One-Tank Trip for June 15/13
(c) By Jim Fox
The tall ships are a-comin’ for a summer
tradition on the Great Lakes.
These majestic sailing vessels will sail to
15 Ontario ports this summer to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812.
 |
| The topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II will be at the Toronto festival with other tall ships. |
Toronto’s waterfront is the place to be as
it will be the only port to host a full fleet of 16 ships as they travel
throughout Ontario.
Setting
your course
The party happens at the Redpath Waterfront Festival
from June 20 to 23 for the “official launch” of the Tall Ships’ 1812 Tour.
There will be four days of urban beach fun with
no charge to attend (aside from deck tours).
“The tall ships will be moored along the
entire two kilometres of Toronto Waterfront,” says Peter Toppazzini, chair of
the Water’s Edge Festivals and Events Board.
The opening ceremonies next Thursday (June
20) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. feature the entire fleet while the closing grand finale
Parade of Sail happens on June 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
 |
| Norway’s Sorlandet |
It’s said that staring up the mast of a
“tall ship” brings thoughts of pirates and long sea voyages.
Each ship carries treasure – stories of
adventure and intrigue, stormy seas and calm waters.
The term “tall ship” is often used to
describe sailing vessels that have at least one tall mast to hold the sails in
order for the wind to provide power to move forward.
Many tall ships are historic vessels, while
some are replicas, and while in port visitors can come onboard.
They can hear the crew’s stories and learn about
sailing these full-rigged ships, barquentines with three or more masts,
two-masted brigs and brigantines, and schooners with two or more masts.
Deck
tours are offered daily from 10 a.m. at Queen’s Quay, Lower Spadina Avenue to
Lower Sherbourne Street.
Activities include War of 1812 interactive
theatre, FlyBoard demonstrations, a “spectacular” after-dark lights and
multimedia show along with food, fun and entertainment.
The ships are currently in the St. Lawrence
en route to the Great Lakes and in Brockville this weekend through Sunday.
Details: tallshipsbrockville.com
 |
| Many teens have sailed on the tall ship Unicorn |
The
fleet’s in
Fighting, training and school ships are among
the vessels, many of which are visiting Toronto for the first time.
The tallest is Norway’s Sorlandet that plied
the Great Lakes back in 1933 when she sailed to Chicago for the World’s Fair.
She is commemorating the 80th anniversary of
that historic visit with a special delegation of Norwegian dignitaries onboard.
From the first sail-training school for
young people in Kingston is the St. Lawrence II brigantine built 50 years ago.
Peacemaker, a three-masted barquentine from Georgia,
will be visiting along with the Unicorn and its all-female crew.
Unicorn was built in Holland in 1947 with
her hull constructed with steel salvaged from German U-boats.
Other ships are Canada’s Liana’s Ransom; Fair
Jeanne; Pathfinder; Playfair; and Caledonia; and from the U.S., Pride of
Baltimore II; Privateer Lynx; Schooner Hindu; and Brig Niagara.
The Canadian schooners Challenge, Empire
Sandy and Kajama are Toronto Harbour ships and an extension to the fleet that
will offer daily sailings during the festival.
All
things nautical
 |
| Three-masted schooner Kajama offers sailings. (Light Monkey Photography) |
For details about the tall ship festivals:
- Sails on the St. Marys, Sault Ste. Marie, July
19-21: algoma1812.com
- Southwestern Ontario: Sails to See
(Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island), Aug. 30-Sept. 2: coastaltrails.ca
Fox
Trots
- Turtlefest and Wienerfest are among the
events with the strangest names and happen in the Woodstock area.
Winding up today (June 15) is Tillsonburg
Turtlefest at the fairgrounds for a midway, car show, vendors, waterpark and
all-day entertainment. There’s a “friendly turtle race” on Lake Lisgar. Free. turtlefest.ca
Wienerfest Home County Festival is June 22
at the Embro Community Centre from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This free event is for the dogs – dachshunds
– and their well-behaved owners with more than 700 critters participating in
games such as bobbing for wieners and wiener races along with 100 vendors and artisans.
wienerfest.ca
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
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