Surplus equipment sale nets funds for education

Volunteer and crew coordinator Inez Wall completes a sale during the Historical Seaport's end-of-the-summer surplus equipment sale at the Seaport's headquarters in Aberdeen. Foot traffic is light but steady on a beautiful Saturday morning on Grays Harbor. All proceeds from the sale support the Seaport's education programs. The event ends today at 5 p.m.

Fan Photos: LW, HC, and Lavengro in Brownsville

Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain spent the past weekend in Brownsville, Wash., and two photographers sent some great shots of their activities. Top: Lynn Wilson shot Hawaiian Chieftain taking a shot at Lady Washington during a Battle Sail. The puff of smoke comes from her deck cannon. Bottom: Frank Wilson (not sure if he's related to Lynn) took a nice portrait of the schooner Lavengro (far left) snagging front row seats as Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain battled it out in Agate Passage.

If you have nice pics to share, send them to photos@historicalseaport.org.

Fan Photos: Evening Sail in Brownsville

Debbie Harbison sent us this unusual photo of Lady Washington taken by Bob Harbison last night in Brownsville. If you have a photo to share, send it to photos@historicalseaport.org.

Fan Photos: Action in Coupeville

Jackie Feusier sent us these photos of action aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain last weekend on Penn Cove near Coupeville. The gentleman in the top photo is none other than Capt. JB Morrison, making like the true tall ship sailor that he is. Send your tall ship experience pics to photos@historicalseaport.org.

Fan Photo: Lady Washington and Mt. Baker

We received this photo from Tami Kannenberg, who joined us on a sail in Coupeville last weekend. That's Mt. Baker in the background. We'd love to publish your photos of Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain on our blog. Send them to photos@historicalseaport.org.

For Auction: Pirates of the Caribbean Jolly Boat

For auction: One of five small boats (‘longboats” or “jollyboats”) used in 2003 Walt Disney Pictures production of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Heavy fiberglass construction, with wood gunwales. Named “Capt. Jack”. 18 feet long; 5-feet 10-inch beam. Original paint, though weathered. Artifact is owned by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority and stored on its property at Aberdeen, Wash. GHHSA holds documentation showing transfer of artifact’s ownership by Walt Disney Pictures to GHHSA. Images on the eBay listing show boat’s current condition, a scene showing one of the small boats in use, and the page in the script calling for the use of small boats.

To bid, please go to this eBay page:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320577400232

Thank you!

Fan Photos: Coupeville's for Kids!

Tom and Ellen Kosloske took their grandson Arden on the Wednesday Evening Sail aboard Hawaiian Chieftain in Coupeville and sent us these photos. Top: Lady Washington trails Hawaiian Chieftain in Penn Cove. Middle: Arden chats with the crew. Bottom: Arden takes the helm under the watchful eye of Capt. JB Morrison.

If you have photos to share of your trip on Lady Washington or Hawaiian Chieftain, email them to photos@historicalseaport.org.

Spar Shop Announces Harbor's Best Greenhouse Kits

The Spar Shop at the Historical Seaport, a business unit of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, has announced the immediate availability of a new high-quality, value-priced greenhouse kit for the home and garden market. Designed for the small city lot or a modest back yard, the Harbor’s Best Greenhouse Kit is priced for today’s budgets.

Delivered as a kit, the Harbor’s Best Greenhouse covers 8 feet by 8 feet and stands just 8 feet tall at the peak. Made of durable Washington State Douglass fir stained to a redwood color, the Harbor’s Best Greenhouse Kit is easy to assemble with basic tools. The kit includes a set of six arches, purlins, end walls, all necessary hardware, and assembly instructions. The Harbor’s Best Greenhouse Kit comes in three versions: frame-only, with clear PVC panels, or with polycarbonate panels. Harbor’s Best Greenhouses may be enlarged with additional frame and purlin sections. A windowed screen door is optional.

The Harbor’s Best Greenhouse Kit is priced for homeowners and gardeners on a budget who need a greenhouse for sheltering outdoor ornamentals or starting plants for vegetable gardens. Four kits are available:

• Basic (frames only): $445 (w/o door); $485 (w/ door). Call 800-200-5239
• Select (PVC panels): $945 (w/o door); $985 (w/ door). Call 800-200-5239
• Premiere (polycarbonate panels): $1,223 (w/o door); $1,263. Call 800-200-5239
• Frames and purlins, without glazing: $161 set. Call 800-200-5239

The Harbor’s Best Greenhouse Kit frames are fabricated from high-quality Douglass fir pieces, which are byproducts of the mast-making process at the Historical Seaport’s Spar Shop in Aberdeen. The kits themselves are prepared for shipping at the Spar Shop. Customers complete the final assembly.

All sales support the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority K-12 vocational, education and sail-training programs for youth aboard the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain.

Spar Shop Ships First EU Order

The Spar Shop has shipped its first order for a European Union customer. Site manage Kent Wall and lathe operator Matt Bale turned a mast 29-feet, three-inches long for Mr. Paul Moroney of Dingle, Ireland, to be stepped into his gaff cutter Moose, pictured above. The mast is seven and three-quarter inches in diameter at the base and four inches in diameter at the top. The mast will be installed in the 32-foot, eight-ton Moose after shipment by sea from Tacoma. Built in 1925 at Looe, Cornwall, Moose was originally designed as a fishing lugger. She was converted to a gaff cutter in 1982.

The mast was made from a single Douglass fir tree harvested in Grays Harbor County. The log was turned on the Spar Shop’s tracer lathe, the largest of its type in North America, located at its facility in Aberdeen. The lathe can turn logs up to 122 feet long and 40 inches in diameter.

Organized in 2003, the Spar Shop specializes in ship's wooden masts and spars, as well as custom columns and poles. The Spar Shop also provides custom milling of wood gaffs, booms, timbers, beams and cants. More information is available at www.thesparshop.org or by calling 800-200-5239.