PORT TOWNSEND — Cannons will boom and crew members will swashbuckle when the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain visit Port Townsend on Wednesday through Sunday, May 23.
Tickets are still available for battle sails, an adventure sail and passage to Camano Island.
The ships, both historical replicas home-ported in Aberdeen, are expected to tie up at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., late Wednesday afternoon.
First time through
The two ships stopped in Port Ludlow and missed Port Townsend on the season’s first trip through the North Olympic Peninsula in April when they also visited Port Angeles and Sequim.
But they will be in Port Townsend for five days, offering walk-on tours, educational programs and three-hour public sailings — two battle sails and one adventure sail.
The Lady Washington is a replica of a ship that visited the coast of what would become Washington state in 1788. Launched in 1989, it was designated the state’s official ship in 2007.
The Hawaiian Chieftain, launched in 1988, accompanies Lady Washington on her voyages.
Tours, sails
Walk-on tours of both ships, with crew members in period costumes, are planned from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 23. A $3 donation per person is requested.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 23, the crew members will engage in mock fights, with booming cannons and close-quarters maneuvers.
Visitors can board the Hawaiian Chieftain for an adventure sail — and get a chance to sail the tall ship — at 10 a.m. Sunday.
When the ships leave next the morning of Monday, May 24, those who have booked passage can travel to Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, the tall ships’ stop after Port Townsend.
On Sunday, 10 tickets remained for the 11-hour cruise.
The $78 tickets buy one-way passage and are necessary for all travelers, including “babes in arms.”
Passengers must board by 7 p.m. the night before the ships leave Monday, May 24.
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.
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.
