The leading lady of this year's Ships to Shore festival has bowed out of the event due to poor weather, the city announced late Thursday.
The Kaisei, a 46-metre Californiabased brigantine dedicated to scientific research, had about a 10-day sail to get here, said city spokesman Ted Townsend.
"They were on schedule, but the weather changed, and they couldn't guarantee they would be here by the end of the weekend. It didn't make sense to have them come all that way just for a day or maybe even less."
The ship is the figurehead for "Project Kaisei," an international program dedicated to implementing solutions to the problem of marine debris.
Shortly after deciding to cancel the Kaisei Thursday morning, the city received an email from the operators of the Carlotta, a Vancouver Island pilot cutter built in 1899, saying she would also have to back out of the festival.
That cancellation was due to the delayed delivery of an engine that needed to be installed. The delay meant the boat wouldn't be ready for the weekend.
"It's unfortunate, but anyone who owns a boat knows that it can be unpredictable. And we still have seven great ships, including the Hawaiian Chieftain and the HMCS Oriole, which are always very popular," said Townsend
"And with everything else going on, the Salmon Festival, the Cannery, Britannia Shipyards, Steveston will still be the place to be for Canada Day weekend," he added.
Also on view will be a pair of schooners, the Mallory Todd and Grail Dancer; the historic SS Master steam tug; the gillnetter Silver Ann and the Juanita, a replica Spanish longboat.
Ship boarding is free and on a first come, first serve basis. Pirate Pass pre-registration is available to guarantee your boarding time. Boarding space on the vessels is expected to reach full capacity at times, so pre-registration can help you avoid lengthy waits.
In addition, tickets can be purchased for a limited number of day sails and children's day camps on board some of the historic ships. Day sail tickets sold out early last year. For Pirate Pass boarding pre-registration or to purchase day sail tickets, visit www.richmond.ca/register or call 604-276-4300.
The ships will be docked at Imperial Landing, just east of No. 1 Road. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 29 and 30 and from 12: 30 to 5 p.m. on July 1.
Parking in Steveston is limited and some road closures will be in place due to the Salmon Festival parade. Parking by donation will be available at Homma elementary, or a free park and ride shuttle service will be available at the old Steveston Secondary site and the City Works Yard.
