They are ships with a past. Sail, steam, and diesel-powered vessels that have hauled passengers, tended lighthouses, pushed oil freighters into harbor. And they conjure visions of a time when the Hudson River was not only a working waterfront, it was the city’s main artery.

They are the Lilac, Tug Pegasus and Clipper City and they are expected to take up berths next month on the north side of Tribeca’s Pier 25.

“It is keeping our promise that we would include history into the park,” said Noreen Doyle, acting president of the Hudson River Park Trust, which selected the ships.

The Yankee, a 1907 steamboat, was docked at Pier 25 from the early 90s until 2006, when it was evicted to make way for the dilapidated pier’s reconstruction.

As part of the lease agreement with the trust, all three ships will offer free public tours and a variety of free or discounted programs to enrich the pier’s offerings.

The first to arrive at the pier is likely to be the Lilac, a former Coast Guard vessel that was originally used to tend lighthouses off the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.

The Lilac was never converted from steam to diesel, making it unique. Built in 1933, it was one of the last working steam ships in the Coast Guard’s fleet when it was decommissioned in the 70s.

The ship, which was brought to New York City and Pier 40 in 2003, is no longer operational. The Lilac Preservation Project is working to raise the estimated $5 million it will take to make her steam engine run again.

The River Project, a marine science field station that started on Pier 26 in the 1980s, works with the Lilac at Pier 40 to provide educational programming for the city’s youth. The project will continue working with the Lilac at Pier 25, a little closer to its original home.
The Lilac is expected to kick off its summer season at the pier with a photo exhibit on commercial fishing around Memorial Day.

“That’s really our goal,” said Mary Habstritt, vice president of the Lilac Preservation Project. “To not just restore the ship, but have programs related to maritime history.”

Tug Pegasus, built in 1907, started its life as a steam ship built for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. The tug had a four-decade career in the oil industry, before it was sold as a harbor tug and converted to diesel.

Pegasus had a long second career, and was a working tugboat in New York Harbor until 1995, when owner Pamela Hepburn embarked on a long project to preserve the historic tug and put it to use as a classroom.

The Tug Pegasus Preservation Project is expected to host a variety of programs aboard the 103-foot tug at Pier 25, including open and guided ship tours, after school programs, and cultural events.

“I think there are a lot of people who forget or never knew how vital a role the Hudson River played in the city's history and development into the preeminent city in the United States,” Doyle said. “Historic ships can send that message in a way that is fun at the same time.”

The Clipper City is relatively new to the city. Built in 1983, the ship is a replica of a pre-civil war “extreme clipper,” a cargo ship designed for speed.

Measuring 158 feet in length, the ship can fit 148 people and sail at speeds of up to at 17 knots. Thomas Berton of Manhattan by Sail brought the ship from Baltimore to the South Street Seaport in 2009 and restored the ship to use for commercial sailing.

At Pier 25 the clipper will continue to be used for tours that cater to a mix of tourists and locals looking to relax at the end of a long day.

Because the clipper is the only commercial ship selected for a berth at the pier, it will be paying rent in addition to offering some type of public programming, Doyle said.

Berton’s first sailing experience was through a public school trip. Creating an opportunity for a new generation of city kids to step aboard a sailing ship is something he’s always wanted to do, but simply hasn’t been able to yet.

Through sailing, Berton said, he truly discovered that Manhattan was an island.

“I really remember being out on the water and recognizing what a beautiful island we live on,” he said. “That’s something I like sharing. The more people who get to experience that the better.”

A presentation on the three ships is scheduled for the Community Board 1’s Waterfront Committee, 6 p.m. Wednesday at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709.