Early on the morning of July 3, a crowd of more than 50 people gathered near Barley Beach House in Rye Town Park, expecting to see a parade of tall ships traversing Long Island Sound on their way to New York Harbor for the nation’s 250th celebration.
Some spectators arrived as early as 8:30 a.m. Some stayed late into the afternoon, even as temperatures approached triple digits.
But the ships never came.
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Crowds experienced similar letdowns at Playland Beach, the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Marshlands Conservancy — all locations expected to offer prime viewing of the ships, according to a Sail4th 250 Watch Guide published by Westchester County.
“On July 3, smaller Class B tall ships from around the world are expected to sail west along Long Island Sound toward New York City before continuing toward the East River,” the guide said. “For Westchester visitors, Rye offers some of the best opportunities to catch the ships as they make their way toward the harbor. The best viewing window in Rye is expected to be in the morning, before the ships continue toward New York City later in the day.”
But Sail4th 250 officials say they had nothing to do with the publication of Westchester County’s guide.
“It may have been a mistake by the publication,” said Peter Himler, founder of Flatiron Communications, the firm that handled public relations for Sail4th 250. “We never published the routes that any of the ships would take en route to or from NYC. We ultimately directed people to AquaMap to track their journeys in real time — both Class As and Class Bs.”
Westchester’s Sail4th 250 guide also advised hopeful tall ship viewers to check AquaMap for the ships’ real-time routes. Those who used the app the morning of July 3 could have seen that neither large vessels built for ocean voyages (Class As) nor smaller boats and yachts (Class Bs) were anywhere in the vicinity of Rye. Some ships were spotted on the Hudson River, while others sailed into New York south of Long Island.
The county’s guide, however, led many to believe Rye would offer the best chance to see the ships, short of traveling to Manhattan. The county guide’s information also was included in event listings in The Rye Record.
“The tall ships that visited New York Harbor were expected to pass by the Rye shoreline and other locations in Westchester County,” Catherine Cioffi, Westchester County’s communications director, told The Record on July 10. “However, we made it clear on the webpage that this was only an anticipated route and was not guaranteed. We could not and would not guarantee that the ships would be visible from the Rye shore, as their route was always subject to change based on weather, navigational conditions, operational needs, and other factors beyond our control.”
That hedge, however, did not seem clear at all — at least to the many hopeful tall ship viewers who showed up.
Sail4th 250 said that even saying the ships were expected to pass Rye may have been an overstatement.
“We did say that the Class As would come in from the Atlantic past the Verrazano Bridge, since their size (and New York City bridges) prevented them from sailing down the East River,” Himler said. “We also publicly confirmed that the Class Bs would rendezvous at 1 p.m. at Hell Gate [Bridge] in upper Manhattan before sailing down to South Street Seaport. Maybe there were some assumptions made about the Class Bs?”
The crowd in Rye Town Park made the most of the situation.
Jen Cannon and Arthur Ranaivo, who live within walking distance of Rye Town Park, arrived before 9 a.m., pulling two red Adirondack chairs into the shade of a pavilion in anticipation.
“I have a passion for tall ships,” said Cannon, who previously traveled as far as Australia with Ranaivo to see tall ships. “This is keeping sailing alive.”
By 10:30 a.m., there was nothing. They waited. And waited. Before long, it was the afternoon.
“We’re gonna stay,” said Bill Santoro, a Vietnam veteran there with his wife, Sue. “We’re gonna stay.”
Carol and John Horkan, from Rye Brook, were among those who spotted something and sat up.
“Look!”
But it was a recreational sailboat. Still, it seemed to be a promise of something more.
“It was a mirage,” said Rye resident Jim Buckley. He was there with wife, Fran, and sister, Kate, who had come even earlier to claim their favorite bench overlooking the water.
“I wish there was a bell that could ring whenever a ship passes by,” Kate said.
“Don’t give up on the ship,” Buckley said.
“We are keeping the faith,” said David Freeman, a Mamaroneck resident who arrived at 8:30 a.m. with his wife, Ellen.
Finally, one woman folded her lawn chair. “AI says I missed it,” she told the group.
Deborah and Charles Faranda, seated in the shade with water and binoculars, were philosophical, saying there was fun in the waiting.
“People are getting together,” Deborah said. “People we haven’t seen in a while. We have run into friends.”
Joaquin Navarro, who made the trip from the Bronx along with girlfriend, Faridi Ali, relished the “nice breeze” while waiting for a ship to just appear, “like in the movies.”
Some may have found the silver lining in a day outdoors, but ultimately the group of spectators were waiting for ships that had already sailed.
