Today I went on a tour of the USCGS Barque Eagle that is docked in Charleston for a few days. It is the largest tall ship flying the US colors and is the only square rigger in US government service. It is 295 ft. long and carries 150 Coast Guard cadets. Five identical ships were built in Germany. Following WWII, it was taken as a war prize by the US and became a training ship for the Coast Guard. It was truly impressive to see the amount of sail area and the rigging on this ship. To maneuver Eagle under sail, the crew must handle more than 22, 000 sq. ft. of sail and five miles of rigging! If the ship comes to a port near you, it is worth seeing.
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