Sailing Away - Almost

Last Sunday we gassed up the truck and set off for a three hour cruise (that sounds ominous) on the Hawaiian Chieftain accompanied by the Lady Washington. First the gas pirates got us.

Photo courtesy S. Zumberis

We boarded the Hawaiian Chieftain around 10am. That was a good thing and a bad thing. The good part the weather turned out unseasonably hot, morning was better, and I have nothing but pity for the afternoon cruisers. But alas, there was little sailing for there was no wind. Perhaps the PM cruisers got some of the afternoon wind that can whip up on the Columbia River at this eastern end of the gorge. Now that the complaining is out of the way. I have to say we had a good time. One of the things I love about these ships and wooden boats in general is the magnificent woodwork and the brass fittings. Below is a picture of the door into the crew's quarters.

Photo courtesy P. Franzmann

We motored out into the channel and the crew went aloft and hoisted the sails. Note the sailing lingo here me hearties. And, I loved this guy's hat.

Several of the crew climbed up and unfurled the sails. Later on they let those of us who were game for it climb into the harness and climb the rigging ourselves. Yours truly chickened out and stayed on the deck, telling herself it was too hot to do that.

We chose the travel on the Hawaiian Chieftain so we could get better pictures of the Lady Washington a.k.a. The Black Pearl, and we did. I am sorry to say the pictures I got of the HC did not turn out so hot. It was another learning experience for me with the new camera. I did, however get this nice shot below of the Lady Washington firing her cannons at us. Our crew had fired their cannons several times much to the delight of all and several small boats motoring around us. The gunner gave a very interesting talk about how the little 3 pound cannons worked, how the dummy shot worked, and how they took care of them. I learned among other things that they were called 3 pounders because the ball they could fire weighed 3 pounds, duh! And that on a good day the shot could travel up to a mile. He explained the ballistics techniques and artistry that would send a large cannon ball through the front or the back of another ship thereby making a big hole possibly all the way the opposition's vessel. Scary.

I'd do it again. I think one of things that surprised me the most is the small size of the ships especially relative to distances they sailed these ships in their day. I think next time we'll try to get closer to the ocean with them. Their home port is Aberdeen, Washington. They are currently plying the waters of the Columbia River heading back towards Astoria and then up the coast into Puget Sound. If you have any interest they have a schedule on their website. In addition if you have sailing skills, or other necessary skills you could spend your vacation volunteering on one of these ships. http://www.ladywashington.org/

Tall Ships and Pirates

I saw the Lady Washington being built in Aberdeen, Washington. In my former life in Seattle we would stop by Aberdeen to see the ship’s progress on our way to the ocean. She was launched there March 7, 1989. She is a reproduction of the original built in the 1750’s in the British Colony of Massachusetts. Now she is famous for her appearance in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” flicks and others. And she tours, and she is coming our way. My hubby and I are going to get tickets to ride. It’s a little pricey for us but will be a great 5th anniversary outing. I’m really excited. She will be sailing the Columbia River and stopping various places from Astoria, Oregon to Pasco, Washington, an hour from here. I wanted to take the 3-hour Battle Cruise. http://www.ladywashington.org/

I liked the “Pirates of the Caribbean films, the first one anyway, the other two were attractive but lame. We are a long time fans of Johnny Depp so we went to see them all. However after watching the news about the Somali pirates and their latest hostage Captain Richard Phillips, I wonder why it is we romanticize pirates or outlaws the way we do. The news says the pirates are holding about a dozen ships and 200 or more of crew. And they have completed six attacks this week and 66 this year per Ken Silverstein in his online Harper’s Magazine article ‘Pirates and the CIA: What would Thomas Jefferson have done?’ http://harpers.org/archive/2009/04/hbc-90004751

So I wanted to take the tall ship battle cruise and imagine what? That we’re pirates? I sure don’t want to be the pirated. The old time pirates took their loot and often threw all aboard overboard, men, women, and children, unless they were saleable too, then burned the ship and sent it to the bottom. Or, they came ashore and burned, looted, and killed. I’ve been pondering this conundrum all day as I churned my way through tasks I didn’t need to think about. We loved the scoundrel Captain Jack Sparrow, but now Captain Richard Phillips, a human with a home and family is imprisoned in a floating cell, hopefully still alive. Pirates of the past were just as hideous than these modern day ones, maybe more so. Desperate people do desperate things and in the Somalis case do them quite well. They are after money rather than carnage but it’s the price of doing their business.

I will keep Phillips in my prayers and all those other 200 kidnapped people as well. I think it’s time we got over our admiration of the bad guys. I wonder how much that admiration has contributed to the anything goes philosophy of people like Bernard Madoff who merrily pirated his clients’ money and retirement funds away. In many ways he and the Somalis are not so different. Meanwhile I keep watching this growing disaster. Maybe I will go on the Romantic Evening Cruise with hubby after all and skip the cannons. What a world.