Skip to main content

Peruvian Navy Tall Ship “Union” arriving for its first visit to the Port of San Francisco

Written on .

Contact For Press Inquiries: Alison Healy 415-203-6305

MEDIA ALERT     

DATE: April 26, 2019

WHAT: Peruvian Navy Tall Ship “Union” arriving for its first visit to the Port of San Francisco

WHEN: Crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge at 7:00 am and docking by 8:00am

WHERE: Pier 15-17 on Embarcadero

WHY: Sailing School Ship Union carries 106 Cadets in their final year of Naval Academy. Union is a tall ship Ambassador to Peru, sailing to expose cadets to other countries and cultures while giving them hands-on exposure to traditional sailing. 

PHOTO & VIEWING OPPORTUNTITES:  Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, Crissy Field, St. Francis Yacht Club, Pier 39, and Pier 15-17

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Saturday and Sunday, April 27 & 28, the ship will be open for tours from 10:00 am to 6:00pm, Free of charge at Pier 15-17

SHIP DATA:

  • 4 masts, 34 sails, 36,620 sq.ft of sail area, speed 12 knots
  • LOA 115.5meters, Beam 13.5 meters, draft 6.5 meters
  • Build in Callao, Peru, commissioned in 2014, launched in 2016
  • Largest Class A Tall Ship in Latin and South America
  • Total Aboard: 257 persons including officers, cadets and crew members
  • Commander: Captain Kurt Ludwig Bottger Garfias

2019 VOYAGE FACTS:  From March to July, Union will sail to Mexico, United States, Canada and various ports in Peru totaling 12 ports of call and sailing 14,500 nautical miles. Union will be arriving from San Diego, California and will be sailing on to Vancouver, Canada. 

THE MISSION: Sailing Ship Union was built to teach cadets how to sail without electronics, how to work as a team and how to appreciate original meaning of life at sea. Cadets embark on this sail a one of their final rights of passage before graduating to junior officer status.  More, Union was designed as a Floating Ambassador to the Country of Peru. Union sails around the world approximately five months a year, often participating in international sailing events and races with other class A naval, merchant marine and sailing vessels of the world.  Each year, Union’s itinerary is determined by the Commander General of the Navy and approved by the President of Peru. 

UNION, THE NAME: The name Union was chosen for several reasons; the most noteworthy is the international message that the word Union brings to each person, regardless of their native language. Union transmits a message of goodwill, cooperation, and international friendship among all people which is fitting for the tall ship ambassador to Peru.

FUN FACT: All Peruvian Naval Academy cadets are required to be fluent in English before they graduate the academy, so you won’t have any language problems if you don’t speak Spanish. 

DEPARTURE: Union will depart San Francisco on Monday, April 29, leaving her berth at 8am.The same viewing spots are recommended for photographs and general viewing.

                                                                                      ###