PORT ANGELES — Steve Methner of Port Angeles turned out Saturday at the City Pier to view the three tall ships that made their way into the harbor on Friday.
But his three sons and one daughter were more interested in the balloon swords plundered from the Pirates of Port Angeles festival.
The two attractions are sharing the pier this weekend.
With all the festival-goers and maritime enthusiasts, sea chanties and arrgh-ing, the tall ships and pirates made appropriate pier-mates. Or, maties.
“Anytime pirates are involved the kids want to see what’s going on,” Methner said while the boys dueled.
Ships here for short stay
Lady Washington, the Privateer Lynx and the schooner Bill of Rights arrived Friday. They are making a short stay in Port Angeles for tours, sailings and sea battle reenactments through Wednesday.
Later this week, the trio of tall ships will join a veritable armada of others in Victoria to join the American Sail Training Association’s Tall Ships Challenge 2005, which showcases dozens of traditional ships racing around the West Coast.
The ships will make a brief customs stop in Port Angeles June 27, but will not be available for public tours.
Leslie Riley of Port Angeles showed up at the festival in full pirate regalia. She said in her everyday life as a shipbuilder she dresses that way.
“Finally, I fit in,” she said with a laugh.
Emily Karaffa of Port Angeles, also a shipbuilder, joined Riley and took the opportunity to show her plundering side, coming to the festival decked out in pirate gear.
There were also women pirates, she said, who wore pants and did things women generally did not do because of social norms.
But there was one difference, Riley said with a sly grin. “We pillage with compassion.”