DULUTH — A lightning strike and fire on board one of the tall ships destined for a Duluth festival will keep it away from the event.

The 118-foot schooner Halie & Matthew was recently damaged in bad weather and hasn’t yet been repaired. More than 1,000 tickets for a ride on the schooner have been sold. Organizers say most of those ticketholders will be redirected to other tall ships in the fleet.

The tall ships festival that opens Thursday is expected to generate as much as $15 million for the local economy and draw at least 250,000 visitors. More than 25 tall ships are taking part in a tour of 22 Great Lakes ports.