Bidding bon voyage

Photo Gallery

Parade of Ships

Charleston residents and visitors waved farewell to the fleet of international tall ships as Charleston Harbor Fest 2009 came to a close Monday afternoon, with the U.S. Coast Guard's Eagle leading the parade out to sea.

Charleston waved farewell to the fleet of international tall ships as Charleston Harbor Fest 2009 came to a close Monday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard's Eagle led the parade out to sea as civilians lined the waterfront to see the tall ships take a final bow.

Despite the recession, the festival seems to have made a major splash.

"There are not many other state events that an adult can attend for $15 over three days," said Meaghan Van Liew, deputy director for the S.C. Maritime Heritage Foundation. Between 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, nearly 5,300 crossed the deck of the Eagle.

According to Jeanne Jamme, director of development for the foundation, this year's festival required more tickets than in years past. Yet crowds at many of the activities seemed to be larger than ever.

Harbor Fest 2009 was scheduled around the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. Unlike the 2007 festival, which took place in May, this year's event faced sweltering heat. Water was invariably the No. 1 seller, Jamme said.

Only 13 of the original 18 tall ships that came to Charleston as part of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge will contine on to Boston. Both French ships Etoile and Belle Poule, German ship Peter Von Danzig, and U.S. ships Schooner Virginia and Spirit of South Carolina will not continue on in the fourth leg of the trans-Atlantic regatta.

Despite a broken foremast, Russian tall ship Kruzenshtern is still in the race. The ship made its arrival on Thursday in pretty bad shape. But the foremast has been dismantled and will be repaired later.

During the third leg of the challenge many of the ships limped into Charleston Harbor bruised and battered because of severe thunderstorms. However, a team of 35 liaisons from the Maritime Heritage Foundation came to the rescue and were on duty 24 hours a day to assist the crews in any way possible, including sail repairs, said a spokesman for the foundation.

Van Liew said she expects proceeds to exceed the $130,000 generated by Charleston Harbor Fest in 2007. Profits will be used to fund state educational programs, such as the Sea Spray Scouts, and other hands-on programs.