Tall ships sail out of Norfolk, bringing an end to a historic weekend

NORFOLK, Va. — The last tall ships sitting at the Norfolk Waterside are set to sail out on Tuesday, bringing an end to a historic weekend.

Thousands of people lined the Waterfront over the weekend to experience the ships up close, explore maritime history, and take part in Harborfest and Sail250 festivities.

Dozens of international tall ships along with hundreds of recreational and military vessels sailed through Hampton Roads in commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. The fleet of ships sailed 26 nautical miles from the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) to downtown Norfolk as a part of the Virginia Parade of Sail.

Watch previous coverage: Festival goers soak up final moments of Norfolk's 50th Harborfest

As the ships prepare to leave port, visitors are taking with them memories from a milestone year for the festival.

The 50th Harborfest served as a birthday gift for Stacey Wallenfelt. She grew up sailing in Maryland and spent the final day of the festival searching for a ship that brought back memories of her time on the water.

"There's a ship here that I think is from Maryland that I am trying to see, that when I raced, was race Kennedy boat and I want to see that boat again," Wallenfelt said. "This has been so amazing to see the tall ships.”

For many visitors, the ships offered a chance to reconnect with memories of life on the water.

"I've been on the tall ships before but nothing like that, that is awesome," Kay Lee said.

Following the final day of public tours in Norfolk on Monday, the ships are set to head to Baltimore for Sail250 there. The ships will arrive in Maryland throughout the week, with the full fleet set to arrive by Friday.

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