Tall Ship Celebration 2003
August 14 -18, 2003
(Introduction and table of contents)
Thursday August 14, 2003
Ships Arrive
Things got off to a great start on Thursday. The winds were calm, the temperature "warm", and the sun was out. Many boats went out to the bay to greet the ships and the sides of the river were lined with hundreds of people at every beach and park.
Two years ago the Bay was a challenge for those who didn't like waves. The Princess Wenona stopped at the mouth of the river and waited. This year the entire fleet went several miles out into the bay to greet the ships.
The first ships entered the mouth of the river about 3:00. The procession was magnificant. Many had their sails up and a number fired cannon shots to salute the fleet of waiting boats. Light winds allowed the ships to run under power and keep sails up all the way into town, which was a real treat for the spectators.
Most of the tall ship fleet arrived in downtown Bay City around 4:00. Several of the largest, however, waited up river. According to volunteers on the seawall, there was concern that low water levels might not allow the largest ships to get close enough to the sea walls. About 9:30 pm, just after full dark, two more ships came into the downtown area. The Europa came in with all sails up which was a fantastic sight when illuminated by spotlights.
Organization seems to be as good as two years ago when Bay City was named "Port of the Year". Volunteers are all over the place. Police, sheriff deputies, security guards, and Coast Guard are out in large numbers to provide security. There are food vendors, a craft and art show, and entertainers on both sides of the river.
Thursday night opened the first of a number of concerts as the Bay Concert Band performed for a large crowd and for the boat crews gathered at the Shell in the park. On Friday the new Bijou Orchestra will perform. Many smaller groups will be performing throughout the event.
Below are a group of pictures from the first day. Clicking on the small pictures will show a larger image. Click BACK to return to this page.
Photos © Copyright 2003 - MyBayCity.com
E-mail for copies or permission to use photos.
Courtsey Andy Rogers - Rogers Projects
Photos © Copyright 2003 - MyBayCity.com
E-mail for copies or permission to use photos.
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