The tall ships have arrived in Gloucester ready for the festival this weekend.

We were lucky enough to be walking along the canal towpath just outside Gloucester Docks on Sunday when we saw The Phoenix and Irene of Bridgwater sailing towards their temporary moorings at Hempsted, ready for this weekends Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2011. We once again watched in on Tuesday afternoon when The Kathleen and May proudly sailed by and, quite rightly, made heads turn in her direction.

What a glorious sight these tall ships are, even without their sails hoisted, moored up just outside the Gloucester Docks along the canal path at Hempsted. We noticed lots of walkers and cyclists on the towpath looking at the vessels.

The Irene of Bridgwater tall ship moored up at Hempsted just outside Gloucester Docks.

Getting ready for their grand entrance into the Docks at 1pm on Friday 26th August 2011, the usual welcome visitors of The Phoenix, Irene of Bridgwater and the Kathleen and May are joined by an unexpected friend.

The Joanna Lucretia, a British tall ship is to sail into Gloucester Docks for The Tall Ships Festival 2011. An oak wooden two masted topsail schooner built in 1945 in Belgium, she was originally to be a fishing vessel but was never put to this use. Instead she became a recreational sailing vessel, moored in The Netherlands and often to be seen sailing through Dutch waters until 1989 when she was sold and moved to Plymouth, registered as a National vessel by a British owner.

The Phoenix tall ship moored up at Hempsted just outside Gloucester Docks.

In 1991/1992 she visited Gloucester for a refit at Tommy Nielsons Yard and upon completion was chartered to sail such waters as Gibraltar, United States and the Caribbean until 2001 when once again she was sold. Unfortunately from this time until 2008 she lay unused and abandoned in Gloucester Docks until she was impounded by British Waterways for non payment of fees and sold on.

The Joanna Lucretia is still in the ownership of the then buyers and was lovingly restored over the next two years to become the sight that she now is. She can be spotted playing the part of the Medusa in The Riddle of the Sands (1978) and acted as stand-in for the original Cabin Fever ship in the Irish TV reality show after it ran aground.

The Joanna Lucretia tall ship moored up at Hempsted just outside Gloucester Docks.

What a wonderful experience the Tall Ships Festival 2011 will be with a total of five tall ships (The White Heather is the fifth ship) and the SULA Lightship will be open for us to wander around and take in just what life must be like aboard and to see the craftsmanship of the interior.

Entry on to the tall ships is by wristbands. At £5 per band for 13 years and over they will allow entry onto each of the ships and free entry into the Gloucester Waterways Museum and The Soldiers of Gloucester Museum. The Tall Ships Festival 2001 takes place this weekend, the 27th and 28th August from 10am to 6pm.

The Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2011 is the place to be on the August Bank Holiday weekend