PORT TOWNSEND — The tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will dock in Port Townsend next week.
The two ships, which are based in Aberdeen, stopped in Port Ludlow and missed Port Townsend on their trip through the North Olympic Peninsula in April when they also visited Port Angeles and Sequim.
But Port Townsend will be a port of call from Wednesday through Sunday, May 23.
The ships are expected to tie up at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., late Wednesday afternoon.
They will offer walk-on tours, educational programs and three-hour public sailings — two battle sails and one adventure sail.
Walk-on tours on both ships are planned from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 20, and Friday, May 21, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 22, and Sunday, May 23.
Crew members in period costumes will welcome visitors. A $3 donation per person is requested.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23, the crew members will engage in mock fights during three-hour battle sails featuring booming cannon and close-quarters maneuvers reminiscent of an 18th-century naval action.
Battle sails are the vessels’ most popular activities.
The Hawaiian Chieftain will ply the waters around Port Townsend during an adventure sail at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 23.
During adventure sales, which also are three hours long, participants get the chance to sail the tall ship.
The voyage to Port Townsend will include brief stopovers in Anacortes on Monday and Cornet Bay, near Deception Pass State Park, on Tuesday. No public availability is scheduled for these dates.
The Lady Washington is a full-scale replica of one of the first U.S.-flagged vessels to visit, in 1788, the coast of what would become Washington state.
The modern Lady Washington, launched in 1989, was designated the state’s official ship in 2007.
The Hawaiian Chieftain, launched in 1988, accompanies Lady Washington on her voyages.
The ships are owned by the nonprofit Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a public development authority that provides educational, vocational and recreational activities.
One-hour and three-hour educational programs for school children from kindergarten through 12th grade can be scheduled in Port Townsend by phoning Roxie Underwood at 800-200-5239, ext. 102, or e-mailing her at runderwood@historicalseaport.org.
Battle sail tickets are $60 for adults; $50 for students, seniors and active military; $40 for children 12 and younger.
Adventure sail tickets are $55 for adults; $45 for students, seniors and active military; and $35 for children 12 and younger.
Tickets may be purchased by phoning 800-200-5239 or by visiting www.historicalseaport.org.
