Nearly 50 classic boats – both power and sail – will dock along Mystic Seaport’s waterfront for the Museum’s annual Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous, Saturday and Sunday, July 26-27.
The event showcases antique vessels built before 1965, including cruisers, sailboats, runabouts and launches. The boats are displayed at Mystic Seaport Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday morning. During the weekend, an award competition recognizes excellence in restoration, authenticity and workmanship.
Sunday at 12:45 p.m., the vessels leave the Museum for a three-mile parade down the historic Mystic River. Each boat is announced from the shore as it passes through Mystic’s famous Bascule Bridge on to Noank. Townspeople and tourists line the parade route to catch a glimpse of these boats and their costumed crews.
Leading the parade will be the Museum’s own steamboat Sabino, this year’s featured vessel who is celebrating her centennial anniversary. Built in East Boothbay, Maine, in 1908, Sabino entered service for the Damariscotta Steamboat Company and spent her days delivering passengers to the numerous hotels along the Damariscotta River. In 1975, the steamer arrived at Mystic Seaport and began a new era of passenger service. The significant restoration and meticulous care she received at the Museum was recognized in 1992 when Congress designated Sabino a National Historic Landmark. As one of the last wooden, coal-fired steamboats still in operation, Sabino continues to offer Mystic Seaport visitors half-hour and 90-minute cruises mid-May through Columbus Day.
For more information about the Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous, visit www.mysticseaport.org.