I had the good fortune of interviewing Harry Hilliard last month for a story about the renovation of the old Balfour Dock building on Tacoma's waterfront.

Hilliard, known to most of his friends simply as Harry "The Horse," died in his sleep two weeks later at age 88.

I spoke with Harry because he once worked at the Balfour building, before it fell into disrepair. He was happy to see it's re-birth.

Standing beside his friend Ron Magden on the esplanade outside, Harry described what it was like working on the docks in the days before the "containerization" of the port.

And he gave me a brief version of his life story, which included being orphaned at age 5, and surviving the bombing of a ship he worked on during World War II. (He was in a London pub at the time of the attack.)

His obituary, published in today's paper, offers more details of his colorful life.

I was surprised and honored to read this:

On June 21, 2008 The News Tribune featured Harry on page 1. Harry was very proud of that article. In fact he considered it the summation of his life.

I wish now that I had the chance to talk more with Harry. But I'm pleased that I had the opportunity to meet him even for a brief time. He gave me a glimpse into Tacoma's history -- and the life of a remarkable man.

Tall Ships spokesman Matthew Erlich called this morning to report the results of the American Sail Training Association race from Victoria, B.C. to Port Angeles.

Amid all the cannon fire and pirates, it was easy to forget this wasn't just an exhibition but also a competition.

For the record, the Lynx won, followed by the HMCS Oriole and Gig Harbor's own Amazing Grace, Erlich said.

The other ships that began the competition were the Hawaiian Chieftain, Lady Washington, Adventuress and Eagle. Due to tide, winds and the number of tacks it would have taken, their skippers elected not to finish.

Tall Ships organizers did not meet their attendance goal, but are declaring the event a success.

With another 50,000 people showing up today, the preliminary total for the five day event was put at 400,000. They will have more numbers as they count up boarding pass and ticket sales. But the number will likely be short of the goal of 700,000 - the number said to have shown up in 2005.

As we've pointed out, an exact head count is impossible for a free, far flung event like this. Kathleen Merryman also suspects they are being more careful with their numbers than three years ago.

Regardless, it's likely that the spotty weather did play a role. “The rain had a big impact on attendance but those who came despite the weather had a great time and enjoyed themselves,” David Doxtater, festival executive director, said in a press release.

Several readers have called or e-mailed to winder if there was a “reverse Parade of Sail,” when all the ships would be leaving Tacoma.

The answer is a definite maybe.

Most are scheduled to leave between 6-8 a.m. Some are leaving later. Others have already left or are staying around a while.

Here’s a breakdown of what ship is leaving and when:

About 4:45 a.m.:
● Oriole

Between 6-8 a.m.:
● Kaisei
● Bounty
● Merrie Ellen
● Nina
● Adventuress
● Mycia
● Lavengro
● Red Jacket
● Rejoice
● Lady Washington
● Mallory Todd
● Kia Ora
● Cutty Sark

Between 4-8 a.m.:
● Resolute

About 10 a.m.:
● Virginia V

Leaving tonight/already gone:
● U.S. Coast Guard Eagle
● Hawaiian Chieftain
● Zodiac
● Lynx
● Yankee Clipper
● Amazing Grace

Staying in the area:
● Charles Curtis (local boat)
● Tug Joe (local boat)
● Odyssey (for 10 days)
● Sydney Waite (for 10 days)
● USAR Tug (local boat)

An Army landing craft is offering free tours of Foss Waterway both today and tomorrow. Excursions are every half hour, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board at Thea's Park.

Tomorrow is Military Appreciation Day at the festival, which means that all active service members and their families receive half off the price of premium and regular access boarding tickets.

I got a call this evening from an irate woman from Puyallup who'd just returned from a frustrating day at the festival. She said she got to the event early, as advised, and paid $10 for a general boarding pass but was unable to get on eight of the ships that she had paid for and wanted to see. She kept getting turned back because the ships were out on sailing excursions. She suspects that there are many other unhappy customers out there. (She didn't want her name used in the newspaper but wanted us to be aware of the problem.)

I asked festival spokesman Matthew Erlich if they'd heard from others with similar grievances. "Complaints have been relatively isolated from where I've been sitting," he said. Organizers caution that buying a boarding pass doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to board all the ships. About two-thirds of the fleet is running sailing excursions during the event (that's how they pay the bills), so any particular ship may be out in the bay when you want to see it, Erlich said. If you’re determined to board a certain ship, you might want to check the sailing schedule.

I'll put this question out to readers: Did you get your money's worth at the festival? Reply in the comments below, or send an e-mail to newstips@thenewstribune.com.

I just talked to festival spokesman Matthew Erlich to see if organizers had a crowd estimate that we could publish. The short answer is not yet.

They are still in the process of calculating attendance. For a mostly free festival like this, it's an inexact science. They will use hard indicators like sales of boarding passes and sailing excursions. Because many people enjoyed the onshore activities and Parade of Sail without buying a ticket – organizers also will use sampling from aerial photos and consult with police.

For this round, organizers think they're on track to match the consensus number from the 2005 event: 700,000.

We'll have reporters at Tall Ships Tacoma again today. I'll be bringing you consumer tips. Dave Wickert will be touring a few ships.

Check back throughout the day for updates.

Fans of the Tall ships turned out in droves to see them arrive this morning along Ruston Way.

Hank Cramer is on stage at Thea's Park, belting out sea shanties to the folks gathered nearby to eat alligators on sticks, jambalaya and other fare.

But he's competing with the roar of a Coast Guard chopper over head, and the clanging of rail cars slamming together on the BNSF Railway lines across the street.

Cramer lives in Winthrop now, a good bit away from the sea. But he says he is a former shantyman and helmsman on the Lady Washington.

The crowd is buzzing with excitement at the sight of the Lady Washington rounding the bend and pulling into the waterway followed closely by the HMCS Oriole.

In case anyone missed the sails, a couple of cannon blasts signaled her arrival.

"Excitement, excitement!" Alice Galford of Mesa, Ariz. exclaimed from her perch at Thea's Park.

Galford grew up in Lakewood but hasn't lived her for 30 years. Her brother, Rick Howell of Tacoma, persuaded her to come visit specifically to see the Tall Ships.

"I love the Tall Ships," said Howell, who sails Commencement Bay with his brother.

Howell took the day off work today in hopes of avoiding the huge crowds that he expects tomorrow and over the weekend. The strategy appears to be working. There is a decent crowd now, but still plenty of room to find a good viewing spot.

Howell plans to be on the water tomorrow where he can take in the Freedom Fair fireworks show.

"That's the only way to watch it," he said. "It's in your face."