A one-time Nazi ship that is now property of the US Coast Guard will be spending Saturday in San Francisco, as the Coast Guard vessel Barque Eagle will be at Pier 17 and giving free tours all day Saturday.
The largest tall ship that flies the American flag will be in San Francisco this weekend, according to the Chronicle, and the Barque Eagle has a pretty interesting historical backstory. The ship, also known as WIX 327, is historically interesting because it was built as a Nazi German ship in 1936. It was handed over to the US as reparations after World War II, now belongs to the US Coast Guard, and it will be in SF all day Saturday with tours of the ship being given for free.
“US Coast Guard Barque Eagle (WIX 327) will visit San Francisco for the first time since 2008 and be open to visitors on June 28,” the Coast Guard said in an announcement last Friday. “Eagle will be moored at Pier 17 near the Exploratorium museum and will offer free public tours from 10 am to 7 pm on June 28.”
The ship will certainly stand out, because it’s 295 feet long, and has 14 separate sails.
And while Barque Eagle operates as something of a tourist attraction, it is still being used by the Coast Guard as a training ship, which they’ve been using it as since 1946. According to the Coast Guard, the ship is used for “at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the Coast Guard Academy.”
It’s true that you’ll only have Saturday to tour the Barque Eagle if you want to, but it will be coming back again just about a month later. “Eagle will depart on June 29, but will make a return visit to San Francisco on July 25 and will be open for visitors that weekend as well,” the Coast Guard's announcement says. “Tour times to be determined.”
Related: Mexican Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc Arrives In SF [SFist]
Image: US Coast Guard via Facebook
