Tall Ship Providence To Dock At Alexandria Marina For Year

ALEXANDRIA, VA—City Council is set to consider the short-term agreement for Tall Ship Providence, a replica of the Navy's first warships arriving in Alexandria this summer.

Under the short-term agreement, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation would dock the ship at the Alexandria City Marina's G/H Pier for one year. The ship is being restored currently and could sail into Alexandria in mid-June. The ship could open to the public in July.

Once the ship is open, visitors can climb aboard and learn about 18th century life on the sea and the history of the original ship, and meet a John Paul Jones reenactor. Weekly sails, craft brew cruises with Port City Brewing Company and private tours will further bolster entertainment offerings on the waterfront.

The proposed schedule for Tall Ship Providence is as follows:

• Public tours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays
• Craft beer cruise from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday
• Pirate cruise from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and pirate or sunset cruise from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday
• Private charters from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily
• Lectures, classes and other educational activities from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday

Under the short-term agreement, the ship would be at the city marina through May 31, 2020. Afterward, the foundation seeks to open a visitor center at Waterfront Park in 2020. Approval of the long-term plan for the ship will be coordinated with the flood mitigation construction project at Waterfront Park.

Tall Ship Providence is known for appearances in "Pirates of the Caribbean." A descendant of the original ship built the replica in 1976 for America's Bicentennial. The Tall Ship Providence Foundation purchased it from Rhode Island.

The agreement for Tall Ship Providence will be presented to City Council on April 9 with a public hearing on April 13. For more about the ship, visit tallshipprovidence.org.