PIRATES will be taking over Weymouth to celebrate the second Pirate Festival with battles on the quayside to celebrate the town’s maritime history.

The Pirate Festival is a Weymouth Garrison event and has been organised by Steve Booth, Mark Vine and others to raise funds for the Weymouth Old Town Hall.

The crew on board Weymouth’s tall ship, the TS Pelican, will be welcoming members of the public on board.

The ship will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, November 1, where crew will be offering tea and coffee in the ship’s mess.

Informative and exciting tours of the ship will also be available with talks about the history of the vessel and her uses today.

Becky Simmons, of the TS Pelican, said: “The crew and staff at TS Pelican are delighted to be a part of Weymouth’s second Pirate Festival. We have worked with the pirate re-enactors previously.

“On New Year’s Day 2012 they arranged a pirate battle on the quayside by the ship – it was frighteningly realistic. They then staged a boarding where they forced their way onto the ship and arrested the ship’s officers.

“It was a lot of fun, and drew a large crowd. We’re looking forward to this fun and excitement again, while raising much needed funds for our charity.”

The re-enacted battles include members of the Dorset Buccaneers, Poole Re-enactment Society, The River Rogues and others who will be re-enacting pirate battles on the quayside.

Local sea shanty singers, the Dorset Wrecks, will be singing on deck in the afternoon, with Danny Adams also performing on board during the day.

Below deck author Adrian Beckingham will be reading from his pirate-themed books.

Donations to the charity Adventure Under Sail, which operates the tall ship, will be taken at the gangway.