Spectators crowded the Halifax waterfront Monday as 25 tall ships sailed away.
Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador, the Bluenose II, led the Parade of Sail, marking the end of this year's tall ships festival in Halifax.
India's Tarangini leaves Halifax on Monday.
(Pam Berman/CBC)
The vessels circled the harbour, and as they made their way past Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis, there were salutes with horns and cannon blasts.
The tall ships arrived in heavy fog last week. Though they've been tied up at the waterfront for days, spectators had to wait until Monday to see the ships under full sail.
When the Tarangini left, the red-suited sailors from India stood high above the deck in the rigging.
Several of the tall ships were headed down the South Shore while others were travelling to ports in Cape Breton.
The event in Halifax is being hailed as a success by both organizers and politicians.
David Jones, lead organizer of Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival 2007, said the Friday and Saturday crowds were larger than expected and, in all, more than 600,000 visitors took in the event.
The provincial government contributed $600,000 and the Halifax Regional Municipality put in $300,000, money the mayor says was well spent.
"For every $1 invested they expected a $20 return, so that's a fairly substantial return on each dollar invested," said Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly.
Some vendors selling food and drinks along the Halifax waterfront reported their best weekend so far this summer, but others selling crafts said they didn't do as well as they had hoped.
