The San Diego Traveler

Tall Ships Docking in Oceanside

by Carole A. Lane on January 5th, 2008

On Thursday, the Lynx, a replica of a naval topsail schooner from the War of 1812, sailed into Oceanside Harbor. As the Lynx Educational Foundation describes her:

Lynx is an interpretation of an actual privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell’s Point, Maryland. She was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts.

On January 9th, the Lynx will be joined by the Lady Washington and her suitor, the Hawaiian Chieftain.

The Lady Washington is the Official Ship of the State of Washington, and you may recognize her from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. According to her site:

The new Lady Washington is a full-scale reproduction of the original Lady Washington. Built in the British Colony of Massachusetts in the 1750’s, the original vessel carried freight between colonial ports until the American Revolutionary War, when she became an American privateer. In 1787, after the war, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America.

As for the Hawaiian Chieftain:

The topsail ketch Hawaiian Chieftain is a replica of a typical European merchant trader of the turn of the nineteenth century. Her hull shape and rigging are similar to those of Spanish explorer’s ships used in the expeditions of the late 18th century along the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts. Built of steel in Hawaii in 1988 and originally designed for cargo trade among the Hawaiian Islands, her design was influenced by the early colonial passenger and coastal packets that carried on coastal trade along the Atlantic coastal cities and towns.

The last of this gathering, the Spirit of Dana Point, will join these ships in Oceanside Harbor on January 11. According to Toshiba Tall Ships Festival:

The Spirit of Dana Point is a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer employed during the American Revolution.  She is classified as a 118-foot’ topsail schooner, with a sparred length of 118 feet and 5,000 square feet of sail.  Designed by Howard Chapelle in the late eighteenth century and built by Dennis Holland in Costa Mesa, California, she was launched in 1983.  Her design, known for speed, precedes the Baltimore Clipper, enabling these vessels to be used for smuggling, the slave trade, and privateering.

The ships will be in Oceanside through Jan. 13, offering public tours, sailing adventures and educational experiences for students. As you can see, they’ll also present a great opportunity for photographers. For more information, call 866-446-5969.

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