Rhode Island's Former Tall Ship Providence to Get New Owner

The United States Maritime Foundation plans to acquire the tall ship Providence, a replica of the 18th-century Rhode Island sloop, and reopen it as a museum and tourist attraction in Alexandria, Virginia, The Maritime Executive reported on October 26.

The nonprofit, formed in 2025, has submitted a proposal to the Alexandria Waterfront Commission to buy the vessel and its pier as soon as November 2026 and resume education and tour programs, according to the outlet. The ship's previous owner, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, suspended operations in June 2026 after running into financial trouble.

The Providence is a reproduction of the sloop Katy, built in 1769 and owned by John Brown of Providence. The vessel became the flagship of the Rhode Island Navy and, in 1775, was among the first ships authorized for the Continental Navy, after which it was renamed for Providence. The legislation's passage is the basis for October 13 being marked as the U.S. Navy's birthday.

Construction of the replica began in 1973 under Harvard graduate John Fitzhugh Millar and finished three years later. The ship served for years as Rhode Island's official tall ship and appeared in two "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. In February 2015, it was badly damaged in dry dock at Newport Shipyard when a jack stand collapsed, shattering the mast and spars and holing the hull. The Tall Ship Providence Foundation bought the vessel in 2017.

This story was first reported by The Maritime Executive.