Goin’ Back to Cali: Tall Ships

Up the Mast

In January 2002, the American tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain visited Southern California. They stopped in several harbors, letting folks come aboard and see the rigging and old-fashioned hardware. On the weekends, they staged naval battles with real cannon. I took pictures of them in Long Beach while they were tied to a dock at Rainbow Harbor, then I sailed out on the good ship Kim to watch a cannon fight a few weeks later off Newport Beach.

Coils on Rail

Tall ships have somewhat more rigging than I’m used to handling. I guess that’s why they have quarters below decks for more crew members than Kim usually carries.

Coils on Deck

The ships were kept very tidy, especially considering the crush of visitors who came aboard at every opportunity. Each fitting, each rope, each tool had a specific purpose aboard, and it was intriguing to see the variety of equipment.

Mending Foresail

Even while we were romping over the decks, the crew was steadily maintaining the boats, a project that’s never finished.

Fill ’er up with regular?

Not everybody realizes how the old tall ships were able to achieve such constant speed on long ocean voyages.

Tall Ships in Sea Battle

Highway 127 . . . Desert . . . Town . . . Football
Balboa Island . . . Ferries and Pavilion . . . Beaches . . . Kim
New Year's . . . Bluesmobile . . . Whaling . . . The Prayer Wheel
Tall Ships . . . Santa Barbara Island Hop . . . Minding the Train

Cali Index


GuestbookE-mail
Back to MrJumbo’s home page