HBO pilot sets sail in Lynn

LYNN – The 17th century has sailed into Lynn and docked at Seaport Landing, where curious visitors can gaze upon a replica sailing ship in town for the filming of yet another local television production.?I think she?s gorgeous,” said Peabody resident and sailing enthusiast Sharon Ciani as she visited the Landing Thursday to look at the “Half Moon” with niece Jayden LoPresti.Owned by a New York-based nonprofit educational institution, the Half Moon has a role in the HBO television pilot, “The Devil You Know,” set during the Salem Witch Trials. Lynn Harbor Master James Perry said filming around the Half Moon takes place on Monday at the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation pier off Marine Boulevard.An ABC television pilot “Broad Squad” has already been shooting in downtown Lynn locations.The ship?s owners operate it as a traveling museum sailing up and down the Mid-Atlantic coastline. Its Lynn visit is expected to be restricted to filming and not public visits, but limitations on visiting the Half Moon did not keep Dockmaster David McQuarrie from admiring the ship on Thursday.?It?s cool,” he said.Lynn native Jeff Steele admired Half Moon?s curved deck and furled sails during a lunchtime stop at the Landing.?I saw the masts and decided to take a peek. It?s impressive,” he said.The Half Moon is historically accurate, according to its website, but equipped with a diesel engine, electric generator and modern navigational, sewage and water supply systems.HBO publicist Mara Mikialian on Thursday described “The Devil You Know” as “a provocative period drama that explores the circumstances around one of the most compelling chapters in American history where intolerance and repression set neighbor against neighbor.”The Half Moon arrived in Lynn Harbor on Tuesday in time for Ciani to see the ship silhouetted against the setting sun. She brought 6-year-old LoPresti to the Landing to look at the ship. Ciani was thrilled to learn actor Eddie Izzard plays a family patriarch in the HBO production.A production schedule provided to the police department called for the HBO crew to film in Lynn Woods and the Gannon Municipal Golf Course parking lot this week.Perry and Ciani said the ship?s visit highlights opportunities to bring tourists and fun activities to Seaport Landing.?We try to get tall ships whenever they are in the area,” Perry said.Ciani said more ship visits to Lynn could turn Seaport Landing into a family, even a tourist, destination.?It needs some upgrading, but it would be nice if it brought some attention here,” she said.