Delaware’s tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, is a replica of the original sailing vessel that first brought Swedish settlers to Delaware. For many years, the ship would sail from its home base in Wilmington to Lewes, either to the city dock in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, as shown on this postcard, or at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal along the coast of Delaware Bay.
In this photograph from April 2005, the ship is anchored at the Lewes city dock. The last time the Kalmar Nyckel visited Lewes was 2017. Plans to bring the ship to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal in 2018 were scrapped after silting at finger piers made the depth too shallow for the ship to dock. At the time, a Delaware River & Bay Authority spokesperson said the ship requires depth of at least 12 feet, as opposed to a ferry boat, which only requires 7 feet of depth.
In the years since the Kalmar Nyckel’s last visit, Lewes has welcomed several other historic vessels. In August 2018, the historic Norwegian longboat Draken Harald Hårfagre stopped at the Lewes city dock en route to Ocean City, Md. The AJ Meerwald, New Jersey’s tall ship, has also made several visits to the First Town.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and building pages, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
