NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) _ The operators of the replica slave-ship Amistad say the ship has arrived in New London for this weekend’s Sailfest, two days after Gov. Dannel Malloy threatened to “reconsider” state funding if the schooner follows through with plans to skip the event.
The Amistad left New Haven at 5 a.m. Saturday and arrived in New London in the afternoon.
Malloy on Thursday urged Amistad America Inc. to make the Amistad available to Connecticut residents and the public. The state contributes about $400,000 annually to the ship, dubbed Freedom Schooner Amistad.
Malloy’s spokesman Andrew Doba said on Saturday that “Sailfest is an important tourist attraction and community event in the city of New London, the Amistad is an important part of our history and having the two of them together in one spot is meaningful.”
