will be USCGC Eagle, S/V Denis Sullivan, and Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey.

Owners of private vessels are welcome to join the festivities by joining in the Parade and escorting the tall ships up the river.

Best Viewpoints

The most accessible sites for the public to enjoy the Parade are:

The Commons, New Castle

Fort McClary State Park, Kittery

Four Tree Island, Portsmouth

Memorial Bridge sidewalk, between Portsmouth and Kittery

Tall Ship Tours

Friday, July 26 – 2pm – 5pm

Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 – 10 AM to 5 PM

USCGC Eagle will be docked at the Port of Portsmouth, 555 Market Street. The last tour begins at 4:30 PM and the ships close at 5 PM.

The tours are often the highlight of Sail Portsmouth, creating one of the busiest, fun-filled summer weekends on the Seacoast.  On the way to the tours, people can linger in the maritime tent to enjoy the exhibits and may even meet 19th Century reenactors from Strawbery Banke Museum in period costumes and encounter friendly roaming pirates on the dock. Food and drinks will be available as will some live entertainment.

Please note: the tall ship is FREE to tour and no tickets will be sold. Please plan to arrive early as we expect crowds, and visitors should expect to wait in line to board the ship.

Tall Ship Tour Parking

Parking is provided at the city garages.

Tall Ship Day Sails

Sails from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28.

Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey will dock at the UNH Pier, New Castle from which she will take passengers sailing throughout Sail Portsmouth.

This year we will once again have the ever-popular one-way Sail to Boston. The three-masted schooner, Denis Sullivan, will depart from Portsmouth Saturday morning, July 27 and arrive downtown Boston in time for dinner that day.

Credit - New Hampshire Magazine & Sail Portsmouth