GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A popular ship due to be in Green Bay for next month’s Tall Ship Festival has hit some rough waters.
The Draken Harald Hårfagre, which is the world’s largest modern Viking ship, needs to raise $430,000 in pilotage fees to continue its voyage.
“In essence that means when a foreign vessel comes to waters, whether American or Canadian, there are regulations that require it to have, in the case of the U.S., a U.S. pilot to help it navigate safely through the waterways,” says Terry Charles with PMI Entertainment Group, which is the event’s promoter and organizer. “And I believe the ship was of the understanding it may have needed to pay some fees, but perhaps not as much as they’re being told.”
Green Bay is one of nine ports participating in the Tall Ships Challenge.
Charles says while pilotage fees have been an issue in the past, this is a strange first.
“Never the issue, at least since we’ve been involved in these festivals, where a ship gets here and they found out there’s been a misunderstanding of what the fees would be and they say there’s just no way we can afford that,” Charles says.
A Minneapolis-based financial services and cultural organization called “Sons of Norway Foundation” have established a page where people can donate to cover those outstanding fees.
“Most of the ports, including PMI, we have offered also to add more money and donate to the ship over and above the fees we’re paying the ship to come here in the first place,” says Charles.
The Green Bay Tall Ship Festival presented by Nicolet National Bank takes place August 5-7.
