Fan Photo: LW in San Francisco

Jennifer Storm sent us this sepia-toned photo of Lady Washington taken by Emily Beitzel during a Battle Sail in San Francisco a couple of years ago. "I love the way the flag looks in this picture!" she says. Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will be in San Francisco Feb. 20 to March 5. For Battle Sail and Adventure Sail tickets, go to our home page.

Fan Photo: Both Ships at Port Alberni

Here's one of the most unusual photos submitted recently by fans of our boats. Usually, you see the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain in full daylight, sometimes in fog. This time, photographer Malcolm Jolly caught them in Port Alberni last year in something between twilight and evening. The light shows off the ships' brand new sails. That's HC in the foreground, LW behind her. Malcolm adds that the photo won a weekly photo contest at Global TV, a Canadian TV network. To see more of Malcolm's photos, visit his website: http://seawing.zenfolio.com/.

If you have a favorite photo of our ships and the crews at work, email us at photos@historicalseaport.org. Actually, we'd love a good shot of our figureheads for each boat. Send one in!

Fan Images: New Painting of Lady Washington

Marine artist Bob Bryant sent us this image of his painting of the Lady Washington, which was recently exhibited at the 29th International Maritime Art Exhibition at Mystic Seaport. Bryant says the burgee on the foremast never really flew on the LW; it's his own! "I usually hide or add a personal item in each of my paintings that is normally well hidden," he says.

Tours Aloft: Video from San Diego

Here's a screenshot from an AMAZING video shot by Jeff Dillon of the San Diego Union Tribune's online service, SignOnSanDiego.com. Here's a link directly to the video. Jeff donned his "helmetcam" yesterday to record what it's like to climb the rigging of Lady Washington. Any guest can do the same thing with our Tours Aloft activity. Jeff is strapped into a harness and linked to a safety line. All it takes is $20 and sure hands and you can do it, too!

Tours Aloft: Well, They're Brave Crew

So it looks like I misidentified the people in the photos of the previous post as guests, when in fact they are staff! Sorry about that. Still scary, though, way up there.

Tours Aloft: Brave Guests, They Are

Hey, I thought the captain told you not to look down! Well, who can blame a guest on his first time up up the rigging. He's one of a couple of brave guests who took a tour aloft last Sunday on the Hawaiian Chieftain in Oceanside. (See previous post.) Thanks to Cindy Wallace for sending the photos. Do you have a favorite photo of your time on the Lady Washington or Hawaiian Chieftain? Email it to photos@historicalseaport.org.

"Tours Aloft" Let You Climb the Rigging

One of the thrills of watching the crew manage the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain is their fearless climbing of the ships' rigging. It's a little bit like scaling a cliff, only the cliff is pitching, rolling, and yawing! And the view from the top is just as pleasing.

We're now offering all our guests the chance to try their hand at climbing the rigging with our new "Tours Aloft" activity at each port. A trained crewperson will strap you into a safety harness hooked up to fixed belay system. Then you climb the ratlines as high as you feel comfortable, as much as 70 feet off the water. You can do this at the dock or during a Battle Sail or Adventure Sail. We ask for a $20 donation.

Right now, we're in San Diego, and we'll be moving next to Oxnard. One of these might be your opportunity to enjoy this thrill!

Mother and Son on the Hawaiian Chieftain

Kathleen and Montana, a mother and son from Valley Center, Calif., sent us this photo of their time aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain's Adventure Sail last Sunday in Oceanside. Is Montana attempting a pirate wink? ;) Yarrrr!

Happy Ending, Crushing Bill: A Hawaiian Chieftain Saga

If you've ever owned a boat, you know that one day it can bring you joy, and the next day, tears. That's been the case with the Hawaiian Chieftain lately. You may have heard that the cooling system failed on the HC in December, and that resulted in a cracked head on the starboard engine. We've spent the last month or so getting her fixed up, and she's back to normal as of yesterday.

Then we got the bill: more than $22K. The weekly conference call this morning was somber, but we're looking at the glass as half-full; our beloved Chieftain is up and running. Now we need to fill the rest of the glass, and we've decided to send out an appeal to past crew. Here's what we've come up with, signed by the boss:

Dear Crew Member,

I’m writing today because our Seaport family and your shipmates need your help. Just before Christmas, while in San Pedro, Hawaiian Chieftain suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. The cooling system for the starboard main engine failed, which resulted in severe damage to the engine. A leak in the cooling system required welding, and engine had to be rebuilt. The boat was essentially out of service from Dec. 20 to Jan. 18.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Capt. JB Morrison and the crews of both boats, we are now back to 100 percent capacity. But the bill is staggering: $22,000+. Those of you who have crewed with us during the winter know that December and January are the slowest months of the year for us in terms of revenue. We simply don’t have the money in our bank account right now to cover this bill and keep up with our typical monthly expenses.

You know that shipmates pull as one when storms blow hardest. I’m asking you today to help us with a donation in any amount so that we can pay for this repair and get back on course financially. Please call us at 800-200-5239 as soon as convenient and we will gladly accept your donation by credit or debit card. If you prefer to mail a check, here’s the address:

Hawaiian Chieftain Repair Fund
PO Box 2019
Aberdeen, WA 98520

Your contribution will be reserved for the Hawaiian Chieftain’s repairs. If you have questions or concerns, contact me at 800-200-5239 or email me at les@historicalseaport.org.

Thank you again for your service to our ships. We look forward to sailing with you again soon.

Fair Winds,

Les Bolton
Executive Director
Shipmate

We'd like to hear from you, too. So please give us a call.

Here's some photos taken by JB of the damage. To see a larger version, click the photo itself and a bigger one will pop up.

