Ship Bios
A total of 31 ships will participate in Tall Ships Tacoma 2008, from grand schooners to humble tugboats to military landing craft. Some are based right here in the Puget Sound region. Others will come from ports ranging from British Columbia to the British Virgin Islands.
CGC Eagle
The Eagle serves as a seagoing classroom for future Coast Guard officers. It is the only active-duty commissioned sailing vessel in the United States military. Built in 1936, her homeport is New London, Conn.
The Eagle has 22,245 square feet of sail and more than 20 miles of rigging. During major ship maneuvers, cadets must coordinate the movements of more than 200 lines. Cadets are also required to learn the name and function of each of these lines.
Adventuress
Adventuress is owned by Sound Experience, a Puget Sound-based nonprofit organization that delivers environmental education, youth development and leadership experiences. Built in 1913, her homeport is Port Townsend.
Amazing Grace
Built in 1991, Amazing Grace is a traditional American sailing craft, similar to the types of ships that fought the British in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Her homeport is Gig Harbor.
Bounty of Krister
Bounty of Krister is owned by Vashon-Maury Island Maritime Heritage Society. Built in 1994, her homeport is Vashon Island.
HMS Bounty
Today’s HMS Bounty was built as an ocean-faring vessel in 1960 for the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty,” the famous story about the British crew that overthrew Captain Bligh while in the Pacific. Bounty has also starred in “Sponge Bob Square Pants” and “Pirates of the Caribbean II.” Her homeport is Greenport, N.Y.
CG 83527
Built in 1944, this cutter was stationed in Tacoma from 1945-1962. It provided patrol and search-and-rescue operations in Puget Sound. It is the last of the wooden Coast Guard cutters still in its original military configuration. CG 83527 helped rescue passengers from the 1965 Northwest Orient Airlines crash near Vashon Island. Her homeport is Everett.
Charles N. Curtis
Built in 1931, the Charles N. Curtis has served youth as a Sea Scout vessel since 1946. More than 100 youth from the region sail on the vessel as part of one of the longest-running Sea Scout units in the United States. Her homeport is Tacoma.
Cutty Sark
The Cutty Sark was built in 1960 in Hong Kong. The first of 10 sister ships of the Mayflower class, she wears the number one proudly on her mainsail. Her homeport is Coupeville, Wash.
Hawaiian Chieftain
The Hawaiian Chieftain is a replica of a typical European merchant trader at the turn of the 19th century. Her hull shape and rigging are similar to the ships of the Spanish explorers during the late 18th century. Built in 1988, her homeport is Aberdeen, Wash.
Kaisei
Kaisei has traveled the globe and sailed thousands of people in the spirit of global partnership. She has sailed international peace missions with crews from Japan and South Korea. Built in 1990, her homeport is Sausalito, Calif.
Kia Ora
The Kia Ora was built in Port Townsend to sail to New Zealand. She is a true two-masted gaff schooner built by the legendary L. Francis Herreschoff. Her homeport is Tacoma.
Lady Washington
Lady Washington was launched as a project for the Washington State Centennial and is the official tall ship of the state of Washington. She is a replica of the original Lady Washington, a privateer during the American Revolution. Built in 1989, her homeport is Aberdeen, Wash.
Lavengro
Originally known as Helen, Lavengro was built in Mississippi in 1927 and represents a working shrimp schooner of the 1920s. Her homeport is Seattle.
Lynx
The Lynx was built in 2001 to represent a privateer from the War of 1812. Her homeport is Portsmouth, N.H.
Mallory Todd
Mallory Todd is a modern schooner built in the classic style with fireplaces and exceptionally fine woodwork. She is designed for long-distance voyages and has sailed from Mexico to Alaska. Built in 1981, her homeport is Seattle.
Merrie Ellen
The Merrie Ellen was built near Vancouver, B.C. in 1922 and was originally named RFM. She was built to work as a halibut fishing schooner off the Pacific Coast. Her homeport is Brinnon, Wash.
Mycia
The Mycia is a handmade, wooden, Grand Banks-style, gaff-rigged schooner. She was built in 1997 and was designed and lofted in Port Townsend, Wash. Her homeport is Sitka, Alaska.
Nina
Niña is a near-perfect example of the type of sailing ship that was produced for more than 125 years. Built in 1991, her homeport is Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
North Star of Herschel Island
North Star of Herschel Island was built in 1935 for two Canadian Inuit fur traders and spent her career as a floating trading post 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Her homeport is Victoria.
Odyssey
Odyssey is used for sail training as part of the Sea Scouts. She was built in 1938 as a private yacht for the Barkley Henry family. Her homeport is Tacoma.
HMCS Oriole
Oriole is the oldest commissioned ship in the Canadian Navy. She is charged with the mission of providing sail training to junior officers and non-commissioned officers as part of their introduction to life at sea. Built in 1921, her homeport is Victoria.
Red Jacket
Built in 1919 in a boatyard on Lake Union, Red Jacket celebrates 85 years of sailing around the world. Her homeport is Tacoma.
Red Jacket has always been a private yacht and has suffered numerous mishaps over the years – a typhoon, two fires, one sinking and the loss of her keel, to name a few.
Rejoice
Rejoice was donated to the La Conner Sea Scouts in 1992. She is used to bring together the community and youth for a common purpose of caring for a classic wooden schooner. Built in 1931, her homeport is LaConner, Wash.
Resolute
Resolute was the third in a series of 12 identical yawls built for the U.S. Naval Academy for the Navy’s sail training program. Built in 1939, her homeport is Olympia.
Sidney E. Waite (formerly Trilogy)
Trilogy was purchased in 1998 by its current owner and has undergone a major renovation. Built in 1976, her homeport is Port Townsend, Wash.
Tug Joe
Tug Joe was built in Tacoma in 1942 and has worked the waters of Commencement Bay ever since. Her homeport is Tacoma.
USAR Landing Craft
A landing craft transports cargo, troops, and vehicles from ships to shore. It is designed for rough waters and can be operated through breakers and then grounded on a beach. Wheeled and tracked vehicles can be loaded and unloaded via a bow ramp. Built in 1971, this vessel’s homeport is Tacoma.
USAR Tug (ST-905)
A small tug is designed to tow general cargo barges in harbors, inland waterways and along coastlines. It has the ability to assist larger tugs in all types of harbor utility work, such as docking. Built in 1999, this vessel’s homeport is Tacoma.
Virginia V
The S.S. Virginia V was built in 1922 on the beach at Maplewood in Pierce County to carry freight and passengers from Vashon Island to Tacoma and Seattle. Her homeport is Seattle.
S/V Yankee Clipper
The S/V Yankee Clipper was converted to a gaff ketch from a Navy Liberty Launch in the late 1940s. The conversion was specifically designed to provide a boat that optimizes sail training opportunities for youth. Built in 1941, her homeport is Seattle.
Zodiac
Zodiac competed in the 1928 Transatlantic Race from New Jersey to Spain – light winds left her to wallow and finish late. Built in 1924, her homeport is Bellingham, Wash.