Over the weekend we took a battle cruise on the Hawaiian Chieftain a historically-based sail ship circa 1850. We were supposed to battle the Lady Washington, but between the winds and an incoming spring tide, Lady Washington got stuck on the dock.
We were really glad we'd gotten onto Hawaiian Chieftain instead.
We rode under the Newport, Oregon, bridge, and out onto the Pacific Ocean (about as far as the buoys with their bells). The swells were about six feet, which made being in the bow of the ship a little rocky and damp.
Then we returned into Newport Bay and fired cannon at various objects. Probably the most interesting thing I learned was that cannon fire echos off of sails, boat sides, and piers. You can tell if you've broadsided a ship by the echo off of her sails. You can tell if you've hit a jetty wall just right because of the zipper-like sound of the echo bouncing off of all the receding piers.
It wasn't the sunniest day, and at the east end of the bay, the wind picked up. But that didn't stop the first mate from bringing out his guitar and the cook his accordion. I didn't catch all the words to their songs (something about picks and the Devil).
I was glad that the diesel fumes were high above the ship, so I was only a little queasy. By the time we got back on shore, we were all starving, so we got (what else) sea food.
No comments:
Post a Comment