Tall Ships Day 2: Europa sails in!

Day 2 started out miserably cool, wet, and rainy. But the crowds were already flocking to the waterfront early. They were not to be disappointed. Before long the Shtandart came in, then the stunning and melodic (as melodic as sea chanties get) Statsraad Lehmkuhl came gliding in like a great swan. Then, shortly afterwward came this little beauty under full sail, the Dutch tall ship Europa.

She was a sight coming down the channel through the rain squalls. I remembered seeing her at precisely the same angle as she sailed into Seattle for the Tall Ships parade in 2002. An unforgettable ship, she had been the queen of the fleet. A true full-rigger with five square sails on each of her three masts, she was as stunning sight.

Small craft--many of them museum pieces themselves--rushed out to meet her.

As she came into the heart of Stockholm harbor I realized that as impressive as she was, Europa is tiny as far as tal lships go. She may have the big ship rig, but she is only 54 meters long. However, Europa deserves credit as one of the oldest ships in the Tall Ships Race, being built in 1911.

With more than a dozen sails set almost all the way into the harbor, she attracted quite a crowd that followed along the banks, catching vistas of her through the bigger ships already docked. Although most of the crowd had only read of tall ships in adventure tales, there were probably at least a few along the shores with distant memories of the days when these ships worked commercially.

What a beautiful ship, though....

Europa sailed right up to Gamla Stan in the center of the harbor just as Shtandart did, showing off ship and crew in an unforgettable display of canvas and seamanship.

On her heels came a lovely gaff-rigged ketch also under sail...and a wall of rain.

Ooo...what a fine, sharp prow on that beauty!...

....and the sweep of her stern!!

By noon when the skies cleared, Europa was secured and open for visitors...and had her sponsor's banner topsail proudly displayed. But what a show!