The Claudio family welcomed one of the Tall Ships, the S.T.S. “Sagres,” to Greenport today with open arms and symbolic gifts.
The Tall Ships Festival, which takes place in Greenport from tomorrow through Tuesday, features the Sagres, a ship that symbolizes a rich tie to the past for the family who established the historic Claudio’s restaurant in 1870.
“It is particularly exciting for Claudio’s to sponsor the Sagres, a 300-foot Portuguese sailing vessel, which nods to our Portuguese origins,” said Janice Claudio.
To that end, Claudio’s owners Bill Claudio, his wife Janice and sister Kathy welcomed the Sagres today, bearing a special gift for Captain Paulo Alcobia of Portugal.
The Claudios presented Alcobia with an antique foghorn from Triangle Sea Sales in Greenport, which was embellished with a plaque commemorating the Tall Ships 2015 Festival.
Bill Claudio recalled his family’s rich ties to Portugal: Back in the 1800s, Greenport was a bustling whaling port. Vessels from across the globe would frequent its waters, looking for safe harbor to replenish supplies and garner respite before the next long voyage out to sea.
In 1854, a Portuguese whaler, Neva, which set sail from Fayal in the Azores, was docked in Greenport.
The journey for the Neva was arduous, with sometimes almost two years before the mast. Aboard the Neva was a young whaler, Manuel Claudio, who, by 1870, had enough savings so that he was able to disembark in Greenport and never sail the world again.
Manuel Claudio opened Claudio’s Tavern that year. It has been in the family with a Claudio at the helm ever since.
“It was the beginning of something,” noted Alcobia.
Claudio said although he was never taught to speak Portuguese, his roots are deeply tied to the country; a Portuguese flag flies over Claudio’s. For the festival, Claudio’s features flags from each of the Tall Ships’ countries.
He welcomed the Sagres to the village, “a great place.”
Alcobia said he and his crew are ready to work with village officials and residents to make the festival an event to remember.
“This is a great beginning,” he said.
Presenting the foghorn to Alcobia, Claudio said when the vessel is enveloped in dense fog, the instrument can help others to know where they are located.
His eyes wide with surprise as he accepted the gift, Alcobia was thrilled.
The Claudios also presented crew members with pins to mark the event and showed Alcobia a menu designed for the Tall Ships Festival, featuring a photo of Manual Claudio.
In turn, Alcobia presented the Claudios with a print depicting the Sagres, to hang in the restaurant, as well as two bottles of Portuguese wine.
A tradition for over 145 years, Claudio’s has left a long legacy in Greenport and has grown into three restaurants on Manuel’s waterfront — the National Landmarked Claudio’s Restaurant, the oldest family owned restaurant in the nation, along with dockside venues Claudio’s Clam Bar and Claudio’s Crabby Jerry’s.
“The Tall Ships festival is exciting in itself,” Claudio said. “Having the opportunity to connect our family’s heritage with the arrival of the Sagres is going to make this an unforgettable event.”
