For William Sabatini, the chance to board one of the most historically authentic tall ships in the United States is a unique experience.

"We’re showing them something that’s incredibly new and different," Sabatini, executive director and fleet captain of the Flagship Niagara League, said. "I love watching people’s eyes light up and think, 'Wow, if this is possible, what else is possible?'"

At the Tall Ships Erie 2022 Festival, visitors have the opportunity to take deck tours on the various vessels docked at the foot of State Street, at the Erie Maritime Museum and Bayfront Convention Center, including the U.S. Brig Niagara.

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"You get a sense that this is a living, breathing thing," Sabatini said. "This is a real ship that’s actually sailing."

U.S. Brig Niagara's homeport is at the Erie Maritime Museum, 100 Blasco St. in Erie.

At the beginning of the tour, visitors are greeted by a Niagara crew member before walking up the ship's brow, or the ramp connecting the dock to the ship.

Patrons board at Niagara's mid-ship area and pass the ship's guns, deck storage boxes and the pin rails tied up in manila rope before reaching the Niagara's head rig, which sticks out from the bow about 45 feet.

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"It’s the best place to see the rigging of the ship," Sabatini said. "Since you’re at the front of the ship, you can look back and see just how amazing and impressive Niagara's rig is."

From there, visitors are taken to Niagara's fully functional carronade guns, which shoot 32-pound cannon balls. Currently, Niagara has two carronade guns on board.

Another crew member will be present to discuss what it was like to fire off guns in the Sept. 10, 1813 Battle of Lake Erie. The Niagara boasted 18 carronade guns and two long guns in the Battle of Lake Erie.

Tourists will then travel below to Niagara's berth deck. Crouching under the deck beams with only 5 feet of clearance, visitors are shown the sleeping hammocks sailors use, as well as their sea bags for personal storage.

"People can also take a peek into our galley (ship's kitchen), which we typically keep closed off because hot stove and general public don’t usually mix," Sabatini said.

Back up on deck, patrons head to the rear of the ship to the helm station where the ship is steered. At the helm, visitors finish the tour with a walk around the capstan, a vertical-axled rotating machine used to raise the anchor or anything heavy.

Sabatini described the capstan as like a hand-winch, a device used to pull in or let out the tension of a rope, but flipped on its side. It consists of 10 bars, each 10 feet long that crew members push or pull.

"I usually tell people if they’ve seen 'Pirates of the Caribbean' when they call the kraken, they’re using the capstan at that point," Sabatini said.

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Sabatini said the U.S. Brig Niagara has nearly 4,000 people come through a day during the festival. Visitors typically spend anywhere between 10 minutes to 45 minutes on the deck tour.

"Niagara really is big enough that you can step out of the track and spend some time talking to the crew and just experiencing it," Sabatini said. "It really isn’t like being in the cattle line and just moving on through.

"When a tall ship shows up in your city it’s like they just put the space shuttle right down Main Street, or in our case, State Street."

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Baylee DeMuth can be reached at 814-450-3425 or bdemuth@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @BayleeDeMuth.