Peruvian Sailors Delight Liverpudlians from Rigging of Tall Ship

Day 65, 2025 European Odyssey

Monday, Sept. 1, 2025; Liverpool, England.

How could I let a light rain shower discourage me from going ashore in Liverpool when sailors aboard the world’s second-tallest tall ship were climbing the rigging to the top of their masts right in front of me.

Somewhat shamed, I left my dry refuge in the Crow’s Nest, grabbed my Lumix camera with its super zoom lens and went out to document the activity on the B.A.P. Unión. The sailors were hoisting their giant Peruvian flag and strings of small flags from stem to stern, as they say.

The four-masted, steel-hulled Peruvian Navy training ship is on a training and goodwill cruise from Peru to Europe, where it starred a week ago in the Sail Amsterdam festival of 10,000 ships in that city’s harbor. (See it on parade here with its giant red sails.)

Of course, the scene brought back memories of my perch on a small sailboat in New York Harbor during the 1986 Statue of Liberty centennial celebration. It was my first experience of a tall ship parade, and the setting couldn’t be beat.

Returning to shore in Liverpool a bit later this morning (once the rain had passed), I noticed the B.A.P. Unión was open to visits, so I leapt on the opportunity. I joined the local Liverpudlians (yes, I had to work that word into the story) in traipsing up and down ladders to the various decks. I wondered how the sailors learn which line to grab, as I didn’t see any labels. I love sailing, but it takes a certain kind of person to work at those heights, even wearing a safety harness.

Not only did we visitors explore the nautical elements of the tall ship, but we also learned about Peru’s food, culture and geography. It’s one of my favorite countries. I hadn’t planned to make a purchase at the small “ship boutique” tables, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a bottle of Pisco from Peru! It even comes in a commemorative B.A.P. Unión bottle.

With no specific destination for the day, I wandered up the waterfront on the Mersey River. There was the usual line of tourists waiting their turns for photos with the Fab Four statue. I always find the view from behind to be a more interesting shot.

The railings at the edge of the Royal Albert Dock haven’t collapsed yet under the weight of what surely must be tens of thousands of love locks.

In a shop window at the Royal Albert Dock, I saw some paintings by Ian Fennelly. He is a renowned urban sketcher whom I have followed for years. I love his whimsical style. I hoped to buy a few postcards of his art, but they only sold larger prints and originals. The proprietor offered instead to sell me a small book he illustrated about his native Liverpool area. It will inspire me throughout the cruise.

By later afternoon, the sun came out and lit up the Three Graces – three Edwardian buildings from Liverpool’s period of maritime dominance. We may first think of Liverpool as the hometown of the Beatles, but during the 18^th and 19^th centuries it was one of the world’s major trading ports. Forty percent of the world’s trade is said to have passed through Liverpool by the late 19^th century.

Sadly, that trade wasn’t just in goods, but also in people. The city doesn’t shy away from acknowledging its role in the slave trade. In 2023 I learned about that role at the International Slavery Museum, which now along with the adjacent Maritime Museum are closed for renovations. (You can see their shrouded building behind this propeller from the Lusitania, sunk by a German submarine in 1915.)

As we sailed into the sunset after leaving Liverpool, the importance of energy in the Irish Sea and around the British Isles became evident. Everywhere we sail on this cruise we see the signs of oil and gas drilling alongside wind farms. It perhaps comes as no surprise that Scotland produces all of its electricity consumption now from renewable energy sources. Look closely and you can see the wind farms behind the platform.