Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain Sail Away
Tall Ships Cruise Pacific Northwest Waterways in Historic Mode
Jun 9, 2009
The two ships are replicas of vessels which were involved in the Pacific trade in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lady Washington Is Historic Ship
The Lady Washington is a full-sized reproduction of the original vessel which was built in the 1750s for colonial trade purposes. The ship was made a privateer in the Revolutionary War, and was remodeled for a voyage around Cape Horn in 1787, according to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport's website. In 1788, the ship became the first American ship to land on the west coast of North America. Though not captained by him at the time, the Lady Washington was along when Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River in 1792.
Lady Washington First U.S. Ship to Dock in Japan
The Lady Washington was the first American ship to arrive in Japan. The ship played a major role in opening trade routes between North America and Asia in the 18th century. Her useful life ended in the Philippines in the late 1790s.
The Lady Washington was replicated for Washington State’s centennial in 1989. It is the official ship for the state. Though it looks old, the ship meets the Coast Guard’s requirements for 21st century ships. According to the ship’s website, the Lady Washington has 156 lines of rigging which would stretch three miles if laid end to end.
Movie-goers may recognize the Lady Washington from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. It appeared in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Hawaiian Chieftain Is Replica of 19th Century Trader
The Hawaiian Chieftain is a replica of a typical European merchant trader at the beginning of the 19th century. The current ship was built in 1988 in Hawaii, and purchased by the Grays Harbor Seaport Authority in 2004.
The Lady Washington and its companion, the Hawaiian Chieftain, are based in Aberdeen, on the Washington coast. The ships make several trips a year, sailing the waterways of Washington, California, Oregon and British Columbia. The ships are open for public tours during their ports of call, and also put on educational programs for school students. The volunteer staff dresses in period costume to complete the picture.
As the ships move from port to port, they also carry paying passengers for short segments, giving visitors a further glimpse into the past.
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