A Russian sailboat named Pilgrim will call the port of Yorktown home for the next week as it takes a break from circumnavigating the Earth.
Yorktown Dockmaster James Scruggs said the Pilgrim was expected to sail up the York River Wednesday evening and dock for five to seven days in Yorktown.
“This is the first time we’ve had a Russian tall ship come to Yorktown,” Scruggs said.
The tall ship, which is only about 50 feet long and has about five crew members, will be open to the public for tours while docked at the Riverwalk Landing Piers.
Free tours will be offered on the square-rigged tall ship from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. More details will be posted on the Visit Yorktown Facebook page as they become available, Scruggs said.
Pilgrim has been sailing around the world to promote Russia’s culture and traditions. A Facebook page for the ship shows multiple journal-like posts of the ship’s voyage around the world so far.
Pilgrim is coming to Yorktown from Florida after it sailed down past the Bahamas.
Scruggs said he’s been emailing back and forth with the ship’s captain about coming to Yorktown, which Scruggs has worked to make more approachable for tall ships.
“We try to lay out the red carpet and treat our tall ships extremely well.” Scruggs said. “When word gets out how you treat tall ships, they’ll come into port.”
Scruggs added the tall ship community is “really small” and many tall ships communicate with one another.
“The tall ships when you see them coming down the river, it brings you back,” Scruggs added.
The ship will eventually make its way toward Boston before continuing on its voyage around the world.
For more information on the arrival of Pilgrim, follow the Visit Yorktown Facebook page.
