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Clash of the Tall Ships II
Jan. 3-4, 10-11, & 17-18, 1998
(all photos taken by Christine Markel Lampe)
The Swift of Ipswich (on right) fires off a stern shot at the Californian (left) as the Hawaiian Chieftain (center) maneuvers between, and will soon be in good position to let off a close stern shot at the Californian.
Aye, several times during
the month of January, the harbor of Long Beach echoed with the
thunder of cannons, and saw a parade of canvas not at all common
these days. Three square-riggers, the Lady
Washington, the Swift of
Ipswich and the Hawaiian
Chieftain matched wits with the
revenuers, Californian and the Pilgrim
of Newport.
For more photos & information on these ships,
see the NQG "Tall
Ships" page. For more action, go
to Dana Point Sea Battle.
If you missed all the action, here's some samples of what you missed:
Aye, it's a beautiful, and rare
sight to see indeed ... here's three of the five tall-ships which
are docked together at Shoreline Village, in Long Beach, CA.
You can barely see their figureheads ... Martha Washington
(right) for the Lady Washington, a Polynesian chief
(center) for the Hawaiian Chieftain, and Mrs. Robinson (left), the wife of the Swift's
boat builder.
I had heard that Mrs. Robinson was always a bit embarrassed by
the topless rendition of her image.
Aboard the Pilgrim of Newport,
Master Gunner Gary Harper waits for just the right angle, before
firing a broadside at the enemy.
For my money, the gun crew aboard the Pilgrim is the
quickest swabbin', fastest loadin', and surest firin' crew
amongst the combatants.
But that's not to say the Pilgrim was impervious to attack. Here, the Lady Washington gets a good blast off on us.
(It's hard to get photos of the muzzleflash, as it takes split second timing and good luck - but here you can see I was fortunate.)
In addition
to being fast and accurate, the Pilgrim's gun crew also
has a few tricks up their sleeve. Gunner's Mate Jon Rose rigged
up a floating charge that was trailed behind the Pilgrim.
When we were fired upon by another vessel, Jon would set off the
charge, makin' it appear their shot landed in the water astern of
us. Everyone aboard would then have fun jeering at the other
vessel's gun crew, about how they missed us by a mile.
The Hawaiian Chieftain gets off a bow shot against us. That Captain Ian, he's a crafty one. You've got ta keep a weather eye on him. He's the one that likes ta hide behind the large cargo vessels, and then come out from cover at the right moment to fire on the enemy.
Aye, the
cannoneers love the cannons roar, but they like to be able ta
hear their mates as well, . . . so they take a few precautions.
You can see them here as they get a deck-raking bow shot off on
the Hawaiian Chieftain.
(The tall cannoneer is Michael MacLeod, and his shorter companion is Gail Selinger).
"Sharp-shooters
to the rail! We'll teach 'em to trifle with us!"
The crack shots of the
Pilgrim try to pick off the enemy's gun crew, or
captain, while the cannon crew (bottom right corner)
quickly reloads.
(The rifleman in the foreground is John
Harper, son of Master Gunner Gary, while the one in the
background, standing on the rail, is our own daughter, Evaine.)
Aye, small in size, but lacking
nothing in terms of sheer bravado, the topsail schooner Privateer
fires upon the Californian.
The Privateer was built by Capt. Mike Mandis (seen here,
just barely, at the helm). At just under 16', she can take 6
adult passengers, and also carry up to 6 cannon.
With just one extra crewman, Capt. Mike is able to sail, and
still fire off a broadside of three cannons, before the other
vessel is able to retaliate with even one shot.
The Privateer prepares to
fire a broadside from her mighty 4 ouncers.
(When this photo was taken, Capt. Mike
had not yet built naval carriages.
Instead, each cannon was set into a PVC 3/4 round sleeve, which
was then slipped into the round gun ports. They are
breech-loaded, and fired by hitting the breech pin with an
every-day regulation hammer.)
Constructed of massive timbers, the gun carriages of the Privateer stand ready for action.
(A few weeks later, Mike had created these wooden carriages for his stalwart guns.)
The Faces Behind the Cannon Smoke
Sailing crew, gun crew, officers, musicians, and various other re-enactors are necessary for such a grand adventure.
Officers & Captains
Resplendent with brass buttons
and gold braid, officers and their men prepare for action . .
.
Here ya see Master Gunner Gary Harper, . . .
a Marine Guard standing sentry aboard the Californian, .
. .
and Capt. Ian MacIntyre, master of the Hawaiian Chieftain.
Musicians & Shanteymen
Music is always welcome
aboard ship.
Hal, of the Lady Washington, gives us a jig on his
concertina.
Don Kinney plays a tattoo during battle to send dread into the
hearts of the enemy crew.
Don Kittmer and Ted give us a round of "Away, Rio".
Sailors & Gunners
John Harper, a member of
the Pilgrim's gun crew, gazes at the sunset.
Gail Selinger, another gun crew member, shows that swabbing
cannons can be dirty work.
Erik Berliner is seen here handling the one of the docklines.
There's a quiet majesty to ships under sail . . . except when they are under fire (as evidenced by the blackpowder smoke in the corner).
(Three ships in a row, the Swift of Ipswich in the fore, the brig Lady Washington in the middle, and the Californian is behind).
LEFT: A swivel gun stands ready on the port stern quarter rail, as the Pilgrim of Newport slips by within easy range.
RIGHT: Cannoneers sometimes have too
much time on their hands!?!
(One of the Hawaiian
Chieftain's crack guns is seen here at rest witha few adornments.)
Our cannons blow a perfect smoke ring at the Lady Washington, as if mocking them in the midst of battle.
The Pilgrim of Newport runs
the gauntlet between enemy ships,
the Lady and the Swift.
LEFT: The diminishing golden glow of sunset highlights the Lady Washington, as seen here through the ratlines of the mini-topsail schooner Privateer.
RIGHT: The Swift of Ipswich heads off for the pot 'o gold.
The Pilgrim of Newport
spears a rainbow.
Sunlight brimming over the edge of
the dark clouds frames the Pilgrim of Newport with a
silver lining.
Sails billowing in the evening
breeze,
the tallships tack, jibe and do battle.
Four of the tallships are seen here
(from left):
the brig Lady Washington, the Swift of Ipswich, the
Pilgrim of Newport,
and the Californian (I am aboard the fifth, the Hawaiian
Chieftain).
As the sounds of battle fade to silence, the Hawaiian Chieftain sails for home, silhouetted by the golden colors of the setting sun.
If you are now regretting missing all the excitement, don't despair. I'm told it will all happen again each winter - from late October until March. So, keep a weather eye on the NQG "On the Horizon - Upcoming Events". We'll be listing details as we learn them.
Meanwhile, you can satisfy your appetite for battle with the Battle Re-Enactment Cruises between the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain as they make their way north up the Pacific Coast. Call 1-800-200-LADY or 1-415-331-3214 for schedule & ports 'o call information. Here's their current ports of call itinerary:
San Diego, Jan 9-21, 2001
Newport Beach, Jan 23-Feb 4, 2001
Marina del Rey, Feb 5-13, 2001
Oxnard, Feb 15-25, 2001
Ventura, Feb 26-March 4, 2001
Morro Bay, Mar 7-11, 2001
San Francisco, Mar 14-20, 2001
Redwood City, Mar 18-28, 2001
Oakland, March 9-1, 2001
For more photos and information
on these ships,
see the NQG "Tall
Ships" page.
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