GALVESTON, Texas — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, “America’s Tall Ship,” arrived in Galveston for the first time since 1972 on Friday morning.
After leading a Parade of Sail comprising Coast Guard and port partner vessels, Eagle entered the moor at Pier 21 and will be open for free public tours.
At 295 feet in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service.
Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy curriculum.
This summer, Coast Guard Academy Cadets completed a transatlantic voyage and experienced port calls in Azores, Iceland and Bermuda.
Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and 6 miles of rigging.
The cutter was constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.
Originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II.
Tours are available:
- Friday, June 10, noon to 4 p.m. for public tours
- Saturday, June 11: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for military/first responder tours (with valid ID), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for public tours
- Sunday, June 12: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for military/first responder tours (with valid ID), 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for public tours