Tall-ship replica sailing with a sense of history
POSTED: Sunday, July 26, 2009
| This story has been corrected. See below. |
Lured by centuries-old maritime tradition, 38 isle residents enjoyed a three-hour cruise from Kewalo Basin aboard a tall ship yesterday. A surprise gift: a visit by a pod of dolphins.
“;Once you're off land and away from the harbors, there's a kind of magic that goes on,”; said Craig Chipman, captain for three years of the vessel known as America's Privateer Lynx. “;There's no place else where you can teach teamwork, organization, chain of command, and responsibility.”;
And every guest got a chance to steer.
The 122-foot-long, two-masted ship, with a crew of eight, was one of the last sailboats to finish the biennial Transpac race, arriving July 16—nearly 16 days after leaving its home port in San Diego. But it was the only tall ship to compete in the race.
Helicopters, boats and film crews greeted the Lynx as it approached the Ala Wai Harbor at the end of the race.
Lynx returned the salute with a cannon salvo.
“;It's a very old boat that has a lot of history,”; said Hawaii Yacht Club general manager Nick Woytenko, referring to the original ship.
America's Privateer Lynx was created as a replica of a boat constructed by American shipbuilder Thomas Kemp to fight in the War of 1812. The original boat, also called the Lynx, was considered to be one of the fastest during that period, setting record travel times between the United States and France.
Although the Lynx was captured a year later in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was later used by the British navy, the boat's specifications were carefully documented in England and the records preserved. According to Chipman, this meticulous record keeping has allowed the Lynx to be “;one of the best documented vessels of this period.”;
TOURS
The America's Privateer Lynx will be offering dockside tours and sailing adventures today through Friday from Kewalo Basin. Donations are accepted for: » Tours held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
» Sailing excursions from 2 to 5 p.m.
The ship will host tours at Ko Olina Marina & Resort from Saturday through Aug. 9. For more information, visit the Lynx Education Foundation Web site at www.privateerlynx.com/ed/index.html or call 949-285-6910.
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Using private donations, the Lynx Educational Foundation built the $3 million replica. This was the first year that the boat competed in the Transpac Race.
America's Privateer Lynx is used to host “;educational programs that teach the history of America's struggle to preserve its independence ... designed to enrich personal achievement through teamwork and the discipline of sail training,”; according to the organization's Web site.
Some members of the crew view sailing as a way for people to connect with their heritage.
“;Sailing is such an important part of how people moved around about 200 years ago,”; said volunteer Connie Allen, who has sailed with the Lynx since the beginning of this year. “;I think that understanding sailing and what that life was like is a part of everybody's heritage. To me, it allows us to see how life was different then, and allows us to appreciate the things we have now.”;
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