The Tall Ships sailed into Boston Saturday as part of Sail Boston 2026 and the final stop of Sail250, a maritime celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Among those in attendance was Andover resident Abby Evangelista and her Corgi, Rocko, who was dressed in a sailor’s uniform and hat, which Abby says is rather common for him.
“Rocko gets dressed up for lots of occasions … sometimes just to go to the store, and he does so great with meeting people,” said Evangelista.
She says Rocko has an outfit for every occasion, especially when it comes to the other festivities around Boston this summer.
“We came out for the World Cup after the last [Scotland] game…he actually walked around wearing a Scottish flag and a traffic cone on his head,” she said. “Last week for the 4th of July, he was dressed as George Washington.”
Sail Boston 2026, commonly known as “the tall ships,” is the most recent of several events of national and international interest over the past few weeks in the Boston area, including several games of the World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday.
The MBTA provided free shuttle buses to bring spectators from the JFK/UMass Red Line stop to Castle Island, a peninsula at the mouth of Boston Harbor. The service drew thousands on top of those who opted to walk to Castle Island’s viewing points, resulting in lines stretching over a quarter of a mile as security personnel checked bags of everyone entering the grounds.
Sail Boston 2026 is the latest in a generational lineup of events this summer in Boston, bringing visitors from across the world.
Ships and sailors from countries such as Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador were welcomed with cheers and smiles, even as immigration enforcement operations and anti-Latino rhetoric remain prevalent across the country.
Sail Boston estimates four million visitors will come to see the over 50 vessels representing over 25 countries throughout next week, until their Thursday morning departure.
