Tall Ships: Gazela and Kalmar Nyckel

By Jay Lloyd

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- The Delaware River will be crowded with sails on May 24. Tall Ships arrive for a parade of sail to Penn's Landing. Here's a look at two familiar vessels.

Philadelphia's Tall Ship, the Gazela and Delaware's Kalmar Nyckel will show their colors. 

Seaport Museum helmsman John Brady points out, the former Portuguese cod fishing ship, Gazela, has more than a century at sea, often in perfect storm seas.

"She has sailed in some of the toughest waters on the planet," Brady said, "north of the Arctic Circle."

Salt used to preserve the cod also preserved Gazela.

"That ship is pretty well pickled," Brady said.

And watch for the colorful Kalmar Nyckel, a faithful reproduction of a 17th century merchantman that brought early settlers to Wilmington.