History sails into harbor

Lynx will meet Lady Washington, tall ship that is the subject of nautical museum exhibit, at harbor entrance Tuesday. For one week, Lynx won’t be the only historical tall ship in town.

Lady Washington, a replica of an 18th century tall ship, sails into Newport Harbor on Tuesday and will be berthed at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum to host public tours and educational programs for schools.

“It’s a great reminder of our nautical heritage, not just Newport but nationwide,” said David Muller, executive director of the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

Lady Washington, the tall ship that starred in the blockbuster movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” comes to Newport Harbor once a year. On Tuesday, Lynx will meet Lady Washington at the mouth of the harbor and they will sail in together, Muller said.

Lady Washington is a 112-foot tall ship built in 1989. It’s a full-scale reproduction of the original ship as it would have looked in the 1790s, said Les Bolton, executive director of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, where the Lady Washington is berthed in Aberdeen, Wash.

“Really what it was about is ... that American entrepreneurial spirit,” Bolton said.

The original Lady Washington was built in the 1750s in the British colony now known as Massachusetts. It was the first American vessel to visit Japan, Hawaii and the west coast of North America, Bolton said.

Lady Washington visits more than a dozen ports in Southern California during the winter. She is primarily used to provide children with an idea of what life was like on a tall ship in the 1700s, Bolton said.

“The idea is that we provide spring board concepts that teachers can take back to the classrooms,” Bolton said.

Lady Washington is also partnered with the museum’s Newly Nautical program, which brings students from inland areas to the museum to learn about the maritime environment. This year, students from Richman Elementary School in Fullerton will spend an afternoon on board, interacting with the crew and learning how to sail.

As the museum prepares to move and relocate at the Fun Zone on Balboa Peninsula, Muller said he wants to bring more tall ships to Newport Harbor.

“It will be a great draw for the village,” Muller said.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Public tours of Lady Washington

* WHEN: Tuesday, 1 to 5 p.m.

* WHERE: Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, 151 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach

* COST: Free

* INFO: (949) 675-8915 or www.nhnm.org20060127itq8cknc(LA)Lady Washington, left, is one of the tall ships in the upcoming Newport Harbor Nautical Museum educational exhibit.