THIS IS COOL: The Hermione Sails Into New York Harbor, Cannons Blazing. “On Wednesday a replica of the Hermione, the three-masted, 32-gun frigate that carried Lafayette to America in 1780 with news of his king’s military support for the Americans, docked at the South Street Seaport. More than two centuries later, the crowds were smaller but the scene was still clangorous. After passing Governors Island, the Hermione sent a round of cannon blasts echoing off the buildings of Lower Manhattan before gliding into port. A band played ‘Down by the Riverside’ as costumed crew members scrambled from the masts for another deafening — and apparently unplanned — salute.”

As a big fan of Napoleonic-era sea stories from Patrick O’Brian, C.S. Forester, et al., I wish I could take a tour.