We’re about to see Eagle fly.

Photographer Janet Jensen and I will board U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle at 7:30 this morning for our transit home to Tacoma. We’ll be blogging to you from a day and a night at sea, two nights anchored in Elliott Bay off Seattle, and from the Parade of Sail into Commencement Bay. Eagle will be the final ship in the parade, which will be escorted by a Tacoma fire boat, and led by Lady Washington.

Today, the Tall Ships will race out on the first day of the Tall Ships Challenge, the race at the heart of all these festivals.
Vessels sail in classes based on size and class, and they set out with handicaps. We’ll tell you more about how that works as we learn it from Eagle’s crew today.

All the ships will raise their sails and set off from Ogden Point at noon, though they’ll be leaving Victoria Harbour between 10 and 10:30 a.m. It will be the first chance for people here to see all the ships under sail, thanks to the high and gusty winds that forced some ships, including Eagle, to motor into the festival.

The festival closed Sunday evening with a ceremony, a concert, and dozens of tired but happy vendors breaking down their booths and loading up their wares. The fleet was leaving. The fun was heading south.

Comment on this post to ask us what you’d like to know about Eagle and the officers, crew and cadets aboard her. Janet and I will get your answers, and show you the details and the big, majestic pictures to introduce you to America’s Tall Ship.