As local yacht insurance providers, Global Marine Insurance is thrilled to be the main event sponsor of the Traverse City Schooner Festival 2014. We invite you to come and join in the festivities!

The Traverse City Schooner Festival 2014 is a community-wide celebration of Northern Michigan’s maritime history. Our region’s rich and storied past has inspired a fantastic three days of activities designed to captivate the imaginations of all ages.

Mark your calendar! The festival runs September 19 to 21 and includes the spectacular Parade of Sails on Friday, September 19th. It is truly breathtaking to see the Tall Ships, sails unfurled, skillfully crewed and navigated through the waters of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.

If you love the sight of wind in the sails of majestic schooners as much as our yacht insurance specialists do, we’ll see you there! It is always stunning to catch sight of the Tall Ships from the shore, but only a limited number of guests can enjoy the Parade of Sails aboard one of the schooners. Tickets to sail on a Great Lakes schooner are $100 per person and must be booked in advance online.

If you want to watch the Parade of Sails from the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, several participating restaurants along the water’s edge will offer the opportunity while you dine. When the schooners return to the marina, they will be met by lovely, traditional acoustic music played on hammer dulcimers, bodhran, and concertinas by the very talented band Hammer’d.

There is another way to see the Tall Ships up close during the weekend of the Traverse City Schooner Festival 2014: two days of deck tours and cruises aboard the sailing vessels at Clinch Park Marina and the Discovery Center Great Lakes dock. Participating schooners include:
● MHA’s Madeline, Traverse City, MI
● ISEA’s Inland Seas, Suttons Bay, MI
● Tallship Manitou, Traverse City, MI
● Denis Sullivan, Milwaukee, WI
● Friends Good Will, South Haven, MI
● Champion, Traverse City, MI
A weekend pass for deck tours is $15 per adult and $12.50 per child. You may purchase weekend deck tour passes online in advance.

Families with young children should note that there are a few very special events not to be missed: a 90-minute sail aboard the Friends Good Will tall ship chasing pirates to keep the bay safe  (geared to children ages four and older accompanied by an adult on September 19, 20, 21 – times vary); a Pirate Pancake Breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. on September 20 that includes a sea shanty sing-along; and a children’s matinee performance of The Pirates! Band of Misfits at The State at 10 a.m. on September 20. More information and links to booking advance online tickets can be found on the Maritime Alliance website.

There are several pre-Schooner Festival events scheduled from September 16-18 to warm everyone up for the main celebration. These include book readings, a two-hour sailing passage on the Maritime Heritage Alliance ship Champion, two seats at a delicious Great Lakes Fish Boil at Black Star Farms, historical talks, the nautical-themed Art of the Watershed Opening Reception, a Meet the Crews reception to mingle with the captains of the sailing ships, and a special wine tasting. Full details and links to booking advance online tickets are on the Maritime Alliance website here.

For anyone who shares the enthusiasm of our yacht insurance specialists for all things boat and marine-related, check out the schedule of events for the additional maritime history festival activities that run from September 20-28. These include theatrical performances; movies; concerts; and presentations by Michigan authors, historians, and craftsmen. More information and ticket details are available online here.

Contact the marine insurance professionals at Global Marine Insurance for all your yacht, boat, and marine insurance needs.