SAN DIEGO -  

For just the second time in the last 11 years, Naval Base San Diego will be opened Saturday for tours of four military ships to large groups of civilians.

The two-day Fleet Week Sea Festival will include public visits aboard the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego, guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer, and Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau.

The event will also include in-water demonstrations, military bands, static displays of equipment and, on Sunday, a blood drive to benefit the American Red Cross.

Ship tours have been held elsewhere on San Diego Bay since the 9/11 terrorist attacks 11 years ago.

The base commander, Capt. Winton Smith, told U-T San Diego that strong turnout from the public during a holiday season event, in which lights were displayed from the rigging of the ships in port, prompted him to propose this weekend's tours to Fleet Week organizers.

The base will be open to the public between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

There is a long list of items that will not be allowed at the pier, including food or drink, pets except for service dogs, glass containers, weapons, explosives, chemicals, narcotics, large bags, cameras with lenses bigger than 100mm or tripods, skateboards or bicycles, or gang-related clothing.

Numerous events are scheduled for Fleet Week -- which in San Diego lasts more than a month -- including last weekend's San Diego State football contest against Army, next weekend's Speed Festival and the October air show at MCAS Miramar.