Tall Ships parade sails into New York Harbor for America's 250th

cultureJul 4, 2026355,336

On July 4, America’s 250th birthday, the Chilean tall ship Esmeralda sailed by the Hudson River as part of the Parade of Sail, seen and filmed from Little Island where lottery winners cheered. Viewers watched tugboats and battleships alongside the sail parade while jet planes in formation produced red, white and blue smoke trails overhead. The Esmeralda is a steel-hulled, four-masted barquentine operated by the Chilean Navy, 371 feet (113 meters) long, used as a sail training vessel and nicknamed La Dama Blanca. Social-media posts reported that the sloop Clearwater was removed from the parade after the U.S. Coast Guard and NYPD intervened over banners reading "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions." Other posts said international tall ships and warships gathered around New York Harbor, with the fleet routed past landmarks including the Statue of Liberty and up toward the George Washington Bridge.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani

@mayor.nyc.gov

Today’s Parade of Sail on the Hudson River was stunning. I’m so proud to be the Mayor of New York City — our nation’s first capital — and to be celebrating America’s 250th anniversary on its historic shores.

Mayor Mamdani watches the Parade of Sail.

31683h ago

FromTheOriginalOC19

Why was the Clearwater taken? I went on that ship during an elementary school trip.

Alopex Fox10

Mayor ZKM, you have the opportunity to do the FUNNIEST thing tomorrow... bsky.app/profile/bria...

Maria II8

You are one of the most dedicated mayors I’ve ever seen! NYC is so blessed.

🅖🅤🅝🅝🅐.🅦🅩 (𝑔𝓏) 🇺🇸🇮🇸𝙸𝙼𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙼 𝙰𝙻𝙻6

We 🩵 our NYC Mayor!

James Delaney6

Yes. Even more stunning was the United States Coast Guard approaching the Sloop Clearwater and using a gunboat to trample on the First Amendment today. On July 4th. On the day we “celebrate” 250 years of this country being in existence…

Brad in TKPK4

Pete Seeger’s ghost will haunt those who don’t atone for the removal of his ship and its urgent message. Ok, maybe not.

Quoting this

ScubaSuzyQ💙🦋6

@mayor.nyc.gov is a bright shining sky of warmth, intelligence, and joy...He appreciates the opportunity to be our Mayor of one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and his innovative ideas and warm hearted personality give us all a reason to smile as he does! #ProudBlue #DV1 #Pinks

Daniel Bond5

is this the first mikie sherrill x zohran crossover?

beetleship5

Increasingly feels like he’s assuming a political leadership role that dem formal leadership refuses to do

Cid Gunston-Parks, PhD5

And NYC is proud of You!

Captain Cliff ⛵🇺🇸 🇺🇦3

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what 'class' looks like. ⤵️

Brian PJ Cronin

@brianpjcronin.bsky.social

The Coast Guard just removed the Clearwater from the tall ship parade in NYC for having "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions” banners. They were escorted out by the Coast Guard, US Navy, and NYPD. www.instagram.com/p/DaYOP8OlIq...

It's a banner on one side of the Clearwater's main sail that reads "Save the Clean Water Act" and has a drawing of Pete Seeger's banjo on it.

15237h ago

Mickeyfoon271

I was a cook on the Clearwater for years. I got married on her too. Tao Rodriguez Seeger sang at that wedding. Good to see the crew keeping up Pete's vision. Fuck the Coast Guard.

Brian PJ Cronin236

Just got off the phone with some folks on the boat, story TK

The Cassandra Files (I told you so)166

WTH is wrong with "save the Clean Water Act"? Or the other banner? That's some rancid authoritarian crap right there.

Mary and the moon89

Fucking nazis… it’s called free speech on the 4th of July you evil fucks. The US military is not on the side of the American people.

Ima Private Person84

Clean water bad. While Confederate flags, symbols of treason against the U.S., are apparently fine.

Jim of Pennsyltucky61

The last thing anyone should be doing on July 4th is expressing their First Amendment rights. Per Donald Trump and Republican values.

Quoting this

Emma Evans37

Huh. Would they like to identify which of these things they disagree with? 🤔

jam20

Let's go hell the fuck yeah

Alopex Fox10

Mayor ZKM, you have the opportunity to do the FUNNIEST thing tomorrow... bsky.app/profile/bria...

Octopus7

A good gesture from some good people.

jesse jarnow6

toshi seeger gonna be haunting these malevolent schmucks. bsky.app/profile/bria...

Rockom Sockom NoBots5

Background: The Clearwater is the sloop that Pete Seeger launched in 1969 to advocate for stewarding environmental advocacy. I had the opportunity to make a Hudson river trip on this sloop with many other students as it is a floating classroom. Fuck these fascists.

Meredith 🇨🇦 🇺🇦5

Well that’s some bullshit. Pete Seeger is rolling in his grave.

Funky16Corners3

Free speech (if you’re MAGA).

Reid Adair3

I wouldn't be very "proud" of this (note that NYPD assisted with removing the ship): bsky.app/profile/bria...

Joe Uchill2

So new york really is just going all in on communicating via banners at tourist attractions.

Olga Nesterova

@onestpress.onestnetwork.com

JULY 4th: NYC hosts a historic international naval gathering for America's 250th, feat 37 warships and over 40 tall ships from more than 50 nations, incl Canada, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Japan. Parade of Sail: 9:30 AM to 2 PM 200-jet flyover featuring the Blue Angels: 10:15 AM and 11:15 AM.

