Cannon fire punches across the bay. Two sailing ships circle each other in a cloud of smoke, masts reaching up nine stories, yardarms creaking around to fill the sails with wind.
The tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain are on San Francisco Bay through March 13, bringing adventure, battle and a taste of sailing from bygone days when a primitive settlement called Yerba Buena became San Francisco.
The ships winter in San Diego and summer in Puget Sound, in between roaming the Pacific Coast, much as Richard Henry Dana describes in his 1840 book, "Two Years Before the Mast."
In fact, the 112-foot, 210-ton Lady Washington is an authentic replica of the first American vessel to make landfall on the West Coast in 1788 and is Washington state's official ship. The somewhat smaller, lighter, and relatively more modern 100-ton Hawaiian Chieftain is modeled after the type of merchant ships that called on the California coast after the Gold Rush.
Schoolkids and adults board the boats each day - about 70 people between the two ships - to learn about history and teamwork, thanks to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority in Aberdeen, Wash.
All the new members of the crew learn how to set sail. "We give a welcome, a safety briefing, and then teach some line handling - how to belay, hauling, easing," says David Bonner, Hawaiian Chieftain's first mate. For a breathtaking thrill, the brave can be outfitted with a safety harness for a dizzying tour aloft.
On average, a third of adult passengers join in hauling a line. But on a school cruise, which can involve students from kindergarten to high school seniors, the goal is 100 percent participation.
Can a group of kids really raise a sail that could cover a bus?
Absolutely, says Bonner, who was lured into a life aboard tall ships through a program when he was 16. "The kids really get into it" and come to realize they are the ones sailing the boat. "If a line's too hard to haul, just put more people on it. They can get it done."
The battle sails are an impressive display of maneuverability, crew skill, strategy and the powerful sound of black powder guns. Each boat prepares for its guns about 20 charges, each a large measure of gunpowder packed tightly into a sealed foil tube. The powder is kept in a special box, called a magazine, and hauled on deck with a serious warning shout of "powder on deck!"
The ships start as much as a mile apart and close surprisingly quickly, just like America's Cup match racers, seeking to force a mistake. The Chieftain is more maneuverable, but Lady Washington has a deeper keel and more momentum, which she uses to advantage, working to windward of her chase and flying down upon the Chieftain.
Charges are rammed home into the guns. The tension is palpable.
Boom! "Hurrah!"
Today and Sunday will be the last battle sails on the bay before the ships move to San Francisco's Pier 40 from Jack London Square in Oakland.
They'll be in San Francisco starting next Friday and head out the Golden Gate on March 14 for a three-day passage to Eureka. In the fall, there's a special trip to Sacramento as the ships make their way back down to San Diego.
Get more information at www.historicalseaport.org.
Cup update: Seven teams have been accepted to challenge the U.S. defender Team Oracle of Golden Gate Yacht Club, San Francisco, the America's Cup Event Authority announced this week. The teams represent Italy, Sweden, Australia, two from France and two undisclosed teams.
Among the presumed unannounced challengers are New Zealand, China, and the team of athletes with disabilities called the Argo Challenge. Speculation continues about other teams, including a second challenger from Italy.
The application deadline for challengers is March 31.
Paul Oliva is a consultant, writer and sailor. E-mail comments to datebookletters@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page E - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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