This Weekend’s Tall Ship Festival in Duluth Will Be Minus One Ship

The Tall Ship Festival is coming to Duluth this weekend, and it's expected to generate $15 million for the local economy.  However, it appears that one ship will no longer be making the trip.

DuluthNewsTribune.com is reporting that the schooner Halie & Matthew recently survived wind, waves, a lightning strike and an on-board fire on the Great Lakes. While no one was injured, necessary repairs won’t be completed in time to finish the voyage to Duluth.

“It is with profound regret that the tall ship Halie & Matthew cannot fulfill its obligation to appear at Tall Ships Duluth 2013,” Capt. Bruce Randall said in a news release.

The 118-foot-long, two-masted gaff-rigged schooner had sold more than 1,000 tickets for two-hour sails. About 70 percent of those tickets can be redirected to other tall ships in the fleet.

TicketFly will contact the Halie & Matthew customers directly. Ticketholders will be able to request full refunds or they can make new reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.