Launched on March 7, 1989, the Lady Washington was built in Aberdeen, Wash., by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public development authority. The new Lady Washington is a full-scale replica of the original Lady Washington.

In 1787, after the Revolutionary War, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America. A pioneer in Pan-Pacific trade, she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan. Lady Washington opened the black pearl and sandalwood trade between Hawaii and Asia when King Kamehameha became a partner in the ship. The modern Lady Washington, constructed as a brig, was thoroughly researched by historians and constructed by skilled shipwrights. She was launched as part of the 1989 Washington State Centennial celebration. The new Lady Washington is a U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified passenger sailing vessel.

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. (website: historicalseaport.org/ships/lady-washington/)
photo courtesy of Rick Horn Photography


Gabriel Wheaton - ALIVE from Russell Brown on Vimeo.

The San Salvador under the command of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, arrived at the port we now call San Diego on September 28, 1542, before proceeding further north in search of new trade routes that would link Mexico to Asia and Europe. She was the first recorded European vessel to sail along Southern California, and survey its coastline. Her expeditionaries established a generally friendly first contact with the indigenous peoples of that coast. The San Salvador must be considered the founding ship of San Diego and of the State of California. As such she functions as an “origin symbol” ship for San Diego in much the same way as the Mayflower is the origin symbol ship of New England. Her story represents the beginning of a common heritage for the peoples of California, both past and present. Visit their website for more information.

Californian was built from the ground up in 1984 at Spanish Landing in San Diego Bay. She was launched with great fanfare for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In July 2003, the governor signed a bill into law designating the Californian as the official tall ship of the State of California. Since her launching in San Diego the ship has played host to thousands of adventure travelers, sailing enthusiasts, students and history buffs up and down the West coast. She has also made voyages to Hawaii, Mexico and the East coast of the United States. The Californian is a replica of the 1847 Revenue Cutter C.W. Lawrence, that patrolled the coast of California enforcing federal law during the gold rush. The Revenue Cutter Service, along with four other federal maritime agencies, was consolidated into the United States Coast Guard in 1915. The Californian last visited Monterey in August 2008. Visit their website for more information.

The Tall Ship Lynx is an interpretation of an actual privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell's Point, Maryland. She was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts. The crew wears period uniforms and operate the ship in keeping with the maritime traditions of the early 19th century. This tall ship has been a regular visitor to Monterey. For more information on the Lynx visit their website.

SEA’s newest vessel, the Tall Ship Robert C. Seamans was designed by Laurent Giles of Hampshire England, and built at JM Martinac shipbuilding in Tacoma, Washington. Named after former trustee and Chairman of SEA’s board, the Robert C. Seamans is a 134-foot steel brigantine and is the most sophisticated oceanographic research/sailing school vessel ever built in the United States. Improvements in design and equipment, including a wet/dry laboratory and larger library, classroom, and computer laboratory, enhance the SEA academic program. The ship visited Monterey in August 2008 For more information on the Robert C. Seamans visit their website.

The Mexican Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc, commanded by Captain Roberto Gonzalez Lopez, visited Monterey August 4 through August 6, 2005. The Cuauhtémoc, known as the Ambassador and Gentleman of the Seas, is a tireless navigator having trained twenty-one generations of officers and has sailed over 400,000 nautical miles. Through almost two decades, its accomplishments have been acknowledged and praised by other navies in the world. The ship has participated in important regattas like the Colón Regatta, the Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ races, and the Centenary of Osaka Port Modernization Regatta, among others. The sail training ship Cuauhtémoc is undoubtedly, a living symbol of the sailor spirit that characterizes the personnel of the Mexican Navy, who are always ready to serve their country.

The Colombian Naval Tall Ship Gloria, commanded by Captain Jesus Alberto Bejarano M., made a port of call to Monterey October 1 through October 3, 2003. The Gloria is a sail training ship of the Columbian Navy and has a crew of 147 men and women, including officers, midshipmen, and enlisted personnel. The training cruise gives marine training to the students of the Naval school, during their final academic semester. It is used to develop and to increase in the crews spiritual values that make up the foundation of the naval profession, that is to say: the love of the sea, the naval mystic and the total dedication to the service of the mother country in its territorial waters. The Gloria other role is to take a message of friendship and good will of the Colombian people to all of the nations that she visits.

The Guayas is a sail training ship of the Ecuadorian Navy. The training cruise is designed to give midshipmen a first-hand experience of life at sea, learn about the hardship of sail training, complete their academic curriculum, and test their endurance and leadership skills. The port visits provide an opportunity to rest and learn about other cultures. Captain Juan Jose Serrano Jara and crew of the Ecuadorian Tall Ship Guayas sailed into our historic harbor on an official visit to the City of Monterey on June 26 through July 1, 1999 as part of the City of Monterey’s Sesquicentennial celebration The Ecuadorian tall ship Guayas, commanded by Captain Jose Olmedo, made a return call to the port of Monterey from June 21 to June 27, 2002 to help commemorate the 400th year anniversary of the landing of the Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino and subsequent naming of this area as Monterey.

Designated the "Official Tall Ships and Maritime Ambassadors of the City of Los Angeles" at their launch in 2002, these 110-foot wooden vessels are charged with giving tens of thousands of young people the opportunity to experience self-discovery, life changing adventure and education found only on a tall ship at sea. Built to last 100 years, the state-of-the-art brigantine design is based on TopSail founder Jim Gladson's decades of experience with adolescent education and youth sail training programs, years of valuable experience gained from the Institute's first vessel, Swift of Ipswich, and discussions with sail training experts throughout the world. Purpose-built by the Institute to meet or exceed all U.S. Coast Guard requirements, the brigantines are named in honor of the late Captain Irving and Electa "Exy" Johnson, character-building sail training pioneers and seven-time circumnavigators with youth crew aboard their sailing vesselYANKEE. website