The sun reflected off the golden cane reeds as women niftily weaved them to create fishing bogue traps, while a man dressed in traditional costume lifted a ship's mast.

Senglea's maritime roots were brought to life on Sunday with a focus on preserving traditions, folk singing and exhibitions among others.

The Senglea Maritime Festival was geared to create awareness of the connection between the city and the navies, which made use of its army of master craftsmen in the past.

The sense of nostalgia was evident throughout, as women went around carrying baskets with local produce and fishermen showcased techniques and traditional tackle.

One of the main attractions was the provision of Il-Maċina with a replica pair of sheerlegs which were used to mast and demast galleys during the reign of the Knights of St John and later ships of the line belonging to the British Royal Navy which had its Mediterranean base on the island.

Another colourful event involved the speronara under sails, a vessel that was used to transport goods and passengers along the Mediterranean.

The highlight was a procession with a statue of the child Madonna, recalling the one held on September 8 during the last years of World War II whenItaly had surrendered.

The rich history of maritime relations the US was also showcased during the festival, with members of the US Embassy's Defence Attaché Office and Marine Security Guard detachment presenting an exhibition called US-Malta Maritime Relations: Past and Present.

The exhibition included displays about the USS Constitution deploying from Grand Harbour to counter Barbary Coast pirates in the early 1800s; the Great White Fleet's historic visit to Malta in 1909; the summit meeting between US and Russian president Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989; and current cooperation between the Armed Forces of Malta and the US Coast Guard.

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