by Matt Wakefield

On a tour of the Lady Washington last year, the crew made it abundantly clear that she is not a pirate ship. Aye, she is much more than that.

by Matt Wakefield

On a tour of the Lady Washington last year, the crew made it abundantly clear that she is not a pirate ship. Aye, she is much more than that.

She's a piece of sailing history, launched in 1989 as a full-scale replica of her namesake, the 18th-century fur-trading ship. Trading. Not piracy. So heave-to on the pirate-speak, or you might find yourself walking the plank toward a meeting with Davy Jones.

The Lady Washington is an officially designated tall ship, and a famous one at that, me buckos. You've seen her in Once Upon a Time, Star Trek: Generations, and Revolution. She was also in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, but despite that, please remember the prime directive: she is not a pirate ship.   

This summer at Tacoma’s Foss Waterway Seaport, you can see her, board her, tour her, sail her, and even tug on her rigging, but please - and this is important - no pirate jokes. Savvy?

You can't miss her. At 112 feet, bow to stern and 89 feet to the top of the mast, she'll make you avast in your tracks, if not shiver in your timbers. She's well-armed with two three-pound guns and two swivels aft, for, ummm, non-pirating activities. (And we’re not talking about the label on your VHS cassette or Napster subscription, matey.)  

So when you stop the Foss Waterway Seaport for a free dockside tour (with paid admission to the Seaport), or a perfect-for-the-family afternoon or evening sail (just 3.5 pieces of eight - $55 USD - which includes free admission to the Seaport), please remember: The Lady Washington is a historic tall ship, and not a pirate ship, ye bilge-sucking landlubber!

Dockside Tours:

Friday, June 14 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

Saturday, June 15 (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Sunday, June 16 (noon - 1 p.m.)

Wednesday, June 19 (10am-4pm)

Thursday, June 20 (10am-4pm)

Friday, June 21 (10am-4pm)

Saturday, June 22 (10am-1pm)

Sunday, June 23 (noon-1pm)

Afternoon Sails (2 p.m. - 4 p.m.)

Thursday, June 13

Saturday, June 15

Sunday, June 16

Saturday, June 22

Sunday, June 23

Evening Sails (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.)

Friday, June 14

Saturday, June 15

Wednesday, June 19

Thursday, June 20

Friday, June 21

Saturday, June 22

by Matt Wakefield

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