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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2016)
2C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2016 Shades of the 18th century Tall ships ill sails in Ilwaco A taste of pirate life By NATALIE ST. JOHN EO Media Group I LWACO, Wash. — The two unique tall ships, owned and operated by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, give modern-day landlubbers a chance to ind out whether the pirate’s life might be for them. Earlier this month, a steady stream of curi- ous visitors lined up to tour the Lady Wash- ington and Hawaiian Chieftain — two artful replicas of historic ships that make an annual visit to the Port of Ilwaco. During the sum- mer, the two ships sail to ports along the West Coast, to provide a lively, hands-on way to learn about maritime history. Members of the public can book tickets on “Adventure Sails” and “Battle Sails,” join the crew for one-way “transits,” or even book the boats for pri- vate events. Between sails, costumed volun- teers and staff host walk-on tours and happily answer questions about what it’s like to sail the high seas in 18th-century style. Living history Constructed in Aberdeen, the Lady Wash- ington is a 27-year-old, 112-feet brig. The original ship was built in the 1750s, accord- ing to the Seaport’s website. In the 1780s, she was reitted in preparation for a voyage to the Paciic Northwest. In 1788, the Lady became the irst vessel to make landfall on the West Coast of North America. In 1791, she became the irst American-lagged ship to visit Japan, where the crew attempted to open up trade, according to the Seaport’s website. The Lady was also the irst American ship to visit Honolulu and Hong Kong. When Hawaiian King Kamehameha became a part- ner in the ship, it opened up trade in black pearls and sandalwood between Hawaii and the Orient. The Historical Seaport was established in 1986 to build and maintain the Lady, and launched her in 1989, as part of the state’s centennial celebration. As the oficial ship of Washington state, she has been touring on and off ever since. In 2005, the Seaport purchased the Hawai- ian Chieftain, a 103-feet topsail ketch. Though the steel ship was built in Hawaii in 1988, and originally intended for cargo trade among the Hawaiian Islands, it was designed to resem- ble one of the passenger and “packet boats” that sailed up and down the Atlantic seaboard in colonial times. The name is a tribute to the Hawaiian King Kahekili. After its launch, the Chieftain traveled to Tahiti, other destinations in the South Paciic, and San Francisco. These days, it’s used for educational cruises and ambassadorial visits along the West Coast, according to the website. Two weeks onboard On a Saturday in June, volunteer Lyn Kimpton of Seattle stood under a shade on the upper deck of the Lady, enthusiastically sharing trivia and talking about life onboard. There are about 3 miles of rope in the 156 lines that make up the elaborate rigging, Kimpton said. The Lady appeared in one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and a few other shows and ilms, but it’s mostly Natalie St. John/EO Media Group Space is very limited on the Lady Washington, so crew members are confined to very small spaces below decks during their sails to ports around the Pacific Northwest. IF YOU MISSED THE SHIPS IN ILWACO Sail tickets must be purchased in advance. To learn more, visit http://historicalseaport. org/sail-with-us/public-sail-schedule/ Aberdeen Saturday and Sunday Tours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adventure sails 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Westport June 25 and 26 Tours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adventure sails 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Life on the Lady Natalie St. John/EO Media Group Visitors toured the Lady Washington, a replica of a wooden ship from the 1790s, in the Port of Ilwaco in June. used “for teaching, to kind of keep history alive,” Kimpton explained. The Lady operates with a crew of 12, and can carry up to 45 passengers. Some of the people on board, including the ship’s cook, the education coordinator and the irst mate, are paid staff members. Others, including Kimpton, are volunteer participants in the Two Weeks Before the Mast program, which trains participants in the basics of tall ship sailing. According to the website, trainee sail- ors learn about everything from knot-tying to traditional and modern maintenance skills to maritime history. Participants have to apply to the two-week-long program, and pay a fee of $650. Everyone on board works very long hours, helping with “everything from swabbing the decks to cleaning the heads,” said Kimpton, who had boarded in Newport a week before. While Liz Dal Bon climbed high into the rigging to perform maintenance tasks, edu- cation coordinator Ali Place, originally from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, was below decks, telling a group of young boys about the “Eas- ter eggs” hidden around the ship — they include about $1.75 in coins placed under- neath the mast, and a pair of toy dinosaurs who are having a lightsaber battle in the rig- ging, she said. The brief tours of the ship were enough to spark dreams of a life at sea for many visitors. Tyler Backous, who was visiting from Van- couver with his mom and siblings, liked the idea of being free from the usual routines of life on land. Looking up at Dal Bon, who was perched on the mast, he joked, “I want to climb on things and not get yelled at!” Butt dialing ? S o not all butt dials are the same. Just ask that couple in Seaside ... From the emergency log: “Couple having an intimate moment and the phone called 911. Couple did not answer upon call back.” 9-1-WHAT? Follow reporter Kyle Spurr on his 9-1-What? Twitter watch, where a few of the sometimes head-scratching calls to area dispatch take center stage. The full feed is at www.twitter.com/9_1_WHAT. THE BEST OF THE WORST CALLS TO ASTORIA 911 DISPATCH W hile other n ew spa pers give you less, The D a ily Astoria n GIVES YOU From left: H illa ry Borru d , M a teu sz Perk ow sk i, Pa ris Achen O u r n ew M ORE C APITAL B UREAU covers the sta te for you
