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.
