While riding my bike home from work yesterday I noticed that there we're some tall ships in the harbor. So being curious I turned and checked them out. Turns out they are all ship I have never seen before. As we have allot of tall ships visit us each year this was out of the norm for sure.
After checking the ship out I also noticed a sign saying that this was where the shore battery was to be placed. Also a sign proclaiming that this was the area for confederate troops to gather for the assault. WTH?!
So off the the homestead to check the newspaper for clues. Newspaper says something about a festival for the tall ships. Here is the newspaper blurb for it.

Eight tall ships dock in Oxnard before big race
Weekend festival set at harbor

By Lauren Lester, [email protected]
August 5, 2005

Bob Browne and his wife, Dickie, sat in matching canvas chairs in the late-morning fog Thursday, overlooking Channel Islands Harbor.

"We come to the harbor a few times a week to watch the boats. Today we came to watch the tall ships sail in," the 74-year-old Camarillo man said. "Dickie and I try to get out of the house and spend quality time together as much as possible. We like to keep busy.

"Over the last few weeks, we watched them get ready for this. They painted and planted. It was something else."

The Oxnard harbor has hosted one or two tall sailing ships over the years, but beginning today, eight of them will be on display as part of the Tall Ships Festival. The ships sailed into their slips Thursday and will be here until Tuesday morning, when they depart in a race to San Pedro.

The Tall Ships Challenge Race Series alternates yearly among the Atlantic, Pacific and Great Lakes coasts. This year, Channel Islands Harbor was named as an official host port for the series by the American Sail Training Association. The harbor is the only such port this year between Tacoma, Wash., and San Pedro.

Each of the eight tall ships was built based on a traditional ship design from centuries past, and each has a distinctive look and history. They range in length from 70 to 150 feet and come from as far away as Japan.

Royaliste, a 71-foot, square-topsail ketch modeled after an 18th-century dispatch gunboat, sailed from San Francisco this week. It and another ship will participate in battle re-enactments this weekend. The Royaliste is equipped with flags to represent any side of any naval battle from 1750 through the American Civil War.

"This is a really nice stop. They did a great job organizing it. We're looking forward to it. The focus on re-enactments and special interests made this stop special for us," said Gary Bergman, owner and captain of Royaliste. "We focus on teaching living history from a privateer standpoint. We incorporate re-enactments, not just sail training. It's more than just maritime history -- it's American history."

Marcy Nevius, 37, of Camarillo and her children, Ally, 11, and Nick, 9, were among the spectators watching the ships arrive Thursday.

"We wanted to see how big they actually were," Nevius said.

"I knew they would be tall," Nick said, "but not that tall!"

The Tall Ships Festival begins at 10 a.m. today, with numerous activities Saturday and Sunday and ship tours Monday. Activities will include live music, arts and crafts, food, maritime and water-related exhibits, and a children's fun zone.


Tall Ships Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday (ship tours only).

Where: Harbor View Park, west side of Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard.

Cost: Festival-only admission, $4; admission and single-day ship boarding pass, $10; multiple-day boarding pass, $20; children 6 and younger free when accompanied by paying adult. Battle re-enactment sails, $75 for adults, $35 for children 12 and younger accompanied by adult. Free parking.

Highlights: Dockside tours of tall ships, Civil War battle re-enactments, educational programs, pirates and swashbucklers, live music, food, maritime and water-related exhibits, arts and crafts, children's fun zone.

Information: 985-4852 or http://www.tallshipschannelislands.com.
Link

I think its pretty freakin cool to have all these ships in the harbor. Should provide some entertainment this weekend.

may be down there this weekend-if it ain't too crazy. the fair should relieve some of the congestion though. maybe hit the sun farmers market at the same time.

You have a harbor?  Damn...must be some kinda rich guy.  

Quoted: You have a harbor?  Damn...must be some kinda rich guy.

Hardly. I just got in before the price inflation.