Deck guns boomed as the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain fired upon one another during a battle sail in Port Angeles Harbor.
No live ammunition was fired on Sunday in the mock battle that will be re-created Saturday and Sunday in Port Ludlow.
The guns were merely firing extremely loud blank charges. Many of the four dozen or so passengers aboard the ships covered their ears to muffle the deafening noise.
The two tall ships, both historic replicas based in Aberdeen, are docked at John Wayne Marina in Sequim today.
The crews will offer dock-side tours of the ships. No battle or adventure sails are scheduled on Sequim Bay.
The ships will set sail for Port Ludlow on Thursday, and are expected to arrive at the Port Ludlow Marina, 1 Gull Drive, for three days during which the crews will offer tours, battle sails and an adventure sail.
At one point in Sunday’s Port Angeles mock battle, the two ships came within a few yards of one another, and the crew of the Hawaiian Chieftain switched tactics from firing her guns to throwing pieces of bread and hurling good-natured insults at those aboard the Lady Washington.
The passengers laughed in response to their antics.
Behind the helm of the Lady Washington was Capt. Jeremiah Gempler, dressed, like the rest of the crew, in a period costume.
Gempler wore a black cloak and bowler hat, along with a pair of suspiciously modern-looking wrap-around sunglasses.
Gempler called out orders to first mate Matte “Elmo” Gowen, who then yelled out the instructions to the hands on deck.
They hustled to quickly work together to raise and lower the sails in order to move the ship into the best position to fire at the Hawaiian Chieftain’s rudder.
They invited passengers to tug on the lines themselves, and many took them up on the offer.
“It was awesome,” said Janet Kirchan of Sequim, who was a passenger taking part in the battle sail with her grandchildren.
“The kids came up to me and said this was the best thing we have ever done. The crew was the life of the party,” she said.
“Yo ho,” Kirchan added.
Tickets available
Three-hour battle sails are scheduled in Port Ludlow at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. An adventure sail, also three hours long, is scheduled aboard the Lady Washington at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Dock-side walk-on tours of the ships in Port Ludlow will be from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets were still available Tuesday for all the Port Ludlow battle and adventure sails.
Also, passage can be booked — for $135 a ticket — from Sequim to Port Ludlow and from Port Ludlow to Friday Harbor.
Battle sale tickets are $60 for adults; $50 for students, seniors and active military; and $40 for children 12 and younger, who must be accompanied by adults.
Adventure sail tickets are $55 for adults; $45 for students, seniors and active military; and $35 for children 12 and under.
Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.historicalseaport.org, by phoning 800-200-5239, or from the crew members at the ships.
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Photojournalist Chris Tucker can be reached at 360-417-3524 or at chris.tucker@peninsula dailynews.com.
