Tall Ship Cruise

Boston Harbor tour plus gourmet dining

Want to experience the romance and excitement of a tall ship cruise? 

On the Liberty Clipper, tall white sails billow against blue skies as you tour Boston Harbor, go on lobster dinner cruises, and join a Boston Tea Party reenactment.

Tall Ship Liberty Clipper in Boston Harbor
Photo courtesy of John Eckman

Liberty Clipper is a magnificent 125 foot tall gaff-rigged schooner named after John Hancock's ship and built for tall ship cruising.  (John Hancock, one of the Boston Colonists who was instrumental in winning freedom from England, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.) 

Tall ship Liberty Clipper is a replica of the Baltimore Clippers famous for fast and safe roundings of South America's Cape Horn while transporting hopeful prospectors to California back in the gold rush days during the 1850s. 

She has 3 head sails (jibs), a fore sail, and a main sail.  Designed as a windjammer but also for comfort during tall ship cruises, the Liberty Clipper boasts 14 cabins, a state-of-the-art galley, and grand salon below, and a spacious main deck on top.

Photo of Liberty Clipper, docked at Central Wharf in Downtown Boston 

Tall ship cruises on the Liberty Clipper

From June through September, the Liberty Clipper offers daily tall ship cruises in Boston Harbor, including a romantic sunset sail.  The special feature about these 2-hour trips is that you can take the tiller for awhile, help set the sails, or just relax and enjoy the experience.  Plus, you'll see gorgeous city skyline view and the Boston Harbor Islands. 

But that's just the beginning of the the tall ship cruise options. 

One of the most popular choices is the "Boston Tea Party Cruise" - a reenactment of one of the most famous Boston events leading up to the American Revolution.  You'll join John Hancock and his privateers (also known as the Freedom Trail Players, wearing authentically detailed copies of 18th century clothing) in a raid on British warships in Boston Harbor. 

You'll get to help set the sails, decide whether you're with the Sons of Liberty or the British occupiers, and then be part of the action protesting the tea tax.  Will you help throw the tea into the Harbor?  If your children are with you, they'll learn some American history as they take part in the reenactment.  You may even get to snap a photo of them heaving the tea chests overboard. 

Prefer a more sedate tall ship cruise?  Opt for a gourmet catered Sunday brunch or weekday lunch.  The food is wonderful . . . and the views divine.  All of the Liberty Clipper cruises feature an on-board cash bar - so this is the time to sit back with a nice glass of wine and think about how life is good as you enjoy your 2 1/2 sail around the Harbor.  Or you can listen to a local historian who accompanies the trips and entertains passengers with tales and tidbits about local lore.

Steak and Lobster Dinner cruises are also offered on most weekends throughout the summer.   Wine Tasting Sails are another special treat.  You'll sample and learn about a variety of wines while munching on an assortment of hors d'oeuvres.

A much-anticipated event is the annual USS Constitution Turnaround Sail and firing of guns in Boston Harbor.  You'll have a perfect view from the Liberty Clipper if you opt for this special tall ship cruise. 

And when Sail Boston brings tall ships from all over the world to the city in July, a cruise on the Liberty Clipper lets you view them up close, as well as enjoy an on-deck cook-out and watch fireworks.  But that's only a small part of the week-long celebration. 

But there's even more . . . and if you like thrills, you're going to think this is the best part . . .

Ultimate tall ship cruise -  a Windjammer Schooner Race

The Liberty Clipper, like her ancestors, was built to fly across the waves . . . and what better way to get a true tall ship experience than to go on a race? 

For example, you can join the Gloucester Schooner Race in early September, a 3-day sail from Boston to Gloucester at the tip of Cape Ann, Boston's North Shore - and then back to Boston. 

You'll board the night before the voyage.  On the first full day, you'll pass Boston Light as you sail out the Harbor, and you may even see whales in Massachusetts Bay.  And you'll most likely see other schooners - 21 in total gathered for this tall ships event in 2008.  In the evening, you'll participate in a lighted Parade of Sail and then watch fireworks over the water. 

On the 2nd full day, you'll participate in the annual Gloucester Schooner Race, and then in the awards ceremony.  Finally, on the 3rd day, you'll enjoy a leisurely coastal sail back to Boston. 

For an even longer cruise on the Liberty Clipper . . .

Periodically, the Liberty Clipper offers sailing cruises around New England.  And every fall, you can cruise with the Liberty Clipper as she sails down to Baltimore, Maryland where she spends a few months.  Winters and early springs are spent in the Bahamas.  If you want to fly to Nassau, you can join a cruise vacation around the Bahama Islands.

On all of these special tall ship cruises, you can join the crew in raising the sails, steering the ship, plotting navigation . . . or you can relax with a book.  There's plenty of time to swim, explore the shore, and enjoy the fresh-cooked meals prepared by the ship's chef.

Details and directions

Dates/times:  Daily cruises in Boston Harbor take place from June through September.  Other cruises occur periodically - check Liberty Fleet's website for details
Departure location:  Central Wharf, to the north of the New England Aquarium
Cost:  Daily cruises - $30 Adults, $15 Children (12 and under).  Check website for other options.
Tickets and reservations:  617-742-0333; website; or buy tickets at Liberty Fleet's booth on Long Wharf (next to the Aquarium's Whale Watch kiosk)
Nearest T:  Blue Line/Aquarium
Nearest parking:  Boston parking garages near North End