History Lessons on the High Seas

Looking for ways to escape today’s increasingly complex, high-tech world?

Well, if you’re not prone to seasickness, you might head to Dana Point, where two 19th century-style tall ships are transporting visitors back to a more natural and uncomplicated--though not always tranquil--time in California history.

Through Sunday, the Hawaiian Chieftain and the Pilgrim of Newport will offer dockside tours. (See below for tour schedules and prices.) The two tall ships will also present afternoon cannon battle reenactment sails on Saturday and Sunday.

Launched in Maui in 1988, the 103-foot-long Hawaiian Chieftain is a replica of 1790s northern European trading vessel. The Pilgrim of Newport is a 118-foot replica of the type of topsail schooner often used as a patrol vessel against the British during the American revolution. The Pilgrim of Newport was launched in 1983 at the Lido shipyard in Newport Beach.

Lynn McFarlane, the manager of the Hawaiian Chieftain and a former deckhand on the ship, appreciates the sense of adventure, hard work and unspoiled interaction with the natural environment tall ships symbolize.

“I just loved [working on the Hawaiian Chieftain as a deckhand],” she recalls. I loved the hard, physical work and the natural aspect of things. You don’t need engines. There is nothing mechanical. You’re working with nature. It’s a great feeling.”

Dockside tours of the two ships will be led by crew members dressed in period costume. They will explain the art of sailing tall ships and the various tricks of the old seamanship trade, such as how to splice sail lines together.

The history of tall ships in the California area is another topic of the tours. McFarlane said during the 1700s and 1800s, Spanish tall ships would trade objects such as beads, nails and silverware for American Indian goods such as abalone shells, otter pelts and other animal furs. In turn, the Spanish would sometimes sail to China, where they would exchange pelts for silks and spices.

The Pilgrim of Newport and the Sausalito, Calif.-based Hawaiian Chieftain are also offering special educational dock tours and sails for fourth- and fifth-grade students today. Unlike the public tours and cannon battle reenactment sails, these student programs are interactive. Two or three groups of 10 to 15 students assist the crew with such tasks as steering the ship and handling sail lines.

The cannon battle reenactment sails pit the Hawaiian Chieftain against the Pilgrim of Newport. Within a three-hour sail, the ships stage a 45-minute duel at sea using gunpowder but no projectiles.

These battles also give the ships’ captains and crews opportunities to show off maneuvering skills as each side jostles for the best battle positions. It’s up to each 10-person crew to quickly and efficiently execute captains’ orders. There are more than 90 operational sail lines on the Hawaiian Chieftain. Each crew member is required to know the individual names of each line.

Tall ship battles off the coast of California were not uncommon during the early 1800s, McFarlane explained.

Simply taking part in a three-hour cruise on the Hawaiian Chieftain may fill passengers with romantic notions about the nature of tall-ship sailing 200 to 300 years ago. But the life of an 18th or 19th century tall ship seaman wasn’t easy, McFarlane said, noting the grueling work involved in keeping a ship on course and the uncomfortable existence on board a tall ship.

Children are especially intrigued with the living conditions that seamen faced, “like steering [the ship] and learning about all the horrible aspects of sailing in the old days,” McFarlane said, chuckling. “This isn’t even part of the program, but they are fascinated by the bathroom arrangements [and love asking questions about that].”

* The tall ships are docked near the Orange County Marine Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point.

* Tours of the Hawaiian Chieftain continue today, 4-6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tours of the Pilgrim of Newport are Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tour prices: adults, $3; students and seniors, $2; children, $1; families, $7.

* Cannon battle reenactment sails are Saturday and Sunday, 2-5 p.m. Adults, $40; children, $20. Call (800) 401-7835 for information and reservations.