Westport – The tall ships that call Grays Harbor home, Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, are getting ready to participate in this year’s Rusty Scupper Pirate Daze June 24-26 in Westport. The ships are scheduled to arrive at the Westport Marina, 326 Lamb St., Thursday, June 23 as pirate re-enactors and fans gather for an event rapidly becoming a must-see on Washington State’s central coast. The ships have scheduled two of their most popular activities on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. These three-hour Battle Sails feature cannon fire with real gunpowder (but no cannon balls), close-quarters action resembling an 18th century naval skirmish, and a chance to help sail a real tall ship, weather conditions permitting. Tickets are $60 adults, $50 students/seniors/active military, and $40 children 12 and under. Groups of eight or more automatically receive a 15% per ticket discount. On Sunday at 10 a.m., Lady Washington, which appeared in the 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, will take guests on a three-hour, family-oriented Adventure Sail. These excursions feature maritime storytelling, a sea shanty, and a chance to take the tiller with permission from the captain. Tickets are just $35 per person.
To purchase tickets for all sails, visit www.historicalseaport.org or call 800-200-5239. The ships will also be open for walk-on tours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 24, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26. A $3 donation per person is appreciated. At noon on Saturday, the Historical Seaport will announce the winner of the “Float the Fleet: Pirates & Privateers” fundraising contest. Nearly a dozen pirate captains and crews are competing to raise money for education programs aboard Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. The winner will receive Lady Washington as a “prize,” meaning she will be the crew’s official ship for a full year. Lady Washington will also fly the crew’s flag from her masthead. Pirate crews can still sign up for the contest, which ends June 20. For information on the full suite of prizes, visit the Historical Seaport website, www.historicalseaport.org or call 800-200-5239.
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