Boston Harbor fills with tall ships for Sail250 parade of sail

USS Constitution led a parade of tall ships through Boston Harbor on Saturday as Sail Boston® 2026 opened with a maritime procession tied to Sail250, the 250th-anniversary commemoration of the United States. More than 50 vessels took part, and more than 60 ships filled the harbor as crews from around the world arrived for the weeklong gathering.

The flotilla moved in formations from Broad Sound into the main channel, along the Boston waterfront and around Charlestown before heading to assigned berths. Boston’s harborfront became the center of the celebration, with public viewing points at Castle Island, the Seaport District, the Boston Waterfront, East Boston, the North End and Charlestown, and road closures and restricted travel affected South Boston as well.

Sail Boston Festival programming ran July 11 through July 15 at 302 Northern Avenue, with public boarding scheduled Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., plus special boarding times at Boston Fish Pier. Fireworks were set for Saturday and Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. from a barge off Fan Pier, a U.S. Coast Guard search-and-rescue demonstration was planned for Sunday, and a Crew & Cadet Street Parade on Monday was set to bring 1,000 sailors and crew members through the city.

The city was named an official port of Sail250, placing its harbor at the center of a national milestone that paired military ships and tall ships with crews, cadets and visitors from abroad. A ceremonial opening on Friday at the Boston Harbor Hotel Rotunda included a Blessing of the Sails and flag presentations from each participating country.

Tall ships in Boston Harbor caused delays and cancellations at Logan Airport. Even before the parade began, spectators lined the Cape Cod Canal on July 10 to watch vessels, including the Schooner Bowdoin from Maine Maritime Academy, make their way toward Boston.