by America’s Tall Ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle, is returning to San Diego and will be available for public visits starting on Friday.
Free public tours are offered at the B Street Pier at 1140 North Harbor Drive Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These are the times and dates:
- Friday, Aug. 15 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Saturday, Aug. 16 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Sunday, Aug. 17 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
There is no need for tickets.
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North Harbor Drive
Originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, the Eagle was constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.
With a length of 295 feet, a sail area of over 22,300 square feet, and six miles of rigging, the Eagle was a post-World War II war reparation for the United States.
It is the only square-rigger still in use by the US government and the biggest tall ship flying the Stars and Stripes.
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Since 1946, the three-masted barque has functioned as a maritime classroom for aspiring Coast Guard officers, providing professional growth and leadership training at sea as part of the Coast Guard Academy curriculum.
The Coast Guard stated in a release that “the sea and its lore” are deeply ingrained in many Coast Guard Academy procedures. These customs trace back to the heyday of sailing, when the Navy and Revenue Cutter Service, which was the forerunner of the current US Coast Guard, was composed of ships like Eagle.
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You may study that story on board the Eagle, which also acts as a goodwill ambassador for the Coast Guard and the United States, visiting overseas ports to strengthen ties with partner countries.
Since the Eagle was last anchored here in 2008, San Diego is the ship’s 12th port call along the West Coast.
You may find out more about the Eagle here.
This report was contributed to by City News Service.
