Alpena, MI - A replica of the U.S. Brig Niagara, a warship that helped Americans defeat the British in one of the biggest naval battles in the War of 1812, will be among the vessels featured at the second annual Tall Ships® Festival, August 16-18. The event, hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve (TBNMSUP) and the City of Alpena, celebrates the rich 200-year maritime history of the Great Lakes.
Last year’s festival was such a success that this year it has been expanded to three days and features replicas of the schooners Madeline, HMS Bee and the warship U.S. Brig Niagara. Each of these majestic sailing ships played a unique role in the maritime adventures that characterized life on the Great Lakes during the 1800’s.

The original U.S. Brig Niagara was Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship in the battle of Lake Erie, the biggest naval confrontation during the War of 1812. When British victory seemed all but certain, the tide of the battle turned when the Niagara inflicted heavy damage on three of the British warships, defeating the British and ending their chance to dominate the upper Great Lakes.

The HMS Bee is a replica of a Royal Navy transport schooner, which operated on the Upper Great Lakes after the War of 1812. She sails from the Discovery Harbour Provincial Historic Site in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada under an “Honorary Warrant” of the Royal Navy. The Bee’s crewmembers are volunteers trained by the Marine Heritage Association. “Alpena was such a terrific host city last season,” said Jim Spurr, a director with the M.H.A., “we would never miss the opportunity to call on a port with so much appreciation for its nautical heritage.”

"The City of Alpena welcomes the second annual Tall Ships Festival,” said Alpena Mayor Phil Ludlow. “This year's festival builds upon the success of last year's event and the tall ships will once again allow our citizens and visitors to step back in time. Just over 100 years ago, tall ships were a common sight in the port of Alpena and the 2nd annual Thunder Bay Tall Ships Festival gives Alpena another opportunity to show we are truly a 'Warm and Friendly Port.'"
The third vessel, the Madeline, is a reconstruction of the mid-19th century Madeline trading schooner, which earned historical significance when its cargo hold became the first non-Indian school in the Grand Traverse region. "The original schooner Madeline sailed these same waters in the 1840's and 50's," said Captain Joe Neihardt. "The replica wooden trading schooner Madeline, hopes to bring to life the ships, people and daily life of the over 150 years ago. Madeline helps people experience how enterprising men and women opened this area for all of us."

These vessels are representative of maritime history captured in the numerous shipwrecks in Lake Huron, where unpredictable weather, murky fog banks and sudden gales coupled with rocky shoals helped Thunder Bay earn the unfortunate name of “Shipwreck Alley.”

Preservation, protection and interpretation of this maritime history are the goal of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve. The 448-square mile sanctuary/preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from 19th century wooden side-wheelers to 20th century steel-hulled steamers.

“The rich maritime history of Thunder Bay is what makes this sanctuary so unique,” said Lori Arguelles, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Executive Director. “The Foundation is delighted to once again support this important community event.”

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation supports the outreach and education efforts of the National Marine Sanctuary System, part of the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Through public and private sector partnerships, The Foundation creates conservation-based programs designed to preserve, protect and promote these underwater treasures. For more information see www.nmsfocean.org.

Crewmembers aboard each of the vessels will give tours and tells stories about the experiences of shipboard life. On land, the festival features sword fights, musical entertainment and stories from Michigan’s past and will include entertainment from Song of the Lakes, the Beach Bards, and Ring of Steel. Admission will be $5 for adults, $3 for ages 5-17, and free for children under the age of 5.