Iconic tall ship Lady Washington makes stop in Tacoma, offers tours and sails

Adorned with sweeping white sails and massive beams, the iconic tall ship Lady Washington is docked at Tacoma’s Foss Waterway Seaport Museum for tours and sailing.

Lady Washington arrived at the docks Wednesday, June 23, and will be in Tacoma until Monday. While Foss Waterway Seaport Museum will be closed Monday, Lady Washington will be available for dockside tours and sailing excursions.

Lady Washington serves as a historically accurate representation of a mid- to late 18th century ship, said Grays Harbor Historical Seaport program coordinator Carolyn Gutsch. The vessel is traditionally rigged, and everything on deck is manual.

In this way, Gutsch said, the craft of historical sailing is kept alive.

Lady Washington is a replica of the former ship with the same name. The original Lady Washington was the first American flag ship to reach Washington, Gutsch said. Lady Washington was also the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan, according to Grays Harbor Historical Seaport’s website. More recently, the ship received screen time in productions such as “Once Upon a Time,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and “Revolution.”

“Anyone who wants to have a really cool peek into history and participate in making history, come out here,” Gutsch said.

While at Foss Waterway Seaport Museum, visitors can take dockside tours of Lady Washington or sign up for a sailing excursion. Dockside tours allow individuals to see Lady Washington’s deck, where the lines run, and use the tiller in the ship’s rear. Tours are self-guided, but crew is always aboard to answer questions and talk about the tall ship’s history. Tours are available Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 4 to 6 p.m., Gutsch said. The tours are free with a recommended $5 donation.

Gutsch said tours so far have included a lot of individuals who are interested in learning more about the ship’s history.

“We always have a really great reception here,” Gutsch said.

Western Washington has an excessive heat watch that began Friday at 2 p.m. and lasts until 9 p.m. June 28. Because of the heat, Gutsch said, some of the remaining sails have been rescheduled.

Lady Washington does not have a lot of shade on board unless all the sails are set, Gutsch said. For that reason, the high temperatures with predicted clear skies will make conditions unsafe for both the crew and passengers. Tours will be rescheduled during morning hours to avoid the afternoon heat. Those interested can book tickets online.

Individuals who go sailing help handle the lines, set up sails, learn basic commands and hear a “history talk.” Gutsch said the sails so far have been excellent and widely attended by families with children.

“That was really fun, just to watch their excitement and have them be able to be loud and be kids, pull on things and ask as many questions as they want,” Gutsch said.

Lady Washington will set sails and depart from Tacoma on Tuesday morning.

This story was originally published June 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.