Clear Sailing

DANA POINT — Little more than three months ago, the city’s renowned annual tall ship festival looked like it was sunk.

The City Council had withdrawn its financial support and event organizers--unsuccessful in finding another major source of revenue--were on the verge of calling off the festival.

If that wasn’t enough, the Pilgrim, a reproduction of a 19th century brig docked in Dana Point Harbor, badly needed $70,000 worth of repairs.

Then, with the suddenness of a tsunami, the phone rang at the Orange County Marine Institute in May, and the festival had gained one heavy-duty corporate sponsor.

Without missing a beat, the Toshiba Copier/Fax Tallships Festival will take place Saturday, almost as if its financial bad weather had never existed.

“This was very much a last-minute, desperation revival,” said Daniel T. Stetson, director of maritime affairs for the institute. “We had contacted the tall ships [which have to be booked almost a year in advance in some cases] and told them that it didn’t look like we’d be able” to hold the festival.

With the corporate sponsor providing matching funds for repairing the Pilgrim, the institute was able to fix the leaky deck and buttress major support beams inside the boat. The institute, which owns the Pilgrim, raised the other half, with donors of $250 or more getting sections of the old deck as memorabilia.

After a summer of hard work, the trading vessel will be ready to join six other tall ships in their majestic entrance into the harbor that traditionally kicks off the festival. About 12,000 people are expected at the two-day event.

“This is a labor of love,” said Rafael Perrotta, 69, a former steamship captain-turned-volunteer who takes a 2 1/2-hour bus ride from Anaheim to work on the Pilgrim.

“I love the sea and I wanted to make sure this ship is ready for tomorrow,” Perrotta said as he carefully applied paint to a large wooden nameplate for the Pilgrim.

Most of the repair work involved painstakingly laying out, tarring and veneering custom deck planks, as ship builders have done for hundreds of years.

A few finishing touches will remain undone by the weekend, “but that’s not a bad thing,” said Al Sorkin, who coordinated the 15 volunteers working on the project. “We want to give people an idea of how [the repair work] is done.”

The 13th annual festival has always tried to give landlubbers an authentic view of life at sea in the 19th century.

There will be sea chantey singing, tours of the ships, historical reenactments and vendors selling craft work such as scrimshaw.

For the first time, a mock cannon battle will take place in the harbor.

A ringside seat on one of the battling frigates can be had for $60. Those interested should call (800) 432-2201.

With parking at a premium near the festival site, shuttles will be running from a lot at Salt Creek Beach, at Pacific Coast Highway near Crown Valley Parkway.

For information about the festival, call (714) 496-2274.