Harbour Master runs it smoothly

WHILE others have been burning the midnight oil throughout the Tall Ships event, one man in particular won’t rest easy until the last of 86 vessel has disappeared from the horizon late on Saturday evening, sometime around 2pm.

He’s Waterford port’s long-serving Harbour Master, Captain Phillip Cowman.

Since the idea of hosting the Tall Ships in Waterford was first mooted by Transport Minister Martin Cullen in 1999, he’s been planning and preparing for the event.

“Waterford is unique in that the entire event is taking place in the centre of the city.

“We’ve asked that leisure craft stay away from the city centre until early Wednesday afternoon. But after that, we intend maintaining an open event area where water-born spectators can come in and proceed upwards and enjoy the event.

Unfortunately, there won’t be an opportunity for the public who arrive on leisure craft to pause in the centre of the city.

But there are pontoons downstream on the bank of the river where people can be dropped off and picked up.

This put great logistical challenges on the organisers, but with the help of the Navy and others, all ran smoothly.

The Navy has provided four rescue vessels; the coastguard is also on hand and the RNLI has large coastal boats covering the estuary. They will also patrol at peak times.

The most spectacular event of the four day festival will be the parade of sail on Saturday morning. The first of the vessels will begin to leave Waterford from 7am.

“The review takes place from the Park in Dunmore East from where the vessels will proceed out to the start area - five miles south of Hook Head. The expected start time is 2pm.

“We expect quite a number of leisure craft and would like to emphasise that they are welcome.”