Try to imagine nearly sixty tall ships of varying shapes and sizes, four naval ships and hundreds of other vessels of all descriptions descending upon one small area of Amsterdam.

Throw in several thousand visitors and loud banging music from our neighbouring “Rap Stage” and you will start to understand what the Sail Amsterdam Festival was like!                                                                        
The Dutch are clearly very proud of their seafarers and everyone from grannies and grandpas to kids in pushchairs were out to celebrate.
Each ship had their own student organised by the local university to show the crews around, and make sure we all had a good time.  This involved a crew breakfast (food as far as the eye can see), a Captain’s Party, a non religious sail blessing ceremony, fireworks every night and so many other events that we couldn’t get round them all.  
          
The tour of Amsterdam was a real highlight. We were expecting to be put on a touristy boat and be taken around the canals with a commentary.  It soon became clear, however, that we had our own private tour just for the crew off Trinovante, organised by one of the Yacht Clubs in Amsterdam! The hospitality seemed to be never ending.

They took us round the canals for hours, and provided up with as much wine, beer and food as we could manage.

At ten p.m. on the final night the festival finished with an even bigger fireworks display than normal, topped off with all the ships blasting their horns and making a huge noise. There were blasts of every pitch and it really touched me to think that all those people on all those ships, boats and yachts were there with one really important thing in common, and that was their love of the sea. 

What an incredible experience!    

Rig maintenance on board the city of Brests' schooner

La Recouvrance

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