The tall ships Lady Washington, the Official Ship of the State of Washington, and her companion ship, Hawaiian Chieftain, have announced their ports of call and sailing schedule for Summer 2009. The ships will visit 12 ports on Puget Sound and the coast of Washington State, as well as the San Juan Island National Historical Park, where it will join in the sesquicentennial of the Pig War, an 1859 boundary dispute between Great Britain and the United States. The conflict almost came to blows after the shooting of a pig.
The ships will kick off the summer season with a celebration in Aberdeen of the Lady Washington’s 20th anniversary. The celebration takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday, June 29 at Aberdeen Landing in Aberdeen. The event features tours of Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, a maritime music concert, and a presentation on Seaport Landing, the ship’s planned home port and maintenance facility on the Chehalis River. For tickets, visit www.historicalseaport.org, or call 800-200-5239.
Ports of call for the ships during June, July, August, and September include (not in order): Aberdeen, Bellingham, Blaine, Brownsville, Edmonds, Gig Harbor, Kirkland, Olympia, Port Townsend, Seattle, Tacoma, and Westport. At the San Juan Island National Historical Park, the ships will anchor in Garrison Bay at English Camp on the north end of San Juan Island July 24-27.
A complete schedule for both vessels is available at www.historicalseaport.org. Most stops include walk-on tours of the vessels dockside. A donation by visitors is appreciated. The schedule includes family-oriented Adventure Sails, featuring a living history experience with demonstrations of tall ship handling and opportunities for passengers to help sail the ships. The vessels will also conduct Battle Sails, a recreation of a typical 18th-century naval skirmish with booming cannon and close-quarters action. For ticket prices and reservations, visit www.historicalseaport.org, or call 800-200-5239.
Editors, reporters, photographers, and producers: Limited space is available on both vessels for media ride-alongs. To make arrangements, contact (media only) Joe Follansbee, jfollansbee@historicalseaport.org, 360-589-0766. High-resolution photos of Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain are available for download at http://historicalseaport.smugmug.com. Click the “Media Images” gallery to view and download photos.
Information is subject to change without notice. A Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain fact sheet is available on the Press Releases page at www.historicalseaport.org.
