Hawaiian Chieftain
1330 hrs. My road trip home.
I’m always reluctant to leave Shatoosh and return home, but I was anticipating getting to see The Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain as they were possibly in the small river town of Rainier this weekend. I had seen the Hawaiian Chieftain on the San Joaquin River in California many years ago and have seen the Lady Washington numerous times in Washington, but never close up. As I enter the town of Rainier in
my trusty Rav 4, they are tied to the docks. A vision to behold, as I glance at all the lines, the character of the ships , the antiquity of the scene and the crew dressed in period costumes. I’m not sure why this event was not publicized more. I would have certainly cruised down to be a part of it. I find I have just missed the tours of the vessels and they are getting ready to embark on a 3 hour cruise with canon ball fights. I see a squall line coming up river, so decide to pass on this opportunity as I don’t have a jacket with me.
Lady 
Washington
Washington
The maze of rigging. Each line has a function and each crewman must know what to pull and when to pull a line.
This is such a wonderful opportunity for our youth to learn these ancient skills of seamanship.
A couple of crewmen begin to unfurl some sails.
Go to http://www.ladywashington.org/ to see her sailing schedule. You can visit her onboard, go for a sail, or book passage for a day or overnight sailing. September 15-17, 2009 looks really inviting to me: Port Townsend to Westport Wa.
