Hawaiian Chieftain docks in Sacto; Lady Washington in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Those keeping a weather eye on the horizon — or at least toward Benicia’s coastal waters — may have noticed a tall ship sail by recently on its way to Antioch.
It’s the Hawaiian Chieftain, a two-masted square topsail ketch that resembled the mail-carrying packet boats that in the early 1800s made regular stops in Benicia and contributed to the local economy of that era.
The Chieftain’s sister ship, the Lady Washington, is a replica of a former Colonial-era vessel that was a privateer’s ship during the Revolutionary War, then became the first American-flagged ship to sail the Pacific Ocean as a trading vessel.
But the Chieftain is no replica. Instead, it is an original design, commissioned by Lawrence H. Dorcy Jr. and designed by Raymond Richards, who was inspired by 19th-century South Seas trading vessels.
The steel ketch was built in 1988 at the Lahaina Welding Company, on the island of Maui. It’s decorated with the image of a member of Hawaiian loyalty clad in the royal colors of red and yellow.
The vessel is familiar to many who remember when it was based in Sausalito. In 2004, it was sold to a Cape Cod sailing program and renamed “Spirit of Larinda.” But the ketch became inactive after the unexpected death of its owner.
By 2005, it belonged to Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, which owns the Lady Washington. The authority restored the ketch’s original name, and uses both ships in educational and sail training programs conducted along the West Coast.
However, both vessels also have been media stars, too. The Lady Washington has appeared as a holodeck vessel in a Star Trek movie; was used as the “Interceptor,” the vessel captured by Capt. Jack Sparrow for his pursuit of the Black Pearl in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie; and most recently has been cast as Captain Hook’s Jolly Roger in “Once Upon a Time.”
But the Hawaiian Chieftain has also assumed the role of a pirate ship. It makes appearances in a rowdy film shoot for Smosh/Alloy Digital that supports the Ubisoft’s release of its game, “Assassin’s Creed IV — Black Flag.”
After welcoming visitors aboard four tours and giving would-be sailors short cruises Saturday and Sunday, the Hawaiian Chieftain set sail this week for Sacramento, said Alex Troxell, originally from Virginia, who is the vessel’s boatswain for this voyage.
It will remain docked at 1210 Front St., in Old Sacramento in the state capital through Dec. 8.
While there, the ketch will provide living history educational experiences, primarily for children in third through fifth grades who are learning about California history, Troxell said.
Students will have opportunities to take three-hour tours, offered twice a day, five days a week, he said. The rest of the public may tour the vessel Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Once it leaves Sacramento, the Chieftain will return to Solano County waters, stopping at Rio Vista, where it will be available Dec. 14 and 15 for public tours and excursions. Tickets are required and are available online from the website historicalseaport.org.
Longer trips, called passages, also are available when the Grays Harbor vessels travel from point to point. Those schedules and tickets also are available online.
The Lady Washington was inspected by Platypus Marine on Saturday in Port Angeles after it ran aground Friday at the Westport Marina, and is on its way to Half Moon Bay after no damage was found on its hull.
The square-rigged ship will be at Half Moon Bay at Pillar Point Harbor on Oct. 26 and 27 and at San Francisco Pier 40 on Nov. 2 and 3.
It will travel south to Moss Landing Nov. 9, and will remain there until Nov. 17.
Those interested in visiting or riding aboard the Lady Washington also may make reservations through the Grays Harbor website. Though tours are free, donations of $3 are requested to defray costs. Adventure sails are $39.
Those interested in transit passages may call 800-200-5239.
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