Tall Ships Battle at Sea
With cannons blazing, these two ships entertained their paying passengers with a mock sea fight.
On Feb 3, 2013, the brig Lady Washington and gaff-rigged ketch Hawaiian Chieftain passed each other port to port, about a mile off the coast of California. And Craig Chambers was there to capture it on film.
Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain engage in a mock-battle off the coast of California.
"They were visiting Ventura, CA Harbor Village as a part of an annual West Coast tour," Craig explained in a recent email. "I shot the image from the beach with a Canon 7D, set at F25, 1/400 second with a Canon 400mm lens. They had paid passengers on board and engaged in a mock sea battle with cannons blazing as they passed."
Lady Washington is a replica of the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America (in 1788); you may have seen her in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Her opponent, Hawaiian Chieftain, is a steel vessel built in 1988 for trade in the Hawaiian Islands.
The two ships are hardly mortal enemies; they are more like sisters who squabble or puppies who play-fight, since both are operated by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a non-profit based in the Pacific Northwest. Visit the website to find out about future mock battles, as well as other programs like Two Weeks Before the Mast and other education programs.
Thanks to Craig for the great photo. You can see more of his work at his website, photoartbycraig.smugmug.com.
