Several boats failed to reach Wick due to fog or mechanical problems and there were only 19 craft – including nine traditional – that docked at the new marina in the outer harbour. The overcast weather on the opening day, hampered by intermittent drizzle, meant that attendance fell well below expectations but the weather couldn't dampen the nostalgia of the occasion.

The well-run HarbourFest captured something of the hustle and bustle of the herring era. It delighted the crowds and was hailed as so successful by the organising committee that a follow-up is being considered.

Vessels tall and small – including Wick's very own Fifie, the Isabella Fortuna, the oar-powered Knut, all the way from Norway, and the Anstruther-based herring drifter Reaper – were welcoming their first visitors well before the official opening at 11am by Anne Dunnett, Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness.

Miss Dunnett began by commenting that it was lovely to see the harbour so busy, particularly with traditional vessels reminiscent of the herring-boom days. The Lord-Lieutenant, referring to Wick Harbour Authority's ongoing efforts to revitalise the port, expressed the hope that HarbourFest would be a springboard for future activity.

"Things are definitely looking up, thanks to the foresight and hard work of the harbour board which is doing a great job for the port," Miss Dunnett said. "The harbour is the heart of the town and when the harbour is depressed, we are depressed. I have every confidence that things will soon begin to look up."

The Lord-Lieutenant went on to mention a very special lady who, she said, had been in "a sorry state" when she first arrived in Wick. The lady was frequently visited by a group of men – some of them married – who embarked on a love affair with her. The lady in question was Isabella Fortuna, painstakingly restored by members of the Wick Society's boat club.

"We are very proud of her," said Miss Dunnett, who stressed that the transformation had not taken place overnight and added: "It took a lot of jolly hard work."

Miss Dunnett paid tribute to the "immense effort and support" that had been forthcoming from the community and the business sector and quoted a comment from harbour master Malcolm Bremner, who said that HarbourFest appeared to have "brought out the best in Wickers" and people throughout the county.

The Lord-Lieutenant went on: "We need to pull together to make this harbour and town work."

She paid tribute to Mr Bremner, Willie Watt, chairman of the harbour authority, his vice-chairman Gordon Doull and event co-ordinator David Richard-Jones and his wife Liz for their tireless efforts in leading the massive organisational undertaking.

Earlier, Mr Doull had expressed their appreciation to the crowds for coming along and helping to create "a wonderful atmosphere". He said Wick was delighted to host the start of the Moray Firth Flotilla, which was a celebration of the industry on which the prosperity of the Moray Firth ports was based.

Mr Doull told the crowds: "We hope that you all enjoy your weekend in Wick and will take great memories with you when you leave. Hopefully, this event will be repeated and you will return again."

The challenge of organising such a big event was reflected in the range of attractions apart from the visiting fleet, with vintage vehicle displays, demonstrations and reminders of the town's maritime heritage.

A mini-village of covered stalls provided excellent fundraising platforms for local groups through the sale of local produce, refreshments, art and crafts.

Spectators on the Braehead got a panoramic view of the event, especially an impressive air-sea rescue display during the afternoon. Some of the younger visitors, however, appeared to be more interested in the donkey rides, train track and bouncy castle.

Down below there was an ongoing programme of entertainment ably compered by Eric Farquhar in frock coat and lum hat. He also broadcast interviews with the boat crews.

Ongoing entertainment included Highland dancing, community singing, majorettes, a brass band and a young rock group as well as piping and accordion-and-fiddle selections.

Sinclair Young, the co-ordinator and originator of the Moray Firth Flotilla, was delighted with how the launch had gone.

He said: "If the send-off we've had from Wick is anything to go by, we're going to have a fantastic event. This is the first event of its kind which is linking ports and communities all along the firth."

Mr Young, who chairs the Moray Firth Partnership, added: "There were one or two emotional moments, especially for the older people, when the boats came into Wick. There's no doubt that there is a terrific interest in traditional boats, and that is something we hope to develop."

On Sunday, a service of prayer and blessing for the flotilla was led by retired Salvation Army colonel John Flett. Wick minister Rev Bill Wallace offered prayers for those who bring home the harvest of the sea and for the rescue services, and asked for a blessing for Wick harbour in its endeavours.

Afterwards, a maroon was sounded as a signal for the exodus of the flotilla from the harbour on its voyage to Lybster. Bringing the harbour events to an end, Mr Farquhar thanked everyone for making it "a wonderful community occasion" which had impressed locals and visitors alike.

Among them were the crew of the 23ft Amonite, the replica of a Falmouth work boat. Her captain, Gerald Hales, interrupted his Scottish cruise at Stornoway and made a beeline for Wick after hearing of the flotilla venture. Mr Hales, who was accompanied by a friend Elaine Ogilvie, said: "It sounded like something we couldn't afford to miss."

The mariner, who opted out from a well-paid IT job, said they had been "completely bowled over" by the Wick event, which also included ceilidhs. Mr Hales added: "We had a marvellous time."

That view was endorsed by another maritime visitor, Peter Lambie, who sailed his classic yacht Dormouse some 750 miles from Poole in Dorset to join the fleet at Wick. A regular participant at harbour festivals in Britain and abroad, he enthused that the Far North event equalled many and surpassed a few.

Rob and Angela Newton killed two birds with one stone when they drove north from the Borders, towing their boat the Angela G. They took the opportunity while north for HarbourFest of researching Mrs Newton's family tree – she has Wick connections.

