Historic Ships In Modern Day Duel

Appearance of Mary Washington marks start to summer events

What’s the Buzz?
By Michael the K

The buzz this season has been, so far, bigger than the end product. A number of the local businesses which gave Old Town its special character have closed down or changed hands. The Boardwalk conitnues to be underused and mostly empty, and Eureka still hasn't managed to get its act together to grow the Arts Alive! event out of its provincial roots.

One bright spot, however, was that the annual Rhododendron Parade, which was in danger of cancellation, got under way in the early afternoon on April. This small hometown-type event was really a lot of fun. Clowns rode rampant in mini-cars along with Shriners who seemed to be in a race of sorts. Marching bands and floats filled the parade route and ice cream was passed out to all along the way. Of special merit was the marching band from Fortuna, who gave a masterful performance to the delight of the crowd. All in all, the parade was a wonderful surprise and a lot of fun.

The biggest event of the whole season should have been the return of the historic sailing ship, the Mary Washington. Unfortuantely it did not return with its sister ship, the Hawaiian Chieftain, and only stayed for a few days, as did the Revolutionary War-styled vessel, the Lynx. It was a real shame there wasn't more done this year, as these historic seaworthy vessels are becoming an annual attraction in Eureka.

Two years ago, the two tall ships Mary Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sailed from their homeport in Grays Harbor, Washington, visiting ports along the west coast of America all the way to Mexico. They provide quality shipboard education to thousands of students and members of the general public.

The main direction is the accurate representation of the sailing techniques of the period. The group offers two cruises a day with one as an authentic representation of an 18th Century sea battle. The Mary Washington by the way was featured in the film Pirates of the Caribbean and other historic films. I was also informed by a crew member that it was the only real ship in the film. The others they said were sets build on floating barges or computer generated vessels. They also informed me that some of the crew aboard on this trip, played parts in the Pirates series and in other films such as Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World.

Well my imagination was fired up and I decided to climb aboard and sample a taste of yesteryear on the High Seas, or at least Humboldt Bay. I chose to travel aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain and a friend chose the Mary Washington. Well I didn’t know what a treat I was in for as the 106 foot Ketch left the dock and pursued the Washington out of the harbor and out towards the bay. Captain Andy and crew were highly skilled at the art of sailing and tacked and skimmed around piers and obstacles, making it look like child’s play. Alas it definitely was not, as I observed the amount of tedious labor and precision the crew had to accomplish to sail this mighty ship. Commands from the captain rang out over the decks, being repeated and answered by the vigilant, well-trained crew.


After almost an hour of sailing and tacking the ships into battle positions, the real show began. Canons roared at one another as the ships traded volleys. Captain Andy not only called off orders to the crew, he explained each ships’ best position for the battle. The canons used real black powder, not the usual carbide charges. All that was missing was the heavy ball shot that did the real damage. I was so glad I decided to take this once in a lifetime adventure. When you think about it, a trip like this is very much like traveling back in time and I can think of very few places that can achieve that. I really felt what it was like to be out at sea in the violent world of the 18th century. After the battle, which the Mary Washington won, by the way, we took a leisurely cruise of the outer bay and headed back to our pier to dock the ships for the night .

Wow, what a great way to spend an afternoon! I bid a fond farewell to the captain and crew of this great sea adventure. The ships plan to make this an annual stop in the coming years and have been receiving a gracious welcome by the city and its citizens. The cruises were well attended and sold out fast, with families more than welcome as the company observes all Coast Guard rules and regulations to make all its cruises safe and comfortable, not to mention extremely educational . You can find out more by visiting their websites at ladywashington.org, tallshipshore.org or by calling (800) 200-5239 ex. 197.