Category: Schooner

Weekend after weekend there are amazing things to do around here, we all know that.  But this weekend is a biggie- Schooner Festival.  I’m not sure how it slipped off my radar but you can rest assured that will will be covering the shit out it here in these pages.

Marty and Barbara will be aboard the Press Boat, Paulie Walnuts will be getting shots from his favorite perches above the harbor and we will have pictures and video. 

You know the drill- if you have some great footage pictures or youtube video you want to upload send me the links and we will Live Blog It like we do so many other events.

GMG will be THE PLACE to follow along with the action if you can’t be there yourself- believe that!

Here’s the press release from the Chamber-

27th Annual
GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FESTIVAL
Labor Day Weekend

The Gloucester Schooner Festival will take place Labor Day weekend, September 2nd through the 4th, 2011.  It’s Gloucester’s major marine event, with participating vessels coming from ports along the Eastern Seaboard.  There will be both large and small vessels—ranging from 19 feet to over 100 feet in length.  You will see new boats and old boats, from newly built to over 100 years old!  Schooners include Gloucester’s Thomas E. Lannon and American Eagle from Rockland, Maine, and many more. Salem’s tallship Friendship will also join in the festivities.  New this year will be the entry of Gloucester’s newest schooner, Harold Burnham’s Ardelle.

The Mayor’s Race is the major event of every Schooner Festival and will take place this year on Sunday, September 4th, with fifteen schooners expected to compete for the Esperanto Cup, the Cameron Cup, and the Ramsey Plate.  Racing starts on Saturday afternoon with seven classes of traditional small craft from 19 to 45 feet long.

An obvious choice for boat lovers, the Schooner Festival also offers plenty of shore side events.  On Saturday, these include Gloucester Maritime Heritage Day, walking tours of Gloucester’s harbor front (hosted by The Schooner Adventure), the lighted boat parade, and a gala fireworks display over Gloucester Harbor. Sunday morning, a grand Parade of Sail passes the Boulevard promenade (Stacy Boulevard, Route 127) as the schooners head out to sea for the Mayor’s Race.  In addition, Festival-goers won’t want to miss Gloucester’s many attractions, including art exhibits, beaches, fishing, museums, dining, historical sites, whale watching, and more! 

The Gloucester Schooner Festival is made possible with the generous support of our sponsors: TD Bank, Market Basket, and the Schooner Thomas E. Lannon. The Festival is planned and organized by the Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee, composed of representatives of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the City of Gloucester, the U.S. Coast Guard, the business community, and private citizens.

A full schedule of events is available online at www.capeannvacations.com/schooner.

and the schedule-

Twenty-Seventh Annual
Gloucester Schooner Festival™
September 2-5, 2011

The Festival is sponsored by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
(Schedule will be updated as events are confirmed. Last update: 8/20/2011.)

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
(subject to change)

Friday, September 2, 2011

All Day Arrival of Participating Vessels.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Cape Ann Museum visiting hours.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Essex Shipbuilding Museum visiting hours.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Maritime Gloucester visiting hours.

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Mayor’s Reception for invited guests. Sponsored by the Schooner Adventure.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

10:00 a.m.
Skippers Meeting for all Traditional Small Craft, at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.

10:00 a.m
Gloucester’s Working Waterfront Walking Tour. Join Schooner Adventure at the Fishermen’s Memorial for a guided walking tour of the Gloucester’s Working Waterfront. Looking at old photographs and maps, we will go back to the days of Gloucester’s fishing heyday. Old companies and buildings will be identified at their original locations as we make our way to Duncan Point.
($5 per person)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Gloucester Maritime Heritage Day Maritime Gloucester (formerly the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center), located at 23 Harbor Loop in downtown Gloucester, will host its annual Heritage Day celebration from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Center’s exhibits and aquarium will be open free of charge throughout the day. Free to all.

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Maritime Saturday with Schooner Adventure at the Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck. Maritime Tool Flea Market, Open House on the 1926 Schooner Adventure, View the 1925 Gillnetter Phyllis A., Dory and gill netting fishing presentations, Dress-up  like a Gloucester fisherman, Children’s Activities and Ship’s Store. Free admission.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Cape Ann Museum visiting hours.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Essex Shipbuilding Museum visiting hours.

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Start of Sailing Races for Traditional Small Craft, off Eastern Point Light.

6:00 p.m.
Festival Crew Party for invited guests.

7:30 p.m.
Boat "Parade of Lights".

9:15 p.m.
Fireworks Display over Gloucester Harbor. (following Parade of Lights, time approximate)
(The Gloucester Fireworks Committee is in need of more donations for the Labor Day weekend fireworks. Donations may be made to The Gloucester Fund, 45 Middle St., Gloucester, MA 01930. Please notate "fireworks" on your donation.)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

8:30 a.m.
Skippers Meeting for all Schooners sailing in Mayor’s Race at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Open House at the Schooner Adventure at the Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck.

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of Charge.

10:00 am – 3:00 pm            
Open House at the Schooner Adventure, Gloucester Marine Railways, Rocky Neck.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Essex Shipbuilding Museum visiting hours.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm            
Maritime Gloucester visiting hours.

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.

1:00 p.m.
Start of Mayor’s Race for Esperanto Cup, Ned Cameron Trophy and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point.

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Reception and Awards Ceremony for contestants and invited guests.

Monday, September 5, 2011

"Rain Day" for recovery from postponements caused by inclement weather. ONLY IF REQUIRED.