Lady Washington

For the former First Lady of the United States, see Martha Washington.

Lady Washington is a ship name shared by at least four different 80-100 ton-class Sloop-of-war and merchant sailing vessels during two different time periods. The original sailed during the American Revolutionary War and harassed British shipping. Post war, the vessel was used as a merchant trading vessel in the Pacific. A somewhat updated modern replica was created in 1989. The replica has appeared in numerous films and television shows, standing in as other real or fictional ships.

Lady Washington on Commencement Bay
History
United States
Name	Lady Washington (replica)
Operator	Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority
Builder	Ray Wallace, designer;^[2] Richard Miles, shipwright^[3]
Laid down	1987^[1]
Launched	March 7, 1989^[1]
Homeport	Aberdeen, WA
Identification	MMSI number: 366945360 Callsign: WAA2820
Honors and awards	Washington tall ship ambassador Washington State Ship
Status	Active as of 2019
General characteristics
Tonnage	99 tons (gross)
Displacement	210 tons
Tons burthen	178 tons
Length	67 ft (20 m) (LOD) 72 ft (22 m) (LWL) 112 ft (34 m) (LOA)
Beam	22 ft (7 m)
Height	89 ft (27 m) (Rig height)
Draft	11 ft (3 m)
Sail plan	Brig(US)/Brigantine(UK) 4,442 sq ft (410 m^2)
Complement	12 (crew), 45 (passenger)
Armament	Two three pounder; two swivels aft
Notes	Douglas fir hull

Lady Washington (18th century original)

The original USS Lady Washington was a 90-ton brig. Her early history is documented in the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War^[4] as well as other documents. As part of the Columbia Expedition, she left Boston Harbor on October 1, 1787. She sailed around Cape Horn and participated in the maritime fur trade with the coastal indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and in tea and porcelain across the Pacific in China. She was the first American-flagged vessel to round Cape Horn. She was the first recorded vessel to make landfall on the Oregon coast near Tillamook, Oregon. John Meares claimed that she was the first non-native vessel to circumnavigate Vancouver Island.

Named in honor of Martha Washington, she was captained during the American Revolutionary War by Naler Hatch, and post war by Robert Gray, and John Kendrick, former captain of her larger sailing partner, Columbia Rediviva and commander of the expedition. At the end of the first trading season, Kendrick ordered Gray to sail Columbia to China, while Kendrick took command of Lady Washington . Under the command of Kendrick, she was refitted in Macau as a brigantine.

Lady Washington became the first American vessel to reach Japan^[5] in an unsuccessful attempt to move some unsold pelts. Lady Washington remained in the Pacific trade and eventually foundered in the Philippines in 1797. She was lost at the mouth of the Mestizo River, near Vigan, northwest Luzon in July 1797.^[6]

Lady Washington (20th-century replica)

 

Lady Washington at Port of Edmonds

 

Lady Washington on Morro Bay in California

A ship replica of Lady Washington was built in Aberdeen, Washington, United States in time for the 1989 Washington State Centennial celebrations.^[7] Aberdeen is located on Grays Harbor, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean named for Robert Gray, the man who entered the harbor under sail for the first time as master of Columbia.

The ship was designed by marine expert Ray Wallace and built by Richard Miles. Wallace is also known for designing the Sailing Ship Columbia in Disneyland alongside Admiral Joe Fowler.^[8]

Named "Washington State's Tall Ship Ambassador", as well as the State Ship,^[9] the new Lady Washington is operated by a professional and volunteer crew under the auspices of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority. She sails up and down the Pacific coast, educating students in the history of merchant trading, life of common sailors, and responsibilities of the ship's officers.

The current replica's mainmast is rigged with a topgallant sail and topsail above a gaff mainsail, as based on the post-Macau refit configuration. Old World (UK/international) terminology refers to this sail plan as brigantine, and New World (American) terminology refers to this as a brig (Refer to the explanation sections on the brig, brigantine, and sail plan pages for more information).

This ship was talked about extensively on the Disney+ series Prop Culture. Episode four was all about Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. ^[10]

Film and television appearances

Lady Washington has appeared and served as a set in various films and television series.

• The HMS Interceptor in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl^[11][12]
• The brig Enterprise, a namesake of the Starship Enterprise, on the holodeck in Star Trek Generations.^[13][14][15]
• The ship used to transport Chinese immigrants to America in the IMAX film The Great American West.
• The ship played a prominent role in the miniseries Blackbeard.
• Captain Hook's ship Jolly Roger on Once Upon a Time,^[16]
• As a recurring background piece in Revolution.^[17]
• Was the reference ship for the computer animated RLS Legacy in the Disney film Treasure Planet, which was captained by Captain Amelia, the anthropomorphic cat.^[18]
• Appeared in S01 E04 of Prop Culture while talking about filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.^[10]

Outside of film and television, the ship serves as the central visual element for the Christian music group For KING & COUNTRY in their music video "Burn the Ships".^[19] She also appeared in the music video for rapper Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us".^[20]

See also

• USS Lady Washington (1776)

References

1. Lady Washington timeline, Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, August 16, 2018, from the original on 2018-08-25 – via Webcitation.org
2. FINAL BILL REPORT HB 1084 (PDF), Washington State Legislature, July 22, 2007, retrieved 2013-04-06
3. Barkstrom, Karen (8 November 2012). . The Daily World. Aberdeen. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
4. Massachusetts soldiers and sailors of the Revolutionary War: A compilation from the archives, prepared and published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth in accordance with chapter 100, resolves of 1891. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War: A Compilation from the Archives. Wright and Potter Printing Co., State Printers. 1900. p. 498.
5. Alexa Chipman, Lady Washington: Age of Exploration Merchant Vessel, retrieved 2010-06-20
6. Tom Bennett, Shipwrecks of the Philippines (ebook)
7. "Lady Washington". historicalseaport.org. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
8. Shaffer, Joshua C (July 17, 2017). Discovering the Magic Kingdom: An Unofficial Disneyland Vacation Guide - Second Edition. Synergy Book Publishing. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-9991664-0-6. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
9. State Symbols, Washington State Legislature, retrieved 2010-06-20
10. "Prop Culture Locations". WanderDisney.com. Wander Disney. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
11. Diary of a Ship. Buena Vista (DVD). 2003. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
12. "Pirates of the Caribbean Production Information" (PDF). Walt Disney Pictures. Retrieved Dec 9, 2006.
13. Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th edition). Star Trek Encyclopedia – A Reference Guide to the Future. Becker&mayer! and HarperCollins Publishers. 2016. p. 243. ISBN 9780062371331.
14. "Malcom Tribute - Star Trek".
15. "Lady Washington: 15 Years a Movie Star". Retrieved September 28, 2020.
16. "SET: ONCE UPON A TIME Films on its Floating Pirate Ship Set in Steveston". YVRShoots. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
17. "Over the years, Lady Washington has appeared in several motion pictures and television shows, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Trek: Generations, Once Upon A Time, and Revolution.". Lady Washington History - Grays Harbor Historical Seaport. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
18. "Museum Ships". MuseumShips.us. Museum Ships. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
19. Longs, Herb (6 October 2018). "For KING & COUNTRY Celebrates Album Release With Stunning "Burn The Ships" Video". TheChristianBeat.org. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
20. . Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lady Washington (ship, 1989).

• Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, Lady Washington's operating organization
• Maritime Heritage Network, an online directory of maritime history resources in the Pacific Northwest