Bastille Day / La Féte Nationale

Flags on the Square Topsail Schooner "Etoile" when it visited Boston in 2009.

Skywatch Friday

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Ships

Skywatch Friday

Ships, Boston Harbor.


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Masts

Masts and Rigging

Colombian Tall Ship Gloria.

Spirit of Boston

Célébrons ! Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day! This is a French flag on the square topsail schooner Étoile from France. The Étoile and her sister ship La Belle-Poule were in Boston as part of the Tall Ship Atlantic Challenge 2009.

The two 124' ships are French naval schooners used as training vessels in the French military. Their home port is Brest, France. The sisters were both launched on February 8, 1932 as replicas of a type of fishing vessel, which was used off the coast of Iceland until 1935.

Both the Étoile and the Belle Poule joined the Free French forces during the Second World War, a deed for which they are still honored by flying the French flag with the cross of Lorraine.

Two of the crewmen. One from the Étoile and one from La Belle Poule.


A map of the voyages of the sister ships during the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge.

As you can see if you enlarge the map, they have been at sea since April and do not return home for another month. A great adventure and learning experience for the young sailors.

Monochrome Monday

Ship rigging from one of the tall ships in Boston as part of the Tall Ship Atlantic Challenge 2009. The ships leave Boston today heading for Halifax, Nova Scotia and then on to Belfast, No. Irl. Come back tomorrow for a little more of the tall ships and a special celebration.

Follow this link to see other Monochrome Maniacs and their pictures this week.

Ships and lines

Foggy morning

Contemplating ships in the harbor on a foggy morning.

Boston Harbor

Some sailing ships tied up at Fort Point Channel with part of the Boston skyline in the background.

Boston Harbor

A container ship from London docking in South Boston.