Parade of historic ships coming to Vallejo

VALLEJO – The iconic square-rigged tall ship Balclutha, a three-masted cargo vessel from the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, is set to arrive Wednesday evening at its new home on Mare Island, where it will remain for the foreseeable future.

The ship’s relocation is funded through a $102 million renovation initiative funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund. The project involves relocating five historic ships from San Francisco’s Hyde Street Pier to Mare Island while the aging piers undergo major repairs.

The Balclutha will be the third vessel to arrive in Vallejo. The schooner C.A. Thayer docked on April 4, followed by the steam-powered tug Eppleton Hall on April 9. Both can currently be seen moored outside the historic Coal Sheds on Mare Island.

Two additional ships are expected in the coming months: the steam ferry Eureka, the largest of the fleet at nearly 300 feet, and the ocean-going tug Hercules. All ships except Eppleton Hall are designated National Historic Landmarks.

The Balclutha crew faces a 6–10 hour journey, depending on tide and weather, before arriving at Mare Island. Its voyage can be tracked in real time via the MarineTraffic website or app.

Towing duties will once again fall to local company Lind Marine, based on Mare Island. Their tugboats, the Barbara and Bernice Lind, previously towed Eppleton Hall and will now escort Balclutha through the bay waters.

Kent Fortner, co-founder of the Mare Island Brewing Company, calls Balclutha “the belle of the ball.” His brewery, located near the dock, is planning a “pop-up welcome” in collaboration with the Vallejo Yacht Club, Chamber of Commerce, and Mare Island Historic Park Foundation.

“It’s just a call to the community to come down to the waterfront and watch that majestic ship come in,” Fortner said. “The brewery will be open, of course, and we’ll play some music out front.”

A more formal celebration is also in the works, tentatively scheduled for May 29. Organizers hope to include a stage, seating, speakers, and the singing of appropriate sea shanties.

Even without advertising, Fortner says there’s already been an uptick in visitors: “It’s going to be amazing seeing that tall ship coming down the strait and docking at Mare Island.”

The National Park Service has opened a new workshop in the Coal Sheds to support ship maintenance while they remain docked at Mare Island. Some of the vessels, including the C.A. Thayer and Balclutha, have already been extensively renovated at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda. 

The renovation of the Hercules, built with a hot-riveted steel hull, required a specialist crew flown in from Alaska, one of the few regions where hot rivet construction remains in use.

The Eureka’s renovation will be the largest of all. While Hercules and Eureka will arrive in the coming month, Eureka and Eppleton Hall will then leave again for their respective restorations, the details of which are yet to be finalized.

Eventually, the National Park Service plans to reopen the ships to the public while they’re docked in Vallejo. That next phase will involve installing gangways, training docents, and potentially organizing guided tours along the waterfront. 

Meanwhile, local businesses are eager to embrace the historic ships as part of Mare Island’s economic and cultural revival. “All the food and beverage folks are super eager,” Fortner said. “It adds another stop to the eating and drinking lap of the island.”

That unofficial lap, nicknamed the “Wet Mile,” features stops like Redwood Empire Distillery (formerly Savage & Cooke), Vino Godfather Winery, The Quarters Coffee House, and of course, the Mare Island Brewing Co.

“I’ve been through so many Mare Island initiatives that ended in disappointment, that I’m sort of conditioned to not get to excited,” Fortner said. “But what a treasure to have these ships grace our shores and help bring a spotlight to this incredible Island and town.”