Wireless network provides lure for tall ships

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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - International visitors are getting one more reason to come to Baltimore.

To help draw more tall ships visiting Baltimore and the harbor, Sail Baltimore and Port Networks have joined to provide a free Wi-Fi network to sailors on visiting ships. Accessible in three docking points, the connection set up by Port Networks is available up to a speed of 54Mbps.

By providing amenities such as this, Sail Baltimore, a small, Baltimore-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing tall ships to town, hopes to expand Charm City’s international appeal.

"It's an ongoing process," said Laura Stevenson, executive director of Sail Baltimore. "We are always trying to get more ships to come for the future."

Aside from e-mail, the network enables crews to download weather reports, update navigational charts and purchase supplies online. The connection also allows those going ashore to find information about events and attractions they might want to attend and at which to spend their dollars.

“Underwriting the availability of Wi-Fi along the piers is our way of giving back to a city that has been great to our company,” Port Networks General Manager Hugh Bethell said in a statement. “The Internet offers a great many resources to those traveling by ship.”

Visiting tall ships are also a tourist attraction for visitors to the Inner Harbor, where free tours offer a glimpse into the sailing life and another country’s culture.

The biggest emphasis, however, remains on getting both tourists, and the ships to stay more than one night. Visitors to the region who stayed overnight contributed more than $2.15 billion to the economy last year, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association said.

Sail Baltimore was founded in 1976 to help bring large vessels to Baltimore as part of the bicentennial celebration.

Annually, between 20 and 24 tall ships visit Baltimore, with 11 more slated to visit before the end of the year.

"Every year we are already working on the following one," Stevenson said.

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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150 days ago: Mexican tall ship leaves Baltimore Harbor

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