New London — In its ninth year, Fish Tales, Tugs and Sails isn't like other festivals.

Hosted at the city's Waterfront Park, the festival "has a lot to do with education," founder Renee Fournier said.

"It's not your typical festival where you're just eating ice cream and buying smoothies," said Fournier, now assistant vice president of Chelsea Groton Bank. "There really is a takeaway."

The free and family-focused event, which emphasizes marine heritage and children's literacy, allows guests to climb aboard the Mystic Whaler and other boats and to hear authors read the children's books they wrote.

It offers live music, inflatable games and fair food, too.

Doused in pirate gear, Neal Kirk, founder of living history interpreters Free Men Of the Sea, said the group loves events like this because of the kids.

"We came into port last night and heard New London is ripe for the plundering," Kirk said, laughing. "No, seriously, we've been fortunate enough for the last several years to be able to get down here and do this event. It's a great thing and a great place to have it."

The group spent a portion of the morning performing sea chanteys for the kids and the adults, whom Kirk said are "just big kids."

At the story time tent — dedicated this year to the former New London Public Library children's librarian Cris Staubach, who passed away in April — author Jason Deeble was waiting for his turn to read to the children.

"I have what's called a cuteness curse: Anything I draw comes out looking adorable," said Deeble, author of the "Monster Haiku" series, while wearing a monster hat.

In Deeble's comic books, the first of which was published about five years ago, funny-looking monsters speak only in haikus to one another.

Mayor Daryl Finizio, who offered the festival's opening remarks, was also among those who led storytime throughout the day.

Annah Perch, festival co-organizer and executive director of New London Main Street, said the festival seemed to be bigger this year than in years past.

This year, she pointed out, the festival, as many other events in New London have been, was centered around Connecticut's Coast Guard Summer and celebrating the Coast Guard's 225th birthday.

She and Tina Salcedo, who spearheaded the event this year, had similar hopes for attendees of the festival.

"I would say a new understanding of and appreciation for the marine environment and just family interaction, family engagement," said Salcedo, the coordinator of youth services for New London Youth Affairs.

Flo Turner, of Montville, seemed to take away just that.

"We want to promote literacy — we love to read," Turner said, looking at the two smiling girls she'd brought. "There's something for everyone, and it's so much fun for the kids."

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle