The docks will be hopping, the ships will be sailing and the pirates will be carrying on

  • Posted: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:28 a.m.
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The Prince William on the way to Charleston for the Charleston Maritime Festival.
Melissa Haneline /The Prince William on the way to Charleston for the Charleston Maritime Festival.

The Maritime Center Complex will be the center of the festival, and the festivities will extend to Ansonborough Field and the Union Pier Passenger Terminal. The Charleston to Bermuda racing fleet will be docked at Patriots Point at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, and shuttle buses will run between the Charleston Maritime Center and the Union Pier terminal.

The Charleston Maritime Center and Ansonborough Field are one block south of the South Carolina Aquarium near the corner of Calhoun and Concord Streets. The Union Pier Passenger Terminal is behind the U.S. Customhouse at the intersection of Market and Concord streets.

Parking will be available in the South Carolina Aquarium garage, in the Gaillard Auditorium garage on Calhoun Street and in the Concord Street garage near the Passenger Terminal. Parking is also available in the State Ports Authority's lots in front of the Passenger Terminal (Lot A and Lot B/C), or in the warehouse facilities on Concord Street — Buildings 311, 312, 313. To park at the SPA's lots, it's $8 for the day, with all day re-entry and $7 after 6 p.m.

Where to watch: The best view will be from the Charleston Maritime Center's docks.

To tour the ships:

Tours run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday

Docked at the Charleston Maritime Center:

--Spirit of South Carolina — Charleston

--Spirit of Bermuda — Hamilton, Bermuda

--Pride of Baltimore II — Baltimore, Md.

--Schooner Virginia — Norfolk, Va.

--Docked at Union Pier Passenger Terminal:

--Gloria — Cartagena, Colombia

--INS Tarangini — Vasco-da-Gama, Goa, India

--Prince William — Portsmouth, England

--Barque Picton Castle — Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Costs and IDs: Photo ID is required at the Passenger Terminal for adults. Boarding passes may be purchased on site, at etix.com or at coastal branches of Carolina First Bank.

Passes to board tall ships cost $10. Ages 10 and under are admitted free. At 7 p.m. Sunday, the tall ships will parade out of Charleston Harbor.

Spirit of Bermuda and Gombey Dancers:

A group of Bermudan dancers, called The Gombeys, will board the Spirit of Bermuda Thursday to make a formal entrance into Charleston Harbor. Accompanied by drums, the group will dance into port at noon. The best view will be at the Charleston Maritime Center.

Charleston to Bermuda Race:

The gun will go off at noon Friday, as about 15 sailboats race about 777 nautical miles from the Charleston Harbor to Hamilton, Bermuda. The race is for boats between 30 and 70 feet long. The competition includes local and out of town sailors, some of whom are new to sailing and others with decades of experience under their belts. Best view of the start will be from the docks at the Charleston Maritime Center.

Pirate Camp:

About 50 pirates from South Carolina and beyond will be camped out in Ansonborough Field throughout weekend. The pirates will fire muskets and cannons each day at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. and a "How to be a Pirate" camp will follow at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. They will also take a pirate walk Friday and Saturday morning from pirate camp, along East Bay Street to the Old Exchange Building. There, they will read their pirate demands. Awards also will be given each day to the best-dressed pirate kid or adult in the pirate costume contest each day at 3 p.m.

Maritime Art:

Maritime art, including paintings, drawings, photography, model ships, and other arts will be on display at downtown galleries with open houses on Friday:

--Kensington-Stobart: 3-4 p.m.

--Audobon Gallery: 3-5 p.m.

--The Sylvan Gallery: 3-5 p.m.

--Ann Long Fine Art: 3-5 p.m.

*wine served and tall ships info available

Sailing and rowing lessons:

The Ocean Sailing Academy will offer free sailing and rowing classes to the public throughout the weekend.

Family boat-building:

Twenty families will spend two days fitting wooden rowboats together. Their work will be tested at the end of the competition and they will be able to take their product home.

Wooden boat display:

Nearly 50 classic wooden boats will be displayed on land and water, many of which were handcrafted by their owners from start to finish.

Music:

Live music will play throughout the weekend. Some performers include:

--Cindy Lou, an artist who plays children's music and is writing a song about the Spirit of South Carolina.

--Here Come the Mummies — a group of artists from various famous bands across the nation, with nine Grammys among them. They perform "Party Funk" in mummy gear to keep the crowd guessing. 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $10. Go to www.scmaritime.org to order.