AHOY, MATES, IT'S LADY WASHINGTON.

Byline: SYANTANI CHATTERJEE

>LA.COM 

This movie veteran has starred with Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and Patrick Stewart in "Star Trek: Generations." Her likeness was used in Disney's animated "Treasure Planet."

Now she is coming to visit her fans in Marina del Rey.

The 112-foot brig Lady Washington is scheduled to dock at Marina del Rey at 4 p.m. Thursday and stay for public tours, adventure sails and battle re-enactments through Dec. 18. She'll be joined by the 103-foot topsail ketch the Hawaiian Chieftain.

The two ships visit nearly 50 port communities each year, specifically aiming to educate children about maritime history.

"The focus is on the golden age of exploration and trade, California history," said Les Bolton, executive director of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, the Aberdeen, Wash.-based nonprofit organization that has arranged to bring the ships to Southern California.

Guests can sail on the tall ship or experience the life of sailors in the 1700s. All dockside tours and sailings will feature crew members dressed in period costumes.

Among the activities planned are two types of three-hour public sailings. During the Adventure Sails, the crew will be dressed in 18th-century costumes and will lead passengers on board, sharing tall ship history and lore.

In the Battle Sails adventure, the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will engage in mock battles.

"A lot of what you see in Hollywood about sea battles is based on perceptions," Bolton said. "The reality is quite a different story. The battles that took place in the sea were extremely tactical. Ships would be fighting each other for days, without firing a single shot. The aim was not to destroy the opponent's ship. If you risk your life to fight the ship -- and destroy it -- you lose, because you don't get anything back. The aim was to disable the opponent and force the ship to surrender."

The Lady Washington accommodates 45 passengers. The Hawaiian Chieftain accommodates 43.

"In the 1750s, when the original Lady Washington was built, there were no roads," Bolton said. "There was no way to get from Boston to New Bedford, unless you were going to sail. That's what Lady Washington was used for."

In the 1770s, during the American Revolution, the original Lady Washington fought as a privateer out of the colony of Massachusetts.

Modeled after an 18th-century 90-ton trading vessel of the same name, the current Lady Washington was built for the Washington State Centennial celebrations in 1989, and is now the state's official ship.

The Hawaiian Chieftain was constructed in 1988 in Maui, replicating a traditional design. Before being acquired by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, the Hawaiian Chieftain was known as the Spirit of Larinda.

Both ships have been touring since 2006.

Syantani Chatterjee [phone], Ext. 390;

[e-mail]

LADY WASHINGTON

>Where: 13999 Marquesas Way, Marina del Rey.

>Information: [phone].

>Dockside tours: 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11-14 and 18; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 8 and 15. Tours are free, but donations are requested.

>Adventure sails: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16. Tickets are $55;

$45 for seniors, students and active military; $35 for children under 12. Call for reservations.

>Battle sails: 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 9, 15 and 16. Tickets are $60; $50 for seniors, students and active military; $45 for children under 12. Call for reservations.

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