Historical Seaport Now on eBay Giving Works

Do you sell goods on eBay as a Community Seller? You can donate up to 100 percent of the sale price to the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain's education programs through eBay Giving Works. It's easy! Just select GHHSA as your charity in the item listing wizard. The eBay Giving Works ribbon will appear next to your item. Here's a step-by-step guide.

Miller|Hull Charrette Day 2

So it's day two of the Miller Hull Partnership charrette for Seaport Landing (see previous post), and we're starting to look at some fleshed-out designs for the project. Nothing's decided, but three themes have emerged: River of Life (the environment), River of Commerce (trade and industry), and Creating Community (serving Grays Harbor residents).

Again, the debate and discussion is vigorous, and the ideas are very exciting. In the top photo, Eric Bode, principal, Walker Macy Landscape Architects, explains some ideas for the site. In the bottom photo, members of the Historical Seaport board of directors, guests, and Miller Hull staff offer some feedback. Pictured left to right are: Katie Popolow (back to camera), Miller Hull; Mike Jobes, Miller Hull; Eric Bode, Wyatt O'Day, Miller Hull; David Miller, Miller Hull; Sheila Hill, Aldrich Pears Associates; Brian Court, Miller Hull; Dick Wagner, Center for Wooden Boats; Les Bolton, GHHSA; Laurie Rust, GHHSA board; Roy Pearmain, GHHSA board; Larry Bledsoe, City of Aberdeen.

The charrette ends today, and we're looking forward to seeing the final results from Miller Hull in a few weeks. Thanks so much to them for their generous help!

Miller|Hull Charrette Day 1

Members of the Historical Seaport board and guests met today with staff with the Miller Hull Partnership in Seattle for the first day of a two-day charrette focused on Seaport Landing, the new home port facility for the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. A charrette is mostly a brainstorming session, and you can see that everyone had lots of ideas. In the top photo, from left to right, are Eric Bode, principal at Walker Macy Landscape Architects, Sheila Hill, interpretive design specialist with Aldrich Pears Associates, Mike Jobes, principal, Miller Hull Partnership, and Craig Curtis, partner, the Miller Hull Partnership.

In the bottom photo, left to right, are GHHSA board members Roy Pearmain, Laurie Rust, and Dee Harrington. Rounding out the group is Dick Wagner, founding director, Center for Wooden Boats. Several other folks joined us, including GHHSA executive director Les Bolton, and Larry Bledsoe, public works director, City of Aberdeen. The discussion was animated, and we always seemed to run out of time before all the ideas were heard.

Miller Hull generously donated the services, which will help us prepare cost projections, requests for proposals for architectural and engineering services, and initiate the permitting process. The materials will also help GHHSA create case statements and fundraising materials for the Seaport Landing capital campaign, which is now underway.

I'll have some more photos tomorrow.

Video Featuring LW & HC Wins Award

A video featuring the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain produced by KOCT-TV in Oceanside, Calif. has won a regional award. According to a KOCT news release, the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) recently held their annual Western Region Fall Conference in Denver, Colorado where KOCT was awarded a 2008 WAVE Award. At the October conference, Promise Yee, KOCT program producer, won for her video Tall Ships in the Harbor in the category of Community Event / Pro. The 30-minute program produced in the spring of 2008 captures the history and adventure aboard the Lynx, Spirit of Dana Point, Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, that anchored in Oceanside Harbor for the Oceanside tall ships festival. On board the ships hands-on sailing, mock gun battles and tactile lessons in history are explored and sailors share their love of sailing tall ships. Congratulations to Promise and KOCT!

Donate Your Car and Cut Your Taxes

Wondering what to do with your surplus vehicle? Donate it to the Historical Seaport! We're now taking donations of used cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and RVs. It's simple and easy. Just call toll-free 877-537-5277, send an email, or fill out this online form. We'll pick-up the vehicle free at your convenience. The only paperwork you need is a clear title. We handle everything else. Proceeds from the sale of the vehicle go directly to supporting our tall ship education programs. And you could get a tax deduction of $500 or more, depending on the sale price. It's really cool! Here's more details on how it works.

If you're interested in other ways to give to the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, check out our donation page.

Marine Painting of Lady Washington

Marine artist James Williamson let us know about his watercolor painting depicting Lady Washington at Friendly Cove on the west coast of Vancouver Island September 16, 1788. James specializes in marine scenes, which you can sample at his website. We can't wait for his painting of Hawaiian Chieftain! Are you a marine artist? Email a link to photos@historicalseaport.org.

Membership Renewals Rolling In

About 1,900 membership renewal letters have arrived at our members' homes and businesses and the response is beginning to come in. Membership dollars help us pay for everything that keeps the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain going day-to-day, from fuel for the engines to food for the crew. In a bigger sense, your membership helps change lives. Just read the story of Liz Palmer, who's on the LW right now in Long Beach. If you haven't received your letter, and you want to renew, please visit our membership page to learn about your options. Or click here to sign up via our online system. Thanks!

Fan Video: Riding With HC to Oregon

Filmmaker Bonnie Ember sent us this trailer from her high-def video production HWY 1, which will be released this year. The production features Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, and the excerpt aboard HC takes us along the Oregon Coast and Coos Bay.

Fan Photos: LW Arrives in Los Angeles Harbor

A Lady Washington fan, Lord Nougat, submitted these wonderful images of the ship arriving in Los Angeles Harbor at sunset early last month. Both Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain are traveling next to Long Beach on Jan. 5 for an eight-day stay. Submit your favorite photos of the boats, the crew, or yourself having fun to photos@historicalseaport.org.