July 26 - Majesty Under Sail

Tall Ships

On July 26, 2013, the tall ship Sørlandet sailed beneath full canvas on Lake Superior as she departed Duluth Harbor. Launched in 1927 in Kristiansand, Norway, the Sørlandet remains the oldest full-rigged ship still in active service today. Ships like this represented the final great age of sail before steam power transformed world shipping.

Her arrival in Duluth felt especially fitting. The city’s rich maritime history, shaped by immigrant voyages, fishing fleets, ore carriers, and Great Lakes commerce, evokes nostalgia. For a brief moment, the harbor transported people back in time.

With a warm summer breeze filling her sails, the Sørlandet moved gracefully across Lake Superior toward her next port of call. Beneath towering masts and a maze of rigging, the scene could only be described as majestic.

“The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.” — Ecclesiastes 1:6

Beauty and majesty appear in many forms throughout creation, reminding us of the greater majesty awaiting those who will one day stand before the Lord face-to-face.