Thousands flock to Halifax, Dartmouth waterfronts for Tall Ships Regatta

Tourists descended on the waterfront by the thousands to check out the nearly 30 tall ships calling on Halifax as part of the Tall Ships Regatta.

Saturday was the first day for tourists to access the approximately 30 tall ships docked at the waterfront. They are calling on Halifax from all over the world, including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Bermuda. Visiting hours for the ships are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The ships arrived in Halifax on Friday.

The last time Halifax hosted the full-scale event in 2009, as many as 600,000 people came to see the ships – according to Waterfront Development.

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Accessing the tall ships is free but people who are 16 and older will be asked to show photo ID. The tours are just one part of a long list of events over the five-day festival.

The ships are calling on Halifax and 10 other ports in the province this summer. The event is part of the “Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta,” a transatlantic race that covers 7,000 nautical miles.

The race began at the Royal Greenwich port in London on April 13 and will finish in the port of Le Havre in France in late-August. It includes stops in Portugal, Bermuda, the United States and Canada.

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Halifax is hosting the start of the final leg of the race.

The parade of sail will start at noon on Tuesday. The ships will gather north of McNabs Island to sail along the Dartmouth waterfront. They will turn around just before the Macdonald Bridge and then sail along the Halifax side before leaving the harbour.

Waterfront Development is encouraging anyone attending the parade of sail to wear blue as they wave out the fleet.