Lady Washington "whiskey plank" ceremony on Saturday

Here's one of the planks that's going on the starboard side of Lady Washington, and on Saturday, we're going to have a "whiskey plank" ceremony. The final closing plank is sometimes called the “whiskey plank,” because shipwrights and owners traditionally celebrate this milestone of ship construction with a tot of whiskey among friends. At 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21 at Aberdeen Landing, we'll have our own ceremony. Everyone is invited. Here's more info.

The ceremony doesn't mean we're finished. After the whiskey plank is installed, the restoration team will continue the restoration project, preparing Lady Washington for her return to service in early August, which will include caulking, painting, and the reinstallation of her sailing rig. During August and early September, she will sail with Hawaiian Chieftain to Puget Sound ports. (Hawaiian Chieftain is currently in Port Angeles.) On September 4, Lady Washington is scheduled to arrive in Port Townsend for her biennial haul-out, which will include further restoration work on her hull.