Tall ships give Green Bay a taste of history

GREEN BAY - Flash back hundreds of years — before jet boats and cruise ships — and you have tall ships: traditionally rigged vessels handcrafted with intricate detail.

Those around northeastern Wisconsin get the chance to see reproductions of these historic ships at sail during this weekend's Tall Ship Festival at Leicht Memorial Park. This tour comes around the Great Lakes every three years, bringing ships with origins all over the world.

The nine ships participating in this year’s tour are created with the same handcrafted look and attention to detail as the originals.

Sailboat aficionados like Sandy Werner, who made the journey from Sturgeon Bay to Green Bay aboard one of the vessels, are quick to point out the aspects that differentiate these ships from the modern sailboat.

“Your average sailing vessel is boring compared to this,” Werner said. “They put so much detail into every part of these.”

The details range from hand-carving the woodwork and decorations to hand-stitching the sails. From iron workers to rope and wood makers — and everything in between — each ship was created uniquely and precisely.

Tall ships attract people from all over the world, including Kory Klimoski who traveled from Germany to catch a ride on the Pride of Baltimore II, a reproduction built in 1988 of an original ship that was lost at sea.

While sailing one of these ships is by no means a simple task, Klimoski’s admiration for tall ships comes from the simplicity of their time.

“We live in a world where technology rules us day in and day out,” Klimoski said, “but back in the day there was no power, no navigational help, and it was just hard work to get you where you were going.”

While the ships are touring the Great Lakes this summer, they’ve been all over the world. The Pride of Baltimore II, for example, has voyaged to places like Alaska, Ukraine and China.

“I like to say that if you pick a spot in the United States that touches water, she’s also been there,” said Patrick Smith, a deckhand aboard the ship.

It takes a passionate crew of sailors to man these ships for the months they are at sea, but the payoff comes from the sights and people they get to see.

“Each leg of the trip has some pretty neat stuff,” Smith said. “We’ve seen whales and turtles, and we’ve seen the northern lights and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. But one of the coolest things is just people’s reaction to the boat.”

Smith said there are always crowds of people welcoming them at every port. Part of the fun also comes from getting “guest crews,” comprised of passengers of the ship, to take part in getting the sails up.

“It’s fun for them to feel like a part of the crew and it gives us an opportunity to kind of share our knowledge and experiences with them,” Smith said.

The ships are docked at Leicht Memorial Park in downtown Green Bay until Monday, when they will race off to Duluth, Minn.

Jzollar@greenbay.gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @jacyzollar

If you go

What: Green Bay Tall Ship Festival presented by Nicolet National Bank. 

Where: Leicht Memorial Park, downtown Green Bay. 

When: Noon-8 p.m. Friday, fireworks at 9 p.m.; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 

Tickets: $12 for adults; $10 for children ages 5-12 and seniors. Free for children 4 and younger.