ON EXHIBIT
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Lynx, a replica of a naval schooner from the 1800s, flew the Jolly Roger as it sailed into Ko Olina Marina Wednesday.
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Pirates show
The vessel is only 5 years old, but it has buccaneer cannon and flags
Preservation in the human sense means "Dahling, you don't look a day over 30." In the world of ships, the clipper Lynx in particular, it means "Aye, you don't look a day under 200."
Climb aboard!
The schooner Lynx offers these activities through Sunday at Ko Olina Marina & Resort. Call the Ko Olina activities desk, 679-4728, for reservations:
Dockside tours: 10 a.m. to noon; $5 donation, children free
Sailing adventures: 1 to 4 p.m.; $50 adults, $25 children
Sunset sails: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night only; $50 adults, $25 children. Passengers encouraged to bring picnics and beverages, but no red wine (it stains the deck).
Learning the lingo
Clipper: A mid-19th-century tall ship with sharp bow, designed for fast speeds
Privateer: A ship owned and run by a person or company, but authorized by the government to engage in battle during war
Schooner: A fast-sailing ship with at least two masts and sails set lengthways (fore and aft)
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The Lynx, a 122-foot vessel designed to interpret an American privateer schooner from the War of 1812, is in reality just 5 years old. Yet it is fitted with period weapons and flies pennants and flags from the era. The crew operates the ship utilizing the maritime traditions of the early 19th century, and even dresses in period uniforms.
These details of authenticity provide a living lesson in nautical and American history to visitors of the Lynx, a vessel designated for education. On sailing excursions, visitors experience the life of a sailor as they help haul lines, raise sails and fire cannons. They learn about the early 1800s, an era that saw the War of 1812 and the subsequent rise of American shipbuilding.
"American privateer schooners were long, lean clippers that could outrun the British brigade," says Christopher Trandell, the Lynx's first mate. "They couldn't carry a lot of cargo because they were small, but they could carry valuable, time-sensitive stuff."
In Newport Beach, Calif., which the Lynx calls home, most of the schooner's visitors are fourth- and fifth-graders receiving hands-on American history lessons. Older students sail the vessel for weeks-long trips aimed at character development and personal growth. The crew also offers tours, sails and staged events for the public. On New Year's the Lynx engages in "cannon battle sails," in which ships with passengers team together in mock battles, complete with traitor ships that spice up the adventure.
When the Lynx docks at other ports, as it is doing at Ko Olina Marina & Resort through Sunday, tours and sailing programs are mostly geared toward the general public. The vessel's arrival is usually punctuated by a firing of cannons and takeover of a nearby beach by Lynx "pirates" burying a treasure chest.
On this stint to Hawaii, the vessel sailed with five high school students to the Big Island, traveling from Hilo to Kona to Kawaihae, then on to Lahaina, and finally, Honolulu.
The Lynx's crew enjoys sailing isle waters. Pirate invasions notwithstanding, crew members say they've been received warmly.
"We've experienced great, great hospitality," Trandell raves.
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Education officer Bryce Adams, left, Capt. Doug Leasure and safety/medical officer Elaine Ino were outfitted in pirate garb.
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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Ino later charged the beach when the "pirates" staged the burial of a treasure chest in the sand.
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