A flotilla of hundreds of historic tall ships sailed up the North Sea Canal into Amsterdam on Wednesday, launching a five-day festival that celebrates the Dutch capital’s maritime heritage and is staged only once each decade. The previous edition took place in 2015. Vessels from around the world, including Peru, Uruguay, Germany and France, paraded into the harbor as crowds packed the canal’s banks to watch crews wave from rigging and decks. Organizers expect tens of thousands of visitors to attend exhibitions, ship tours and waterfront events through the weekend.