233Yesterday

Olga Nesterova41

The 200+ aircraft down the Hudson River will include: Navy Blue Angels Patrouille de France B-2 Stealth & B-52 Bombers F-22, F-35 & F-15 Fighters NY Guard C-17s & Ospreys

Inverted Pyramid12

Same as 50 years ago. I remember well the tall ships sailing down Long Island Sound to Hellsgate and then on to New York Harbor. A special time.

oclan.bsky.social9

I didn't see anything about warships among the articles I saw but it looks like the place to be on the 4th!! www.rockefellercenter.com/magazine/bes...

Dee Mack4

The videos of huge crowds with make Trump have yuge meltdowns.

besmartcolorado.bsky.social4

It sounds amazing. Everything just seems tainted now.

🐾💙Lynn Daniel’s💙🐾3

That is the one we all should be celebrating!

Quoting this

The Rodge 2026 Rabbit 🐰7

If you want to watch something besides all the hoopla in DC this should be cool for AMERICA 250. 🧵 link to watch at the end. Thankyou Olga.

David Gura

@davidgura.bsky.social

The famous sloop Clearwater, built by the late folk singer Pete Seeger and his friends, was removed from the Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail today. It was displaying banners that read, "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions.”

904h ago

Brenda and her Shadow5

On the day celebrating freedom in America. 😡

Russ Copeland5

So much for free speech 🤷

Teleport Me Off This Rock🍀☮🤘💖🐈‍⬛🐈86473

So much for the freedom of speech, eh.

Betsy Cazden1

And may well get far more publicity for being removed than it would have sailing around -- hope so!

Quoting this

Betsy Cazden2

Make this go viral, so they get more publicity for their messages than sailing around the harbor would have gotten them. #TeamClearwater

Brenda and her Shadow2

On Independence Day - the day of Freedoms - Pete Seeger's beautiful sloop Clearwater was removed from the sail parade today because they used their freedom of speech. 😔⛵

Saavik ‘Impaired Ankle’ Ford

@saavikford.bsky.social

Hey folks: my friend was helping sail the Clearwater yesterday—and they were removed from the tall ships parade today, BY THE US COAST GUARD & NYPD for flying banners promoting clean water & indigenous rights. This is… bad.

333h ago

drmag002

Freedom only to say what is approved.

Mary Grace2

Complete suppression of freedom of expression on a day celebrating freedom.

Turhan's Bey Company

@turhansbeycompany.bsky.social

The bicentennial was huge. Declaration of Independence on tour (saw it when the train passed through our city). Tall ships. And everybody from Gerald Ford on down trying like hell to make things normal in the immediate aftermath of Nixon and Watergate.

264h ago

Andy Revkin 🌎 ✍🏼 🪕 ☮️ revkin.substack.com

@revkin.bsky.social

Pete Seeger’s Sloop Clearwater flew banners promoting indigenous justice, climate action and the Clean Water Act and was blocked by the Coast Guard and NYPD from its long planned role escorting a Portuguese tall ship in the parade of sail.

176h ago

Gary Hershorn

@garyhershorn.bsky.social

Tall ships and airplanes along the Hudson River as they participate in the Sail4th250 in New York City, Saturday morning.

304h ago

Space ✨🐙

@spacecadetglowao3.bsky.social

Sailor Izzy went to see the tall ships parade! Very cool to see so many beautiful ships from around the world. These two are NRP Sagres (of Portugal) and ARA Libertad (of Argentina).

Izzy doll by @imrights wearing a sailor suit and facing away from the camera, watching a tall ship (ARA Libertad of Argentina) sail north on the Hudson River.

293h ago

Space ✨🐙6

ALSO I SAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SHIP IN THE WORLD. You know the one, from that post.

crocs 💜2

awwwww him looking out over the water 🥹

Carmilla's Strap1

That's so wonderful! Mama took him to see the ships because he was an agreeable boy!

Kathleen Cottontail 🏳️‍⚧️♿️🖖🏻🐰

@kathleengmaz.bsky.social

The Clearwater was actually supposed to be in the parade today and the Coast Guard pulled it because they were flying banners that the Trump government doesn’t agree with. 🤬

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater 0
21m •
BREAKING NEWS: Clearwater was removed from the Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail by the USCG and escorted out of the Exclusion Zone by the US
Coast Guard, US Navy, and NYPD.
Captain Rory Kane inquired why, and was informed the removal was due to the presence of banners reading: "Save the Clean Water Act" and Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions".
A representative from Sail4th 250 informed the Captain the decision was "above them."
The sloop has a long and storied history of using the mains'I to share messages of hope and advocacy.
The Clearwater will continue sailing south of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge until 3pm and has 29 passengers and 19 crew aboard. Follow our stories to see how we're building solidarity from Gravesend Bay, waiting out the expiration of the security zone.
PRESS CONTACT: Jen Benson, Director of
Advocacy, 585-943-7454

146h ago

Spectrum News NY1

@spectrumnewsny1.bsky.social

Tall ships from nations around the world have gathered in Sandy Hook Bay in New Jersey ahead of Saturday's parade to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The 43 ships representing 22 countries will sail from the Verazzano Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty and up to the George Washington Bridge.

12Yesterday