Two more firsts - legal alcohol and being in two places at once!
I had my off day today.. which meant Tijuana, Mexico with Cook Nate, and cheap beer and free tequila to boot :) It's bitter cold for San Diego, but to start the day off, I climbed to the main royal yard on the Star of India, I guess about 100 feet from the deck. Talk about adrenaline rush.
Oh, and this is what I get for having boat watch on New Years Day, and talking to reporters from the Long Beach Beachcomber:
Keeping Maritime Heritage Alive
by: Kirt Ramirez
It only comes to Long Beach once or twice a year.
The Lady Washington ship sails along the West Coast continuously, only taking a break on Christmas and New Year’s Day, visiting ports from Canada to Mexico. The replica of the historic merchant craft built in 1750 docked in Rainbow Harbor recently for anyone to see. Those who missed the boat may still catch the majestic vessel when it returns for another winter tour Jan. 26-31.
“The original sank in the Philippines in the late 1790s,” said Jim Rich, a volunteer who dedicates time to teaching school children and adults the boat’s history. “There are virtually no vessels from that period that survived.”
Workers built the former Lady Washington in Boston and it served as a coastal trader during the late eighteenth century. It existed during the Revolutionary War and became the first ship to fly the American flag, Rich said.
At 112 feet, with 11 sails and measuring 4,400 square feet, today the Lady Washington remains an authentic replica constructed in Aberdeen, Washington in the late 1980’s. Its design matches the original almost exactly, from its bright color scheme to the ropes and lines that stretch all around. Modern sailing gear has been added for safety and the onboard artillery mimics that of the old ship.
“All the guns work just like the originals, but we don’t fire projectiles,” Rich said. “We just make a loud bang and lots of smoke.”
Around 12 to 16 crew members live on the ship throughout the year. Some are volunteers while others are paid professionals, all with a desire to offer the public a glimpse into the past, particularly to fifth and sixth graders.
“During the week, we’ll see 700 school kids up and down the West Coast,” Rich said.
Adults also are welcome to step aboard the floating craft. And so far as Rich knows, no one has fallen off the ship into the water. But some “people have accidentally walked off the dock,” he said.
Rich said the most hair-raising incident he experienced occurred en route from Newport Beach to San Diego one night. With the motor off at around 2 a.m., a sailor screamed “all hands on deck,” because “the wind had tripled and veered.” Rich rushed to get the sail off, while two others climbed to the top of the ship to do their part.
“The wind was flogging the sail all around and I thought this would be a real authentic way to die,” Rich joked.
Another matter concerning the crew may be personal hygiene. Rich explained that showers on the ship may be used, but nothing compares to the pleasant, long, hot showers the shores offer.
“Generally, wherever you are, the harbor master will give you keys to the shower and laundry room,” he said. “It’s for the good and morale of the crew.”
Meanwhile, Education Coordinator Elan Sprouse said many children studying history would benefit from visiting the ship, since they can touch and experience the past firsthand.
Sprouse said she enjoys living on the ship and has sailed for three months now. A cook prepares meals for the crew, and a stove and refrigerator add convenience. While the ship is docked, the crew stocks up on food and supplies. And Sprouse has been known to call her relatives from the port to say, “Hi, I’m still alive.”
Lady Washington does not classify as a pirate ship, but it played one in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Rich explained that a real-life skipper stayed close-by during filming in case of an emergency.
“When you see Johnny Depp at the wheel, Captain Brad Souza was lying down ready to jump up and take the wheel,” Rich said. But the wheel was makeshift for the movie. The actual steering device used in reality is a tiller, a sort of a long wooden beam.
Other Lady Washington crew members stood by during production in Hawaii to serve as advisers, he added.
The ship also appeared in “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” starring actor Russell Crowe.
“We’re a floating, living, history museum, keeping alive part of our American Maritime heritage,” Rich said.
To learn more about Lady Washington, its crew, or other tours and programs, visit www.LadyWashington.org.