Good morning, everyone, and happy almost Fourth of July!

Bowdoin is sitting comfortably here in Yorktown, Virginia, where we’ve been able to complete some ship maintenance and spend time exploring the local museums. The crew is doing well despite the heat, although we did get a welcome reprieve from the northeast winds yesterday.

Yorktown is a particularly significant port stop as we celebrate America’s independence, as this is where the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War took place. In October 1781, General George Washington and the French allied forces besieged Lord Cornwallis, culminating in his surrender. That victory effectively ended British combat operations and led to the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which secured America’s independence.

The history here is rich and continues to be brought to life through Yorktown’s excellent preservation efforts. Our mates did a fantastic job organizing a tour for the students, covering many of the major historical sites, including the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and several monuments. A perfect way to wrap up the port stop was, of course, ice cream for everyone!

Now, to catch you up on what we’ve been doing before arriving in Yorktown.

Norfolk was a real eye-opening experience for the crew as we met large sail training ships from around the world and participated in the Parade of Sail. Bowdoin had the honor of being the first vessel to set sail to kick off the event, something that certainly caught the attention of the festival organizers. We then took our place behind the Ecuadorian tall ship Guayas. The parade covered approximately 26 nautical miles and took about five hours, with us sailing as much as possible while maintaining our position in the procession.

Once alongside, we opened Bowdoin to the public. Over the next three and a half days, we welcomed more than 1,000 visitors aboard. The crew did a fantastic job sharing their own experiences while telling the stories of Bowdoin and Maine Maritime Academy. We rotated the watches ashore throughout the festival, with some enjoying time at the beach while others explored the city and toured the visiting ships.

After departing Norfolk, we headed to Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore for some well-earned crew rest. We enjoyed another beach day and completed several small shipboard projects before getting underway again.

From Cape Charles, we crossed back over the Chesapeake Bay to St. Mary’s City, Maryland, for another educational stop. We docked at the Maryland Dove’s pier at Historic St. Mary’s City, a living history museum and archaeological site that preserves Maryland’s first colonial capital. After spending the night alongside, we got underway once again and made an overnight passage here to Yorktown.

Now we prepare for the 288-nautical-mile leg to New York City, where we’ll be joining even more tall ships and participating in two Parades of Sail—one on the East River and another on the Hudson River. It’s shaping up to be another exciting chapter in the voyage, and we’re looking forward to sharing more updates from the road ahead.

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