It's not unusual to see Amsterdam's canals crawling with boats and barges but today the city's main seaway had a slice of the action. SAIL 2010 kicked off with a procession of boats travelling from coast to capital - with thousands turning out to watch them arrive. And for a landlubber who'd never actually heard of this nautical event, being afloat among thousands of boats was an impressive experience.

The ships out on the water this morning ranged from the sublime - luxury yachts complete with champagne-drinking crews - to the ridiculous, which included a floating model of a Heineken beer can. One man had even taken his home onto the North Sea Canal, with a mini-house screwed to the top of a floating base. Another boat, inexplicably, carried a cargo of cabbages.

But while people-watching from the press boat was an amusing pastime, the tall ships taking part really stole the show. This year the offerings fall into two different categories: those more than 40 metres long, and their smaller siblings.

Royal regatta
The procession was led by the flagship Stad Amsterdam - a behemoth of a boat measuring 76 metres long. Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander made an attempt to hide behind the reams of rigging,  finally obliging his fans with a wave from deck before ducking back below. It's tough being royal.

Other notable entries this year include the Swedish Götheborg, with its bright blue and gold helm and a giant lion striding its prow. Like many of the vessels taking part in the SAIL 2010 event, the Götheborg is actually a replica of a sunken ship - but they're so impressive it doesn't really matter. The cannons lining the side were apparently put to good use this morning - presumably not when the ship was surrounded.

Publicity stunts
SAIL is sponsored by a number of Dutch companies, including ING bank and Nuon electricity - but it's striking how many smaller boats took the opportunity to advertise everything from latin dance classes to the lifeguard service. I suspect the latter may do better at reeling in new recruits.

Back on dry land it was clear SAIL's also doing a good job of selling the city. It's hard to be sure how many thousands of people were lining the shores, but every scrap of space on the water's edge was full. There were even people lounging atop the letters of the iconic IAMSTERDAM sign outside Central Station - a free publicity coup if ever I saw one.

Marijke Peters is blogging every day of SAIL 2010