By Beth David, Editor
Public invited to tour “America’s Tall Ship” in NB
Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, “America’s Tall Ship,” is scheduled to visit New Bedford, Aug. 10-13. The 295-foot Barque Eagle is set to dock at the State Pier Friday, Aug. 10, and will have the following free and public tour schedule:
Friday, Aug. 10, 1-4 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12, 1 -5 p.m.
The Coast Guard Band will perform a series of pop-up concerts on Friday throughout the towns of New Bedford and Fairhaven.
A permanent crew of eight officers and 57 enlisted personnel maintain the Eagle and guide Coast Guard Academy cadets through an underway and in-port training schedule, dedicated to learning the skills of navigation, damage control, watchstanding, engineering, and deck seamanship.
At 295-feet in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship in United States government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessell by the German Navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II.
The majestic sailing ship provides USCG Academy cadets and officer candidates with their first taste of sea and salt air. 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 USCG Academy curriculum. The Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging.
Eagle’s homeport is Baltimore, MD. In Summer 2019 its homeport will shift to New London, CT. For more information about the ship, please visit http://www.cga.edu/eagle/
Free US Coast Guard Band Concert in Fairhaven
The United States Coast Guard Band will perform patriotic music on Saturday, August 11 at the Fairhaven Town Hall. Music will begin at 6 p.m. Come early, it’s sure to be a popular event. Lawn seating only, audience members should bring chairs or blankets. No tickets required. Seating is on Center Street and the lawns of the Town Hall and Library. In the event of rain, the concert will be performed at Hastings Middle School on School Street.
The Coast Guard Band is made up of 55 musicians and located at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. It is the premier band representing the USCG and the Department of Homeland Security. The ensemble has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the nation, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. The Band also has a rich history of performing internationally.
The USCG Band was organized in March 1925. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed congressional legislation resulting in the Coast Guard Band becoming the permanent, official musical representative of the nation’s oldest continuous seagoing service. This event also established the Coast Guard Band as one of our nation’s premier service bands.
To learn more about the USCG band, visit https://www.uscg.mil/Community/Band/ •••
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