Kalmar Nyckel

10/06/2026

Thank you, Mayor Carney, for these thoughtful words about Kalmar Nyckel and her role as an ambassador, a living classroom, and a connection to our shared history.

We were proud to honor Mayor John Carney and Tracey Quillen Carney with the King Neptune Award at our record-breaking 19th-Annual King Neptune Gala.

Their commitment to education and our community reflects the heart of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s mission. Thank you both for helping us inspire the next generation!

09/30/2026

⚓ Help Us Keep the Momentum Going!

Thanks to an extraordinary community of supporters, our 19th-Annual King Neptune Gala was our most successful ever, raising much-needed funds to advance the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s educational mission.

Now, you can help us build on that record-breaking support by giving to the Flagship Field Trip Fund, which helps bring students aboard Kalmar Nyckel for hands-on learning experiences, regardless of their ability to pay.

Every gift makes an impact:

• $50 funds a field trip for 2 students
• $125 funds a field trip for 5 students

Last year, more than 13,500 young people participated in our field trips, classroom programs, and community education experiences. Your gift helps us continue opening doors to history, science, maritime skills, and discovery.

Add your support to our record-breaking Gala fundraising and help more students climb aboard!

Donate today: kalmarnyckel.org/give

Credits: Steve Tabinowski, Chris Scott

09/29/2026

♻️ Turn Trash Into Treasure. Build a Sea Monster! 🌊👻

Calling all young artists! Raid the recycling bin and let your imagination run wild for our NEW Sea Monster Recycling Art Contest, part of the Halloween Ghost Ship Festival on Saturday, October 17!

Bottles, boxes, cardboard, cans, tubes... what can YOU transform into a creature from the deep? Create your one-of-a-kind sea monster from recycled materials and enter it for a chance to make a splash at one of our biggest family events of the year.

Then join us for a FREE day of Halloween fun at the Copeland Maritime Center, including free Kalmar Nyckel ship tours, Trick or Treat in the Park, pumpkin and face painting, spooky touch tanks, trackless train rides, slime-making, crafts, live music, food trucks, and more!

👻 Get the Trash to Krackens, Where Recycling Gets Monstrous contest details and start creating:
kalmarnyckel.org/halloween

09/28/2026

29 years ago today, Kalmar Nyckel took to the water! ⚓

On September 28, 1997, more than 20,000 people gathered on Wilmington’s historic 7th Street Peninsula to witness the launch of a ship years in the making. After more than a decade of planning and fundraising, Master Shipwright Allen C. Rawl led the construction that brought Kalmar Nyckel to life.

Today, Delaware’s Tall Ship continues to sail, teach, and inspire as a floating classroom. This reel takes us back to the day her journey began, and celebrates the crew, volunteers, and supporters who have carried that vision forward for 29 years.

Happy launch anniversary, Kalmar Nyckel! And many, many more!

09/28/2026

What a night! Our 19th Annual King Neptune Gala was a huge success, and we’re still taking it all in.

This Sail 250 video celebrates an unforgettable year for Kalmar Nyckel and the people who helped make it possible. To our generous gala sponsors and host benefactors: thank you for standing behind the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and its mission of education.

We’ll share more highlights and results from the gala soon. For now, enjoy the voyage, and thank you for being part of our journey ⚓

09/27/2026

Accepting applications for winter deckhands and also winter live-aboard volunteers! Come join our amazing team!!

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09/26/2026

King Neptune Gala Has a New Venue.

Anyone who loves a tall ship knows you keep an eye on the weather. With a nor’easter in Sunday’s forecast, we’re changing course for the King Neptune Gala.

The celebration is still on for 5 pm, Sunday, September 27, but it has been relocated:

Chase Center on the Riverfront
815 Justison Street
Wilmington, DE 19801

The setting may have changed, but the reason we’re gathering has not. We’ll celebrate Tracey Quillen Carney and Mayor John Carney, enjoy an evening together, and raise funds to support the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s educational mission.

Please share this new location with anyone attending as your guest.

Questions? Call us at (302) 429-7447.
We look forward to seeing youtomorrow, whatever the weather may bring!

09/23/2026

Raise a glass—and place your bids! 🥂

Imbibe in style with Kalmar Nyckel glassware and a refreshing beverage, or explore the many other treasures and experiences in our King Neptune Gala Silent Auction. There’s something for everyone, and every bid supports the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s educational programs and keeps our Ship sailing.

You can bid from anywhere, even if you’re not attending the Gala! Bidding closes Sunday evening, September 27.

Browse the auction: https://www.kalmarnyckel.org/gala