Brigantine Kaisei in California

Brigantine Kaisei, photo by Willie Waw.

The Kaisei -- which means Ocean Planet -- was built in Poland and later moved to Japan where she was the flagship of the Sail Training Association of Japan. She is now based on the West Coast of the US and will carry international sail trainees for adventure sailing trips.

Link to Ocean Voyages Foundation to find out how to get aboard for a trip. As on most sail training vessels or tall ships, no prior sailing experience is necessary.

Bluenose II and Cisne Branco

Bluenose II and Cisne Branco, photo by Willie Waw.

Schooner Bluenose II from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, replica of the famous Bluenose, winner of the International Fishermen's Race Series in 1922, 1923, 1931 and 1938.

Clipper Cisne Branco (White Swan) was built in Amsterdam for the Navy of Brazil and completed in 2000 for a trip from Portugal to Brazil to celebrate the European discovery of Brazil by Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500.

This photo was taken during the 2004 Tall Ships Challenge visit to beautiful Greenport, New York.

Link here for information on the Bluenose II and here for information on the Cisne Branco.

Hawaiian Chieftain & Lady Washington

Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington, photo by Willie Waw.

For a number of years, the Hawaiian Chieftain, a square topsail ketch, and the Brig Lady Washington have met in the off-season for gun battles along the Pacific Coast; in this shot they are in Richmond, British Columbia.

The Chieftain is currently in Cabo San Lucas on her way back from Massachusetts. The Lady is now in Oceanside, California.

Link here for information on both vessels.

Schooner Spirit of Massachusetts

Spirit of Massachusetts, photo by Willie Waw.

The Spirit of Massachusetts, shown here leaving New London for Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 2004 Tall Ships Challenge Race Series, is operated by Ocean Classrooms for high school students interested in something completely different. They participate in a complete semester at sea exploring the Western North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Link here to sign on for school semester or summer programs aboard Schooners Spirit of Mass, Harvey Gamage, or Westward.

Broken Outhaul

Broken Outhaul, photo by Willie Waw.

Jesse couldn't stay out for the last two Laser frostbite races in Newport yesterday -- his outhaul let go even though the breeze was light.

For info on this 50-boat fleet, link to the Sail Newport Laser fleet site here.

Barque Mircea from Romania

Mircea, photo by Willie Waw.

The 3-masted barque Mircea is sailed by officers, crew and cadets from the Romanian Navy -- she is seen here leaving New London, CT to race to Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 2004 Tall Ships Challenge series.

This was her first visit to North America since 1976.

Link here for more photos and info on the Mircea.

Miami Start 2004

Miami Start 2004, photo by Sarah Austin posted by Willie Waw.

This is the start of race 1 in the 2004 ASTA Tall Ships Challenge series -- the race was to Jacksonville.

Vessels in the photo from left: Grand Nellie from Oriental, North Carolina; Cuauhtemoc from the Navy of Mexico; Pogoria from Gdynia, Poland; and Tenacious from the U.K. The Tenacious carries mixed ability crews including up to eight voyage crew in wheelchairs. Wonderful program -- link here to learn more about Tenacious and Lord Nelson.

San Diego Festival of Sail

San Diego Festival of Sail, photo by Willie Waw.

San Diego was the final stop on the 2005 Tall Ships Challenge tour of the West Coast. The local event was hosted by the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the tour and race series were organized by the American Sail Training Association.

Visit the ASTA site here to sail on a tall ship or to find out when the Tall Ships Challenge series will be coming to a port near you. The 2006 series will be on the Great Lakes.

Schooner Seaward

Schooner Seaward, photo by Willie Waw.

Schooner Seaward shown here in Los Angeles in August en route from Boston to San Francisco -- she'll be used for youth sail training and adventure sailing from San Francisco to Baja and beyond.

Visit the Call of the Sea website here.

Talofa

Talofa, photo by Willie Waw.

Tall Ship Talofa and 2 dolphins cross the starting line near Point Fermin in the 2005 Tall Ships Challenge Race from Los Angeles to San Diego. Visit her web site to read an amazing story of the Carter brothers who built her to sail to the south seas on a treasure hunt, but never had a chance to fulfill their dream..