Sails, shanties and cannons: The tall ship Lady Washington returns to Tacoma this week

All hands will be on deck this week when the tall ship Lady Washington returns to Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway.

Step aboard for dockside tours Aug. 22 to 25 to explore the ship and learn from the crew about the history of merchant trading on the West Coast.

Visitors can also listen to old maritime stories, belt out some sea shanties and help the crew fire a cannon as part of the ship’s morning, afternoon and evening sails.

The tours and sails offer a glimpse into the history of Tacoma’s working waterfront and what it would have been like for sailors of the past to arrive at the port.

According to The News Tribune, the Lady Washington is a full-scale replica of a colonial-era ship with the same name. The replica was launched in 1989. The colonial-era ship has a long and influential history.

“It was the first vessel to go to Japan during the fur trade era,” Wesley Wenhard, the previous executive director of the Foss Waterway Seaport told The News Tribune in an interview.

In 1787, the original Lady Washington undertook a trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788 it became the first ship from the newly founded United States to dock on the west coast of North America, according to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, the replica’s permanent home.

The replica ship was constructed as part of the state’s centennial celebration.

It has since starred in several movies and TV shows, such as the HMS Interceptor in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and the original Enterprise in “Star Trek: Generations,” among others.

The Washington State Legislature designated the Lady Washington as the state’s official tall ship in 2007.

It now acts as an “ambassador ship,” sailing up and down the West Coast and visiting about 40 ports a year. The crew members offer on-board educational programs in Washington, Oregon and California.

Those who can’t make it to the Lady Washington this week will have another chance when the ship returns to the Seaport Sept. 12 to 15.

VISIT THE LADY WASHINGTON

Dockside Tours, 12 to 1 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 22; Friday, Aug. 23; and Sunday, Aug. 25

Morning Sails, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 24

Afternoon Sails, 2 to 4 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 25

Evening Sails, 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24

Costs

Dockside tours are free with admission to the Foss Waterway museum. Morning, afternoon and evening sails are $59 to $69. To purchase sailing tickets, visit historicalseaport.org or call 800­-200­-5239. For more information about Foss Waterway Seaport hours and admission, visit fosswaterwayseaport.org or call 253-­272­-2750.