'America's Tall Ship' to sail by the Golden Gate Bridge
The largest tall ship in U. S. government service, the U. S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle. Photo: US Coast Guard
SAN FRANCISCO - The largest tall ship in U. S. government service, the U. S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle, was floating under the Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday, when KTVU will be along for the ride.
The Coast Guard is inviting the media to ride aboard the Eagle and it sails under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Eagle is 295 feet long, has 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, the Coast Guard said.
Its nickname is "America's Tall Ship," and it's the first visit to the San Francisco Bay since 2008, the Coast Guard said.
Originally commissioned for the German Navy, the Eagle was built in 1936 in Hamburg, Germany. The ship was a war reparation to the United States after World War II.
It now serves as a classroom at sea for recruits in the Coast Guard Academy.
The Eagle will stop in San Francisco as part of a 14-week tour along the West Coast.
The ship will be moored at Pier 17 near the Exploration in San Francisco on Saturday with free tours available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
It will leave on Sunday and return on July 25 to once again offer free tours.