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Summer by the sea

Beware matey, the pirates are comin’! This summer up to 30 unique and historic, traditionally rigged sailing vessels from around the world—Canada, the US, Germany, Netherlands, Bermuda and India, to be exact—will sail into Nova Scotia for the largest gathering of world-class tall ships in North America in 2007. Gathered together with traditional Maritime schooners and private yachts, our maritime heritage will be celebrated as sea traditions come to life.

The Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival 2007 is just one aspect of the Tall Ships Challenge, which is a series of races, crew rallies and Maritime festivals organized by the American Sail Training Association. Racing is at the heart of the event as the ships sail across nautical miles from port to port, in hopes of winning the friendly competition.

The festival kicks off with the ships in Halifax, the finish line of the race, from July 13-16, docked along the Halifax Boardwalk, from Casino Nova Scotia all the way down to Piers 23 and 24. They will then visit several ports around the province until their departures on July 26. Don’t miss the spectacular parade of sail from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m on July 16 as all the boats sail through the mouth of the Halifax Harbour and out to sea together, with their rigging out and crews onboard.

Some ships will sail along the coast to Cape Breton while others sail the south shore of Nova Scotia. Ports of call include Louisbourg, Lunenburg, Pictou, Port Hawkesbury, Shelburne, Sydney and Yarmouth. Each town will be thriving with festivities as they welcome and celebrate the tall ships. A major theme to this year’s festival is Pirates and Privateers, fitting for a province with such a proud seafaring tradition and rich maritime history.

Historical re-enactments, arts and craft displays, nautical exhibits, musicians, vendors, canon battles and crew games will take over waterfront boardwalks. A pirate camp, theme parties and musical performances will entertain the swells of crowds that will descend upon the picturesque waterfronts of Nova Scotia.

Cross the gangways and board the ships if you dare (with the purchase of a festival boarding pass) or admire the ships from dry land. Chat with the crew and trainees (all young civilians or cadets ages 13 to 25 who are in sail training programs and learning the ropes in every aspect of the vessel) and hear their tales from the high seas. You can even learn of opportunities to sail and travel on these vessels yourself!

So take note of these interesting facts and as you stroll along the waterfront keep in mind these unique tidbits about some of the tall, tall ships.



1. Picton Castle
The 284-ton Barque Picton Castle is bound to be one of the biggest attractions at the festival, thanks to this summer’s “Pirate Master”, a CBS-TV hit and Mark Burnett Production, of which the ship is the real star.

With her hull painted black to fit the part, the Picton Castle plays the role of a real pirate ship, with 16 modern-day pirates on a high seas adventure around the Caribbean island of Dominica in search of hidden treasure (that totals over one million dollars!) and vying to claim the title of “Pirate Master”. The ship, whose homeport is Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, even keeps her original name on the show. The series, which premiered May 31, runs through the Tall Ships Festival. Fans of the show can see up close where all the action takes place and where their favourite pirates spent 33 days living on the 179-foot class-A tall ship.

2. The Bounty
Another movie star! The Bounty was built in 1962, commissioned for the movie Mutiny of the Bounty with Marlon Brando by MGM studios. The ship then went on to operate as a sail-training vessel. This full-rigged 180-foot class-A ship calls Long Island, New York, its homeport and has 10,000 square feet of sail area. After the festival, The Bounty is off to retrace Captain Cook’s voyage to Tahiti and will continue on an around-the-world trip.


3. Tall Ship Unicorn
The Tall Ship Unicorn has an all-female crew and operates the unique “Sisters Under Sail” leadership development program for teenage girls ages 13-21. Professional tall-ship sailors, primarily college-age women who serve as role models, command the ship. The non-profit program has a goal of building confidence, enhancing self-esteem and developing the leadership skills of young girls through sail training. The class-B Topsail Schooner was originally built in 1947, with a hull crafted from the metal of German Uboats salvaged after World War II, and spent 32 years trawling the North Atlantic’s fishing grounds.


4. Taragini
Those in the sailing community already know that the Taragini is a big deal. But for those who aren’t too sure which ships they shouldn’t miss, this is one of them. This three-masted barque is owned by the government of India and serves as the sail training vessel for the Indian navy. Its name comes from the Hindi word tarang, meaning waves. After the Tall Ships festival, the class-A vessel will embark on its long voyage back to its homeport of Kochi, India.


5. Gorch Fock II
Another Class-A must-see. The Gorch Fock II is a sister ship to the American Eagle, and comes from Kiel, Germany, sailing waters worldwide. As part of the Germany navy fleet, the ship also serves as a training vessel for thousands of cadets. At an amazing 293 square feet, this barque has a crew of 73, and over 200 trainees. The name is in recognition of Hans Kinau, a popular German writer from the 19th century who used the pseudonym Gorch Fock, fock meaning ‘foresail’ in German.