FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Follansbee, Communications Director
jfollansbee@historicalseaport.org
360-589-0766

CHINOOK NATION TO WELCOME LADY WASHINGTON AND HAWAIIAN CHIEFTAIN AT ILWACO
Media invited to witness May 14 rendezvous and traditional trade with tall ships

Ilwaco, Wash. – Leaders of the Chinook Nation will travel by canoe on the Columbia River to trade goods in the traditional manner with the tall ships Lady Washington, the Official Ship of the State of Washington, and her companion ship Hawaiian Chieftain, when the vessels return to Washington State May 14. After the Baker Bay rendezvous, Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain, and the Chinook Nation canoes will proceed together to the Port of Ilwaco, where the tall ships will offer public tours and sailings.

Media are invited to two opportunities to witness the rendezvous at sea:

• Aboard Lady Washington -- Depart from the Port of Ilwaco at 9 a.m. and board the Lady Washington in Baker Bay.
  
• Aboard a photo boat – Depart from the Port of Ilwaco at 10 a.m. and view the activities from the boat in Baker Bay.

The meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Reservations for the boat transfers to the Lady Washington or the meeting site are suggested. Contact Joe Follansbee, 360-589-0766, jfollansbee@historicalseaport.org.

2008 is the fourth year for the welcome to Ilwaco of the Lady Washington by the Chinook Nation. The activities echo the visit by the original Lady Washington in 1792, when she was greeted by native peoples in canoes at the mouth of the Columbia River. The ship was on a commercial voyage to trade for furs.

Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain are returning to Washington State after a seven-month tour of California and Oregon ports. While in Ilwaco, the ships will conduct educational programs for area school children. The ships will also offer dockside tours and sailings to the general public. For a schedule, visit http://www.historicalseaport.org. On May 19, the ships will sail up the Columbia River for stops at the Oregon communities of Rainier and St. Helens, as well as Vancouver on the Washington side, before participating in the Portland Rose Festival May 29 to June 5.

All schedules are subject to change without notice. Please confirm before boarding. Details about Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, including specifications, and the histories of both ships, are available at http://www.historicalseaport.org.

Photo editors: Hi-res photos of Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington, including photos of a past Chinook Nation rendezvous, are available at http://historicalseaport.smugmug.com. Click “Media Images.” The password for all galleries is “hands-on”.

###

About GHHSA – The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) public development authority based in Aberdeen, Wash. that owns and operates the tall ships Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington, the Official Ship of the State of Washington. GHHSA’s mission is to 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.