Location: (1) Front Street Town Dock, Lewes, DE; (2) 34 Cape Henlopen Drive, Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal, Lewes, DE
Contact: (302) 429-7447
Site: www.kalmarnyckel.org
The original Kalmar Nyckel was one of America's pioneering colonial ships with a historical significance that rivals the Mayflower. Sailing from Sweden to the New World in 1638, the Kalmar Nyckel left its 24 passengers of Swedish, Finnish, German and Dutch descent to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley, the Colony of New Sweden in present-day Wilmington.
Today, the recreation of the Kalmar Nyckel serves as Delaware's seagoing goodwill ambassador. It was built by a group of committed citizens as a witness to the courage and spirit of those who undertook the mid-winter North Atlantic crossing in 1637-1638. The ship is owned and operated by the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, a non-profit organization offering people of all ages a variety of sea and land-based learning and recreational experiences. Since 1998, the ship has provided a unique platform for the Foundation's educational programs as well as a venue for diplomatic, recreational, governmental and commemorative functions.
Activities on the Kalmar Nyckel include dockside tours that are open to the public, day sails, family sails, pirate events, school trips and even private events for special occasions.