One World, One Ocean

Bringing Tall Ships back to California!

Recruiting and hosting international naval & sail-training tall ships, and California’s own tall ships to San Francisco • Monterey • Los Angeles • San Diego.

Naval tall ships’ mission is to sail for peace and international goodwill, by creating lasting change across the globe.

*Ocean Alliances is a pending 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cultural diplomacy, maritime education, and international cooperation.

SEE ALL TALL SHIPS

Tall Ships in California, a Proven History

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Hosting international Tall Ships in California since 1999

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Forty+ international naval & sail-training vessels welcomed

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Partnerships across many oceans

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Serving ports throughout California & The Pacific Coast

LEARN MORE ABOUT TALL SHIPS

Our Mission

Since 1999, Ocean Alliances —formerly Sail San Francisco—has welcomed more than 40 international tall ships and naval training vessels to our coast. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we create programs that generate economic opportunities and cultural enrichment for California’s coastal communities.

Our mission is to strengthen ties across the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-Pacific by bringing international tall ships and naval sail-training vessels to California’s ports.

Through cultural diplomacy, maritime education, and our shared nautical heritage, we foster international cooperation, support youth development, and promote economic vitality. We believe the curiosity, passion, and joy that accompany each personal exchange onboard are steps toward world understanding and peace.

Learn About Our Work

Three naval officers stand side by side, wearing white uniforms and navy blue caps with an emblem. They are smiling and wearing various medals and decorations around their necks. A ship's wheel is visible in the background.

Photo Courtesy of Tall Ship Gloria

People climbing on the rigging of a tall sailing ship during daytime, with clear blue sky in the background.

Why Tall Ships Matter

Education through Experience

Tall ships are living classrooms where participants learn teamwork, leadership, discipline, and seamanship through hands-on, immersive experiences.

Group of people wearing yellow shirts and medals on a ship's deck, with sails and rigging in the background.

Building Character and Resilience

Life at sea requires cooperation, perseverance, and problem-solving—fostering confidence, responsibility, and strong character in everyone aboard.

A man in a formal military uniform with medals and a woman in a black top and blazer with embroidered pins, holding a Rotary Club banner, smiling indoors with wooden walls and a bell in the background.

Cultural Diplomacy and Peace

By bringing people from different nations together, tall ships create opportunities for understanding, respect, and dialogue—proving peace begins when people meet face to face.

Bringing Tall Ships to California

Tall ship visits are rare, powerful opportunities to connect cultures, inspire learning, and build goodwill across borders. Tall ships sail for peace and international goodwill. With your support, we can continue welcoming the world to California’s ports.

Several sailboats with colorful sails sailing in a bay near a wooded coastline with houses and a small beach.

Community Engagement

Visiting ships strengthen local ports and coastal communities through education, public access, and cultural exchange.

A woman painting a boat's wooden trim with a paintbrush, wearing a safety harness and gloves.

Stewardship of the Ocean

Tall ships inspire care for the ocean and the environment, teaching that responsibility for our shared world begins with knowledge, respect, and hands-on experience.

DONATE OR BECOME A MEMBER

“You have answered to our every need and more since our first visit to SF in 2000 including making arrangements for Cuauhtemoc in Hawaii and Alaska. The support we received in maritime services alone has helped us to return to California again and again. ”

— Commander Victor Hugo Molina