Posted on June 26, 2018
By Mallory Metzner, WRDE
The Kalmar Nyckel has been a historical icon in Lewes since the armed merchant ship replica started giving tours out of the Lewes Ferry terminal more than 10 years ago. The ship was launched out of Wilmington in 1997, modeling the one that was used to bring Swedish settlers to Delaware back in 1638.
The Kalmar Nyckel is known for giving tours and cruises and for hosting themed-events. It has been giving tours from the Lewes Ferry Terminal for more than 10 years now. It can usually be seen in the Delaware Bay in August, but that is not the case this year.
That’s because the current depth of water at the finer pier it normally docks at is only 9 feet at low tide right now. Too much silt has built up over the years and Delaware’s “Tall Ship” has a draft of 12 feet.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), which operates the Ferry, tells WRDE in a statement: “We’re really disappointed that the Kalmar Nyckel will be unable to visit our Lewes terminal facility this summer. We’ll be working cooperatively with the leadership of the Kalmar Nyckel to develop a workable solution to remedy this for next summer.”
The DRBA says it hasn’t been able to dredge since the 2012-2013 season because the depths are sufficient for ferry operations. Now dredging the finger pier area where the Kalmar Nyckel needs to dock would cost a quarter of a million dollars.
Cathy Parsells of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation says, “It’s a hefty price tag but we think it’s worth it and we’re working with our friends at the DRBA. We’ve been talking to people in the legislature about you know, finding ways to have this happen so that we can get back next year.”
The DRBA is looking into the possibility of obtaining a permit to be ready to implement the plan when and if the money becomes available.
Mike DiPaolo, Director of the Lewes Historical Society says, “The Kalmar Nyckel is a great partner and its a very visible emblem of Delaware’s past so when the Kalmar Nyckel is here, people tend to sit up and take notice of Lewes’ history and our state’s history.”
The Kalmar Nyckel will be missed in Lewes this summer but the historical icon can still be seen on Wilmington’s Riverfront giving out cruises and pirate sails.
Source: WRDE
