Head to New London for Tall Ship Kalmar Nyckel, Pirate-Fest

The Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware, is coming to New London. It is a replica of a colonial-era ship that settled in Delaware.

It is a replica of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was the earliest Swedish ship to arrive in America, according to the National Maritime Historical Society.  

It was the “flagship for the 1638 expedition that founded the colony of New Sweden, establishing the first permanent European settlement” in present-day Wilmington, Delaware, according to the National Maritime Historical Society.

The ship made four roundtrip crossings of the Atlantic, which the society said was more than any other documented ship of the American colonial era.

The current ship sails from Virginia to New England each season and serves as a floating classroom.

A pirate fest is planned for Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Downtown New London Association is inviting people to dress like a pirate and enjoy Kalmar Nyckel ship tours, pirate crafts, and cannon demonstrations.

The Downtown New London Association posted that the Niantic Children’s Museum will have free pirate hat-making for children,

New London Youth Affairs will be passing out Pirate-themed children’s books for free for children to take home.

Learn more about pirate fest here.

The Tall Ship of Delaware will be in New London from Aug. 18-21. It will sail from New London Pier.

There will be some free deck tours.

Some day sails are scheduled but they appear to be sold out.

Tickets go for $65 for adults and $40 for youth 12 and under.