Gray’s Harbor Historical Seaport

I got my boyfriend tickets to a Battle Sail in Aberdeen for a birthday present. The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sail up and down the coast during their sailing season — you can sign up for longer multi-​day sails, or shorter day sails when they are in port. The Battle Sail ($ 60/​person) is a 3-​hour excursion that departs from Grays Harbor and goes up the Chehalis before doubling back.
The Battle Sail is quasi-​historical, in that the crew is dressed in vaguely olde-​tyme uniforms and the ships «chase» and fire guns (well, blanks) at each other. The crew was mostly college-​age students who were working on the ship for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months; they were friendly and happy to answer questions about the boats and the sailing life whenever they weren’t busy with their duties.
For the Battle Sail, you have a choice of which ship to be on; we chose the Chieftain so we could have a better view of the Lady Washington (and because the Chieftain has more seating). The trip is 3 hours, which was a bit too long in cold rainy weather, although the crew tried to liven things up with sea chanties and accordion music. They put up the sails for the trip out, but turn on the engine for the return trip, which makes it go much quicker. Supposedly they had some kind of tallying system to determine which ship scored more hits and therefore «won,» but they didn’t announce the winner at the end. Oh well.
My advice for you:
— Bring extra layers! Hats, gloves, scarves, coats, blankets. When you think you have plenty, go ahead and bring another layer. It gets CHILLY out on the water (this was in June).
— Food and drink are NOT available on board, but you can bring your own (there is a gas station and Walmart in the same parking lot, conveniently). Extra-​recommended if you’re bringing kids, as we had several kids who got whiny and cranky because they were hungry, and there is nowhere to escape tantrums when you’re on a small boat. Please, think of your fellow passengers!
— There is a bathroom, but it’s for emergencies only and not really accessible during the trip — you’ll have to ask a crew member to take you. (Again, this goes extra for parents — on our boat, there was a mother who matter-​of-​factly whipped off her little girl’s pants because she had peed her pants, then sat there flapping them in the breeze to dry them off. WTF)
— The guns are fairly loud, so you may want to bring earplugs.
— You might want to bring some discreet «grog» for a nip of warmth. Just saying.
There’s also a shorter 2-​hour «sunset sail» which seems aimed more at couples and adults.
This is a fun and family-​friendly day trip for any boating enthusiast — just be aware that you won’t be getting, say, an informational lecture about tallships or sailing, or a narrated tour of the sights you’re passing. And after you sail, you might want to watch «Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl» to see the Lady Washington as the Interceptor! Yes, you too can be one degree away from Johnny Depp.

always had to check out these type of spots while in the area.

These fine folks make it possible to see tall ships at Jack London Square and other Bay Area locations. They sail the The Lady Washington (of POTC fame) and The Hawaiian Chieftain, and are happy to bring folks aboard and educate them about the ships and nautical life in general. They also have offer special tours, sailing opportunities, or you could even charter a ship! (what a great birthday present… hint hint…)