THE refurbished HMS Caroline and famous tall ships Morgenster, Phoenix and Earl of Pembroke are among the nautical highlights awaiting enthusiastic landlubbers at this weekend's Titanic Maritime Festival in Belfast.
Celebrating the city's unique maritime heritage, the festival runs for three days over the bank holiday weekend and includes pop-up picnic, live music, arts and crafts, demonstrations and street theatre among a packed 2016 schedule.
Visitors will have the chance to have a sneak peek into Belfast's newest attraction, HMS Caroline at Alexandra Dock, ahead of its official public opening in June.
The ship, which saw action in the Battle of Jutland off the coast of Denmark in 1916, is set to open as a floating museum following a multi-million pound restoration project.
Seven large-scale model weapons based on the warship's originals have been built and fitted this month, as well as a replica torpedo, as part of the £14.5m revamp.
The models were manufactured by Acapple Construction, a firm more used to building sets for smash-hit TV shows like Game Of Thrones which is largely filmed in Northern Ireland.
Festival-goers will also be able to climb aboard the impressive tall ships docked at the quayside and sample a little of life on the ocean wave as it used to be - including the Netherlands-registered Morgenster which has been sailing as a clipperbrik since 2008 when her own restoration was complete.
The seaside atmosphere will be enhanced by music from Q Radio presenter Gareth Stewart and the Q Street Team who will be broadcasting live from the Q Bus at Queen's Quay - where food and drinks will be available at the pop-up maritime market.
Meanwhile, a range of interactive maritime themed arts and crafts workshops will be available for younger visitors, including climbing wall, face-painting, games and street theatre, with walking tours planned for all ages and cable wakeboarding for the more adventurous.
A free maritime festival bus shuttle service will run throughout the event, departing from outside SS Moores on Chichester Street and stopping at Pollock Dock before dropping off at Station Street beside Queen's Quay.
Return shuttle services have pick-up points from Station Street bus stop, dropping off at Donegall Square West beside the City Hall.
They will run every 15 minutes from 11am-6pm, from Saturday through to Monday.