The Knut, a replica of a traditional 19th-century vessel, took a fortnight to arrive under tow from a Norwegian fishing boat. One of the four on board the 30ft Knut, Lars Olav Rylandsholm, said they were delighted with the reception laid on in Wick.

"It was marvellous," he said. "The people here are very welcoming and we've had a great time here."

Hundreds of people crowded into Pulteneytown Parish Church on Sunday evening for an ecumenical Hymns of the Sea service. Wick Choral, Melvich Gaelic Choir and groups from Wick South Primary School participated, with accompaniment by the Salvation Army band and the church organists. The offering for Wick RNLI amounted to £613.

Commenting on Wick's first HarbourFest, co-ordinator David Richard-Jones said nothing on such a scale had been held before in the county and it had posed considerable challenges. However, it had been brought to fruition through exceptional teamwork from all over the county.

Mr Richard-Jones said: "We had a band of over 50 volunteers involved, and everyone worked together to make HarbourFest happen and ensure that every piece of the jigsaw was in place to ensure it achieved the success it did."

He conceded that the number of vessels and spectators had not come up to expectations – the two additional areas set aside for car-parking had been virtually empty.

Mr Richard-Jones commented: "I think that, because the weather wasn't good elsewhere, people assumed Wick would be getting the same and stayed away. Fog also made it impossible for some of the traditional boats to get here, but obviously you can't control the weather.

"There was also a big yachting event in Orkney which possibly had an effect."

He said the organising committee would be holding a debriefing meeting to review the weekend and see if there were areas that could have been improved upon.

Mr Richard-Jones revealed that they would be sounding out the organisers of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy, which the Moray Firth Flotilla is due to join on Friday, about the possibility of Caithness capitalising on the success of HarbourFest.

He said: “There is a groundswell of feeling that HarbourFest should be repeated, either in conjunction with the Portsoy event or other Moray Firth ports.”

That view was echoed by Willie Watt, chairman of the Wick Harbour Authority, who described HarbourFest as “brilliant” and a tremendous boost to their regeneration plans for the port.

He estimated that some 5000 people had attended the event over the two days. The visiting crews were delighted with the marina facilities and HarbourFest would undoubtedly enhance Wick’s reputation further in the yachting world.

Mr Watt pointed out that the newly-installed pontoons represent the beginning of a new era for the port. “We have plans to diversify into the leisure market,” he said. “The pontoons are the first of two phases which will result in us having a full-sized marina.

“We’re in a key position in Wick, just south of Orkney and just north of the Moray Firth, and we see us as providing the last strategic marina in the east of Scotland. These are exciting times for Wick harbour.”

Mr Watt also highlighted the co-operation and support HarbourFest had attracted and commented: “It was great to see everything gelling on the day. There was a real feelgood factor at seeing all the hard work coming together.

“Another encouraging aspect was the interest shown by young people, who were able to go down onto the boats. They will be the caretakers of the harbour in the future. The nostalgia I felt seeing the vessels sail out on Sunday had the hairs on my neck standing up.”

Councillor Graeme Smith also applauded the community spirit and added: “The organisation was such that visiting yachtsmen were surprised to learn that it was our first event. They thought we had been running it for years.”

Harbour master Malcolm Bremner paid tribute to David and Liz Richard-Jones. He said: “It was a precision effort by everyone concerned – no stone was left unturned. That is why the event went like clockwork on the day. Everyone responded well, and the contractors deserve a special mention. No task was too much trouble for them.”

The flotilla was given a warm welcome on Sunday when it arrived at its next port of call, Lybster. Caithness Junior Pipe Band gave the 16 vessels a rousing reception, signalling the start of a varied programme of music and dance, following the official welcome by Iain Gunn of Lybster Heritage Trust.

John Cameron, chairman of the harbour society, said: “It was an impressive sight as the fleet came into the harbour in stages, especially the traditional boats with their sails up.”

Waterlines Visitor Centre was working flat out to cope with queues for refreshments and was completely sold by the end of the day. Barbecue stocks were also put under pressure and staff at the community centre helped to feed an estimated attendance of 1500. A shuttle bus service operated from the centre of the village to the harbour area.

Visitors to Lybster also had the chance to witness a knotty competition on the harbour green. At night, the sailors were treated to a ceilidh with Wick trio Gordon Gunn, Grant Lyall and Addie Harper topping the bill.

Eileen Farquhar, secretary and treasurer at Waterlines, said: “It was a phenomenal night – everyone joined in. Some of our young local girls delighted the mariners by inviting them up to dance. No-one was left out.

“It was one of the best nights we have had in Lybster for years. The sailors were delighted with the reception they received and commented on how well things had been organised.”

Mrs Farquhar added: “There was a great atmosphere throughout the day and the hope is that this event will be the first of many.”

The restored Shetland herring drifter the Swan remained for a few hours after the rest of the fleet sailed for Helmsdale on Monday to give pupils from Lybster and Dunbeath a chance to get an insight into a fishing boat of yesteryear.

The fleet is scheduled to reach Portsoy on Friday, following calls at Helmsdale, Cromarty and Buckie, in time for the 14th Scottish Traditional Boat Festival. It will receive a royal welcome from the Earl of Wessex.

* Highlands and Islands MSP Mary Scanlon has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament congratulating the Moray Firth Partnership. She highlighted the amount of work that had gone into the flotilla, reckoned to be the biggest maritime event in Europe this year.

n.donaldson@nosn.co.uk

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