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An afternoon with Lady Washington
Mar. 8th, 2009 06:41 pmPics are up. http://www.flickr.com/photos/70104978@N00/sets/72157614922593971/
You know how we have to put up with KFog's Kaboom reverberating across the bay every year and nobody gives a crap? And Fleet Week flyovers by the Blue Angels? Can someone please explain to me why the City of San Francisco would nix the firing of smallish black powder ordnance on the Oakland side of the bay? 'Cos that's where we were, ladies and gents. It's probably my fault - I stopped at Long's on the way out of Alameda to pick up a package of earplugs, thereby assuring no shot would be fired.
That's right. The "battle sail" became an "adventure sail" partly because of permit buttheadery and partly because the Hawaiian Chieftain required some unforeseen maintenance work. They were able to accommodate all passengers on the Lady Washington nonetheless, and we made our way out of the estuary under engine power, passing the big cranes loading Chinese cargo ships at the Port of Oakland and out into the bay, where our crew of young and apparently unjaded volunteers raised sails, allowing us to make a leisurely loop southwards towards Alameda before cruising back to our berth at Jack London Square three hours later.
This was my first time on a vessel actually under sail. Docked museum ships (at Mystic, Hyde Street or Greenwich) Do. Not. Count. It was a fascinating experience - even a novice like me could feel the difference between the Lady under engine power and when the engine was cut and her sails filled. The weather was perfect - clear, sunny, with a light wind of about 10-20 mph. Perfect sailing weather - we passed and were passed by any number of smaller sailboats, a couple of Coast Guard boats - and at one point a Coastie chopper circled us before darting off up the bay.
Trivia - the Lady celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday, having been launched on March 7 1989 as a replica of the original brig Lady Washington, built in the mid 18th century. She is steered by a tiller and had a fake wheel installed for her stint as the Royal Navy's HMS Interceptor in the first Pirates of the Carribean film. "Orlando Bloom fell off her RIGHT THERE," pointed out one of the crew right before we boarded.
No cannons, and no opportunity to at least chase the Chieftain around with a few maneuvers, Tiny and Sparky launched into a few chanties, and Sparky did his life-on-shipboard spiel for the kids. I went up to the quarter deck to watch them toss the chip log astern and see if it matched the GPS calculations of our speed.
Mostly I just stood at the rail enjoying the day.
You know how we have to put up with KFog's Kaboom reverberating across the bay every year and nobody gives a crap? And Fleet Week flyovers by the Blue Angels? Can someone please explain to me why the City of San Francisco would nix the firing of smallish black powder ordnance on the Oakland side of the bay? 'Cos that's where we were, ladies and gents. It's probably my fault - I stopped at Long's on the way out of Alameda to pick up a package of earplugs, thereby assuring no shot would be fired.
That's right. The "battle sail" became an "adventure sail" partly because of permit buttheadery and partly because the Hawaiian Chieftain required some unforeseen maintenance work. They were able to accommodate all passengers on the Lady Washington nonetheless, and we made our way out of the estuary under engine power, passing the big cranes loading Chinese cargo ships at the Port of Oakland and out into the bay, where our crew of young and apparently unjaded volunteers raised sails, allowing us to make a leisurely loop southwards towards Alameda before cruising back to our berth at Jack London Square three hours later.
This was my first time on a vessel actually under sail. Docked museum ships (at Mystic, Hyde Street or Greenwich) Do. Not. Count. It was a fascinating experience - even a novice like me could feel the difference between the Lady under engine power and when the engine was cut and her sails filled. The weather was perfect - clear, sunny, with a light wind of about 10-20 mph. Perfect sailing weather - we passed and were passed by any number of smaller sailboats, a couple of Coast Guard boats - and at one point a Coastie chopper circled us before darting off up the bay.
Trivia - the Lady celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday, having been launched on March 7 1989 as a replica of the original brig Lady Washington, built in the mid 18th century. She is steered by a tiller and had a fake wheel installed for her stint as the Royal Navy's HMS Interceptor in the first Pirates of the Carribean film. "Orlando Bloom fell off her RIGHT THERE," pointed out one of the crew right before we boarded.
No cannons, and no opportunity to at least chase the Chieftain around with a few maneuvers, Tiny and Sparky launched into a few chanties, and Sparky did his life-on-shipboard spiel for the kids. I went up to the quarter deck to watch them toss the chip log astern and see if it matched the GPS calculations of our speed.
Mostly I just stood at the rail enjoying the day.
