TICKET INFO
The festival is free, but you’ll have to pay to board the ships – except for the Coast Guard Eagle, which is free. You can buy boarding passes at the festival, but to save time, buy them online at tallshipstacoma.com and print them yourself.

General daily pass: $10 (allows you to board all Class B and C ships).
Premium daily pass: $20 (allows you to board all ships, including the Niña, the Kaisei and the HMS Bounty).
Treasure pass: $60 (allows four-day access to all ships).
Children 10 and younger: Free.

Sailing adventures: Excursions on tall ships and other vessels may have already booked up. Check tallshipstacoma.com for availability. A limited number of standby sailings will be available if reserved passengers don’t show up.

Also: Argosy Cruises is offering harbor tours and sunset dinner cruises on the Royal Argosy. Information: www.argosycruises.com.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
For more details, see the official event guide in Tuesday’s News Tribune.

Thursday, July 3
Parade of Sail: 10 a.m. Vessels will sail from Quartermaster Harbor to the Foss Waterway to the cheers of thousands along the Ruston Way waterfront.
Festival hours: Noon-8 p.m. (no ship boarding).

Friday, July 4
Festival hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Ship boarding: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Lines close at 5 p.m.

Tacoma Freedom Fair: The city’s famous Fourth of July festival will take over the Ruston Way waterfront. It features live entertainment, food and crafts. It opens at 10 a.m. The Tacoma Air Show starts at 1:30 p.m. Fireworks blast off at 10:10 p.m.

Saturday, July 5
Festival hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Ship boarding: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Lines close at 5 p.m.

Sunday, July 6
Festival hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Ship boarding: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Lines close at 5 p.m.

Monday, July 7
Festival hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Ship boarding: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Lines close at 5 p.m.

GETTING THERE, GETTING AROUND
Main entrance: Dock Street at 15th and A streets.

Parking: The official festival parking lot is at the Tacoma Dome. Parking is $10. Parking also will be available at downtown lots.

Shuttle buses: Free shuttle buses will run from the Tacoma Dome and between the three festival villages from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily (10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on July 3).

Transit: Festivalgoers are encouraged to take the bus and avoid parking hassles and expense. Pierce Transit offers a dozen routes with service to Pacific Avenue near the festival. One-way fare is $1.50; on Saturday and Sunday an all-day pass is $3.

Bicycles: Bike parking will be available at the Northwest Passage Village near the Museum of Glass. No bicycle riding around the festival.

BOATING REGULATIONS
One of the best ways to see the ships is from a boat. But if you’re planning to be on the water during the festival, be advised that the Coast Guard has issued special safety regulations. The rules limit where and when boaters can operate or anchor their boats.
General restriction from June 30 to July 7: A 50-yard moving safety zone around every tall ship while under way in Puget Sound. No unauthorized vessels may enter that safety zone.

Other regulations for particular areas, according to the Coast Guard:

• Quartermaster Harbor. There will be a safety zone in the harbor from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 3, the day of the Parade of Sail. No boats will be allowed in Quartermaster Harbor without permission from the captain of the port, Puget Sound.

• Ruston Way: Watercraft will be prohibited in a safety zone 400 yards out from Ruston Way from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 3 during the Parade of Sail. The zone extends from the Tacoma Yacht Club to the mouth of the Foss Waterway.

• Foss Waterway: A 50-foot rule will be in effect on the waterway during the festival. Festival security boats may stop traffic in the waterway when a tall ship is entering or leaving.

For more details, go to tallshipstacoma.com.

TIPS FOR ENJOYING THE FESTIVAL
We asked News Tribune reporters Adam Lynn and Kathleen Merryman, who led news coverage of the 2005 festival, to share ideas for getting the most out of this year’s event. Here are some tips from them and other festival veterans:

Parade of Sail
• The show starts at 10 a.m. and lasts about 2½ hours. The ships will depart from Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Island, cross Dalco Passage to Commencement Bay and sail up Ruston Way to the Foss Waterway. Last time, an estimated 150,000 people crammed the waterfront, so arrive early, stake out your spot, find a bathroom and plan an escape route. If you get there early enough, you also might be able to snag a table at one of the Ruston Way restaurants.

• During the Parade of Sail those fun-loving tars aboard the Lynx, the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain will be firing on the shore. Taunt them. The more you yell, the more likely crews are to light a fuse for you.

• If you can’t make the parade, TV Tacoma, Channel 12, is offering live coverage. The city channel plans to repeat the program. TV Tacoma is covering the Parade of Sail beginning at 11 a.m. on July 3.

AT THE FESTIVAL
• Be prepared for the weather. Last time, it was hot, there was little shade and water was $2. Bring your own hydration, sunscreen and a hat or an umbrella.

• Arrive early. The festival doesn’t “open” until 10 a.m., but all the ships are there and you can walk around and look at them without competition if you arrive about 9 a.m. It’s also cool to see the crews preparing the vessels for the day. Then you can be done by noon and don’t have to buy lunch.

• Don’t pin all your hopes on the big, famous ships. You bet the Eagle, the Kaisei, the Niña and the Bounty will be fascinating, but they also will have huge lines. If lines for the glamour ships are hours long, skip them and go see some of the smaller ones. Every ship has its own story, and a crew willing to tell it.

• Take your own entertainment to pass the time waiting in line. The Tall Ships Web site has links to the participating vessels. Print them out, put them in folder and have them ready to pull out while you’re in line. The more you know before you step aboard, the more fun you’ll have.

• Scout out a portable bathroom at the midway point of the venue and earmark it for use. The potties on the ends of the venue – where most of the attractions are concentrated – get heavily used, which means waiting and sometimes unsanitary conditions.

• Enjoy the live music and other street performers. It’s free and entertaining.

• Be aware of some of the festival rules: Wheeled items – including strollers and wheelchairs – aren’t allowed on the ships. Pets (other than official service animals) are prohibited on festival grounds. Wear proper footwear to board a ship – rubber-soled shoes, sneakers or boat shoes, and no spike heels.