Tall ship stalled, but San Pedro show goes on

The tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain, waylaid by engine trouble, is bowing out of battle sails with her sister vessel this weekend in San Pedro, but may rejoin the party Monday, Jan. 5.

The elegant Chieftain and Lady Washington, designed after 18th-century trading vessels, are on their annual swing through Southern California, offering dockside tours and outings in San Pedro, Long Beach, Oceanside, San Diego and Oxnard before heading up the coast Feb. 9 for calls on Morro Bay, San Francisco and other spots. Owned by the nonprofit Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, the ships are home-ported in Washington state.

Joe Follansbee, spokesman for the authority, said the Chieftain is awaiting parts for engine repairs. Ticket holders for the Jan. 3 and 4 battle sails should call (800) 200-5239 to get refunds or reschedule. Follansbee said he hopes the Chieftain will be back in service Monday, when the ships start their eight-day call on Long Beach. In the meantime, the Lady Washington this week is offering tours ($3 donation requested) and three-hour outings ($55 adults; $35 children under 12) in San Pedro.

The battle sails cost $5 more than other outings, but judging from one I joined years ago, they can be fun: slow-motion, high-seas ballets with booming cannons and lots of bluster.

For details on the ships’ Southern California schedule, visit their website.

— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

[Photo: Tall ships Lady Washington, right, and Hawaiian Chieftain. Credit: Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 5:16 pm by Jane Engle and is filed under Arts & Culture, California, Eco-Travel, Family & Kids, Los Angeles, News, Tips & Advice, Outdoors & Adventure, San Diego, San Francisco. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.