Tour the four historic tall ships from Noon – 6 p.m. each day of the festival. It is recommended guests reserve a timed ticket to tour a tall ship. Your ticket is valid for 30 minutes from the ticketed time. A ticket is needed for each ship and for each person, regardless of age. A walk-up line will be available, but entrance is not guaranteed for walk-ups.  

Reserve your ticket!

NOTE: Due to the nature of historic tall ships, strollers are not permitted and most are not wheelchair accessible. The Sultana can accommodate lightweight wheelchairs. The Providence’s education center on the waterfront is wheelchair accessible. The Providence can accommodate walkers on the gangway, but there are steps that lead down to the deck. Service animals are welcome.  

The Kalmar Nyckel is a full-scale, accurate reproduction of a ship that served alternatingly as a colonial vessel and a warship in the Swedish Navy. In 1638, Swedish colonists in the Kalmar Nyckel arrived in Lenape land that became Delaware. Since 1997, the ship has served as a floating classroom to teach maritime heritage and history. 

The Sultana is a full-scale reproduction of a Royal Navy schooner that served in the American colonies from 1768 to 1772. She played a role in the rising tensions between the British and Americans on the eve of the Revolution. In 1768, Sultana transported thousands of troops to Boston to subdue rebellious colonists. She also patrolled the Atlantic Coast to enforce the Townsend Acts and search ship cargos. 

The Providence, originally named the Katy, is a reproduction of one of the first ships in the Continental Navy. The Katy was a merchant ship, whaler, privateer, and flagship of the Rhode Island Navy. The Providence had a distinguished record in the Revolutionary War, including seizing more than 40 ships, capturing Fort Nassau in the Bahamas, and escaping a British blockade.

The Gazela is the oldest and largest ship at Sails on the Potomac. She was built in Portugal in 1883. The Gazela fished in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada until 1969, when she was retired due to damage. Since the 1970s, she has served as an educational vessel in Philadelphia.