"Trip of a Lifetime"

RiverMead Residents sailing aboard the Piscataqua Tall Ship in the 'Parade of Sails' event August 2019

RiverMead Residents joined in the Portsmouth Tall Ships "Parade of Sail"

By Melissa McCutcheon

After an early dinner of fresh lobster at Newick's Lobster House in Dover New Hampshire we headed to Prescott Park in Portsmouth near Strawbery Banke where the Piscataqua, Portsmouth's Tall Ship is berthed. We boarded the Piscataqua, a single mast replica gundalow that launched in 2011. Gundalows, flat bottom cargo vessels, date back to the mid-1600s and were common in New Hampshire and Maine rivers for centuries.

I suppose once you have raised the sail aboard a tall ship you can officially call yourself a sailor!

As we gathered in the harbor along with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, the Linx, and the Roseway we were greeted with a U.S. Navy fireboat official welcome water spray! With dusk approaching we seamlessly slipped into line with the other tall ships and began our sail into Portsmouth. Boats passing by and viewers on land were waving as we sailed by. We laughed as we practiced our parade wave back.

The beautiful colors of the sky reflected into the evening sea around us. RiverMead Resident-Voyagers sipped on champagne as the sun set over the silhouette of Portsmouth's Memorial Bridge.

As the 'official' Sailors stepped off the bus later that night, back at RiverMead I heard one exclaim, "That was a trip of a lifetime!"