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Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009. The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn. East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.
City Sightseeing offers 13 stops to cover it all, from the most prominent museums to the local Aquarium! Right after the Skolten Cruise Pier, our route will take you to Bus Stop 2, the Bryggen & Hensa Museum, to get a grasp of the local cultural heritage. Or hop-off at Bus Stop 9, to visit the Bergen Museum. Bus Stop 7 takes you to The National Stage, one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway. Follow the steps of Amalie Skram, a Norwegian author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing, and visit the Norwegian fortress Fredriskberg at Bus Stop 6. Enjoy the view from our open-top red busses and just hop-off whenever you spot something you would like to explore further. Whenever you are ready, just wait for the next bus and hop back on. No need to deal with complicated (and expensive) public transport system. Book your 24h ticket with City Sightseeing today and make sure you get to see it all!
There are 6 color coded course that get progressively more challenging as you go:
Green = Minimum Elevation/Minimum Skill
Blue = Medium Elevation/ Medium Skill
Silver = Advanced Elevation/Medium Skill
Red = Advanced Elevation/Advanced Skill
Tickets and Height Requirement Notes
Kids 7-11
Children on these courses are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 4’7″ (140cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground
Junior 9
Height Requirement: Adventurers on the Junior Course are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 5’9″ (175cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground.
Adult 12
Height Requirement: Adult Course adventure seekers are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 5’11” (180cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground
(An adult 18 must accompany any minors 12-14 on the Adult courses)
What To Wear
Long hair MUST be tied back so as not to get caught on any equipment.
Sturdy closed-toed sport sandals/shoes/boots are required and should be worn securely.
NO jewelry. Necklaces/bracelets can get caught in equipment.
Avoid loose clothing. Fitted apparel, worn tight to the body is best to climb.
Note: Guests not wearing the appropriate clothing may be refused access to activities to ensure that safety guidelines are met.
DON’T FORGET WAIVERS: Please fill out your waiver so you can experience the thrill of our tree top adventure. All Climbers must have signed waiver.
UNDER 18: Waiver must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT- Climbers must have a 44 inch waist or smaller to be able to use our required safety equipment.
WEIGHT LIMIT There is no weight limit to participate on our courses.
A day of fun in the sun on the Gulf Coast of Mexico at Clearwater Beach Enjoy a relaxing day at the beach Free time to enjoy the beach, walk along the pier, take a swim etc
Flagship's harbor cruises are the most beautiful, comfortable, educational way to enjoy the best of San Diego. Take in the sights, sounds and stories of the bay on a relaxing cruise. Enjoy a unique perspective on San Diego that you can only get from the water. Your professional local guide will share entertaining facts and history that helped to shape our city’s distinctive waterfront. Our luxury ships feature three levels with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, 360-degree views, and an onboard snack bar serving snacks, soda, beer, wine and cocktails. Our North Harbor and South Harbor tours explore unique scenic waterfront architecture, landmarks, sea life and spectacular photo opportunities. For the best value, choose the 2-hour combined tour and see it all! Now with free WiFi onboard.
1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off (24 hrs. ) Official City Tour and Sausalito Tour See the most iconic sites of San Francisco! The 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Pass combines two diverse tours on one incredible value ticket! It gives you the opportunity to explore Downtown San Francisco, the world famous GoldenGate Bridge, Golden Gate Park and charming Sausalito with unlimited hop-on hop-off use for 24 hours. You can hop on and off the bus at any of the designated City Sightseeing stops to explore all major sights of San Francisco at your own pace. AUDIO GUIDE in VARIOUS LANGUAGES: The tour is available with audio guide in English, Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Korean on every other bus throughout the day. Please ask at the City Sightseeing office for further information. Official City Tour The tour departs from Fisherman’s Wharf, taking you along the Embarcadero, Barbary Coast, the Ferry Building,Financial District, and right into San Francisco’s central shopping area at Union Square, before heading to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. At South Vista Point you can walk across the 1.7 mile span of the bridge, or you can explore the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center and the Presidio. The tour continues into Golden Gate Park, one of the world’s largest man-made havens and one of the most popular places to see in San Francisco. With several stops throughout the park, you can visit the California Academy of Sciences, the De Young Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden, or the Botanical Gardens. Continuing the tour through Haight Ashbury, you will experience the so called “Hippie District”, before we head into the Civic Center area with many architectural landmarks, such as our impressive City Hall, the Opera House, Symphony Hall, the Asian Museum of Art and the public library. Passing Union Square, the tour continues into Chinatown and North Beach with its world-famous crooked Lombard Street, before returning to Fisherman’s Wharf, stopping at various waterfront locations, including Pier 39 where you can see the popular sea lions and explore the restaurants, shopping and many attractions for more fun in San Francisco. Sausalito Tour Take this tour from South Vista Point to have the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge from an open top bus while driving across the bridge to North Vista Point. From there you have breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay (weather permitting), and on a nice day you can see the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz Island and the Bay Bridge, making it a great photo stop for every visitor. The tour continues into Marin County and stops in charming Sausalito where you can hop off the bus, stroll around, shop, dine, visit various art galleries and enjoy a relaxing lunch by the waterfront.