Hello from the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain!
Welcome to the Spring 2009 edition of eCurrents, the online newsletter of the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. You’ll see the latest news about the ships that change people’s lives. If you’re unsure why you’re receiving this newsletter, you likely signed up for it at our website, www.historicalseaport.org. Do you have feedback? Email us!

Table of Contents
Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sail the Columbia River April 23 to June 25
Celebrate 20 years of changing peoples’ lives on June 29 in Aberdeen
Exciting donation helps ships through a challenging economic time
Website visitors vote for winner of Seaport Landing logo contest
Support the Spar Shop with a link from your website
Newest ways to support the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain
Expeditions Voyages taking reservations for summer 2009
In the news

Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sail the Columbia River April 23 to June 25

		So you think Lady Washington sails the oceans only? Not so! For the first time since 1992, Lady Washington will cruise to the Tri-Cities and 11 other Columbia River ports. And for the first time ever, the Lady Washington will sail the river as the Official Ship of the State of Washington, a designation made by the Washington Legislature in 2007. Our “Rediscovering the Columbia River” voyage runs April 23 through June 25. Scheduled ports of call include Ilwaco, Astoria, Cathlamet, Kalama, Vancouver, Hood River, Pasco, The Dalles, Stevenson, Washougal, St. Helens, and Rainier.
The Lady Washington will be accompanied by the Hawaiian Chieftain, and both ships will offer living history educational programs and three-hour sailing adventures at each stop. Tickets are on sale now for exciting Battle Sails and family-oriented Adventure Sails. You can book a Passage from one port to the next on our schedule. The ships will also open for walk-on tours at the dock. Visit the Historical Seaport website for more details. Do you have a favorite story to tell about your experience on our ships? Send it to stories@historicalseaport.org and we’ll post it on our Historical Seaport blog. Don’t forget the pictures!

Celebrate 20 years of changing peoples’ lives on June 29 in Aberdeen

Lady Washington returns to Grays Harbor on June 26 and we’ll celebrate her success changing people’s lives over the past two decades with a huge birthday party. The celebration is scheduled for Monday, June 29 in Aberdeen. We’ll have food, music, and we’ll share memories of Lady Washington, starting with her launch on the Wishkah River March 7, 1989. We’re inviting everyone who helped build the ship and make her the iconic symbol of Grays Harbor’s success in the 21st century. And speaking of the future, we’ll also reveal the latest news in our plans for Lady Washington’s new home, Seaport Landing. For tickets, call 800-200-5239.

Exciting donation helps ships through a challenging economic time
Our ships and programs have been affected by our country’s economic challenges the same as everyone. But we have the most dedicated supporters anywhere, including Ken Birdwell. In 2007, he experienced first-hand the value of Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain’s life-changing experiences as a volunteer aboard the ships. In March, Ken donated $50,000 to the Historical Seaport, writing that he had “never before encountered a more talented, dedicated, and thoroughly wonderful group of people in all my life.” Ken’s incredibly generous donation helped us navigate through a difficult financial storm, and we’re well on our way toward emerging stronger and better than ever. Thank you, Ken, for showing us the way! If you'd like to learn more about donating to the Seaport, visit our website Donations page.

Website visitors vote for winner of Seaport Landing logo contest

Seaport Landing—Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain’s new home port and tourist destination facility on Grays Harbor—is one of the Historical Seaport’s most important projects. But it didn’t have an eye-catching logo that summed up the vision. Until now, that is. In February, visitors to the Historical Seaport’s website voted overwhelmingly for a design submitted by graphic artist Jeff K. Miller of Astoria to become Seaport Landing’s new logo. Jeff’s design was one of three finalists selected from nearly a dozen entries. Jeff won gift certificates for upcoming sailings, and his design will soon appear on promotional materials for Seaport Landing. Congratulations, Jeff!

Support the Spar Shop with a link from your website

We’re doing all we can to give the Spar Shop higher placement in Google search results and there’s a fast and easy way you can help. In case you didn’t know, the Spar Shop is where we turn wooden masts, spars, booms, and gaffs for tall ships around the country. We’ve worked on the reproduction of the Nina, San Diego’s Star of India, and we built sets for the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. You can help raise the Spar Shop’s profile by placing a link somewhere on your personal or business website.
Here’s some code you can copy and paste: <a href=”http://www.thesparshop.org”>Wooden Masts, Booms, Spars, and Gaffs: The Spar Shop at the Historical Seaport</a> The more links with keywords, the better chance web surfers will see the Spar Shop high up in Google, Yahoo!, or MSN Live Search results. It’s a simple and completely free way to support the Historical Seaport’s programs.

Newest ways to support the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain
The Historical Seaport is working hard to expand the number of ways you can support our educational and living history programs. Here’s a summary of the latest options:

• VISA Premium Affinity Credit Cards – Impress your friends with a credit card featuring a photo of the Lady Washington or Hawaiian Chieftain. When you enroll, UMB Bank will donate $50 directly to the Seaport. From then on, three percent of every purchase you make goes to support our ships and programs. Sign up now!
• Lady Washington / Hawaiian Chieftain Photographs – Purchase a print of your favorite tall ships (you know which ones we mean) via our online photography partner, SmugMug. The images are by Westport, Wash. photographer Ron Arel.
• Donate Your Used Car – Call toll-free 877-537-5277 or visit our partner Charitable Auto Resources online and donate your used car, truck, RV, or boat. Seventy percent of the proceeds benefit Historical Seaport programs.
• eBay Giving Works – Are you an eBay Community Seller? Sign up for eBay Giving Works, and donate up to 100% of your items’ sale proceeds to support the Historical Seaport’s educational and volunteer programs.

Reserve your place now for our Expedition Voyages summer sailing adventures

Now’s the time to plan for your summer sailing adventure aboard Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. Every year, our ships take youth and families for week-long exploring expeditions into the remote San Juan Islands. It's an unforgettable experience that’s educational as well. For more information, visit our Expedition Voyages page on the Historical Seaport website. To make your reservation today, call us at 800-200-5239.

Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain news headlines
Here are some links to news stories about Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain, and the Historical Seaport over the past few weeks.

San Diego: Helmetcam: Into the Rigging
Blog: Salt Water (or A Dream of the Lady Washington)
Blog: Battle Cruise (guest's story of a Battle Sail in Morro Bay)
Aberdeen: Two decades with the "Lady" (LW's 20th anniversary)
Oakland: Sailing crew gives visitors a taste of historical adventures

For the latest media links, visit our In the News page. You can also track press releases and news stories by subscribing to our RSS feeds.

Historical Seaport Blog | Past crew list

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER -- eCurrents is published quarterly by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 public development authority, which owns and operates the Lady Washington, the Official Ship of the State of Washington, and her companion ship, Hawaiian Chieftain. Our ships and crews provide educational, vocational, recreational, and ambassadorial activities and experiences that promote and preserve the maritime history of Grays Harbor, the Pacific Northwest, and our nation while serving the needs of the community. ©2009 GHHSA