The Bluenose II is sailing into Shelburne this weekend.
The ship will dock at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the deck will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bluenose II Captain Phil is looking forward to the visit.
“I love going to Shelburne, it’s a historic fishing port, historic ship building port and schooner port,” says Watson. “And there’s a dory shop there so hopefully the crew can go and learn the difference between a Lunenburg dory and a Shelburne dory. It’s good for them, good for the ship and hopefully god for Shelburne to bring some people in there.”
Shelburne is also preparing for the ship’s arrival.
Vendors will be set up along the town port on Water street and the Shelburne and Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a photo contest of the Bluenose II.
The original ship became an icon when it won races against United States vessels from 1921-1938.
Watson discussed why it has endured as symbol of Atlantic Canada.
“You had the story of country against country. You take those races and then you start to extrapolate into what it is that it takes to build a ship and all those people. It represents so much about Nova Scotia or about the eastern seaboard or about Atlantic Canada.”
The original ship was wrecked in 1946. The replica Bluenose II was built in 1963.
The ship will sail out of town the next day and won’t return for the rest of its season.
