The U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle returns to San Diego and will be open for public tours beginning Friday.
Free public tours are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday at 1140 North Harbor Drive at the B Street Pier, according to officials.
The Eagle, built in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square- rigger in United States government service.
At 295 feet in length, with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, the Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II.
She is a three-masted barque that has served as a classroom at sea for future Coast Guard officers since 1946 — offering an “at-sea leadership and professional development” as part of the Coast Guard Academy’s curriculum.
The Eagle also serves as a goodwill ambassador to build relationships with partner nations.
San Diego marks the 12th port call of the Eagle’s journey along the West Coast since last moored in the city in 2008.
More information about the Eagle can be found at www.facebook.com/CoastGuardCutterEagle.