Three historic ships will be open free to visitors on Sat., June 19, on Pier 40 at W. Houston St. and the Hudson River. The decommissioned fireboat John J. Harvey and the 103-year-old tugboat Pegasus, above right, along with the decommissioned lighthouse tender Lilac, above left, will be opened from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during a “Historic Ship Rendezvous” sponsored by Friends of Hudson River Park and the North River Historic Ship Society.
A series of six 45-minute boat trips on the Harvey and the Pegasus will depart from Pier 40 between noon and 2:45 p.m. The trips are free but space is limited and reservations can be made at the historic ship society web site, www.nrhss.org .
Tours of the Lilac, which is berthed permanently at Pier 40, will be available throughout the day when the noted maritime historian Norman Brouwer will be giving talks aboard the lightship tender. The event is supported by a grant from Borough President Scott Stringer.
