Black Hearted Pearl

Storm threatens effort to save beached sailing ship Updated, 4:15 p.m. The day after 20 passengers and crew were forced to jump from the grounded ship, officials survey the damage and consider the prospects of refloating the San Pedro vessel when the tide is high tonight. From Daily Breeze staff and news service reports A $4 million sailing ship built in San Pedro lay aground but possibly in salvageable condition today after being abandoned by 20 crewmembers and passengers, who were rescued from stormy seas. The Irving Johnson was tilted and water-logged but its trim white hull and 88-foot-high rigging appeared intact. Its 4,450 square feet of sail were still safely reefed as it listed inside the breakwater at Channel Islands Harbor. The two-masted wooden vessel was stuck about 200 feet offshore in about 5 feet of water, said Capt. Jim Gladson, president of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro, which operates the vessel. Divers found the 90-foot hull intact but water apparently came in through the chain-locker and the engine room may have flooded, Gladson said. In addition, about 800 gallons of fuel for the diesel engine had to be offloaded to ease weight and prevent a spill before a tug could attempt to pull the vessel free when high tide rolls in about 8 tonight, Gladson said. "The boat's on the beach right now," he said. "The tide's gone out so it's resting a little more quietly, so it's not trying to float with every wave going by." "It's not currently in danger of breaking up," he said. "If the boat's floating, it's a success story." However, more stormy weather arrived today. The wind was blowing and the swells were high from an approaching storm Monday afternoon when the brigantine hit a sandbar near a stone jetty just inside the breakwater as it was maneuvering into the harbor, the Coast Guard said. Waves smacked the boat, pushing it towards the shore. Witness Rozanne Holmes said she saw six people knocked off the boat into the 58-degree water. The other crew members and passengers were ordered to jump into the water so crews could rescue them. All had life jackets and were brought safely to shore, although three passengers had to be treated for hypothermia at hospitals. "They were soaked," Holmes said. "It was freezing. I gave one of the girls my jacket." The Coast Guard tried to tow the boat but made no headway in the heavy swell and the rope finally broke, Coast Guard Chief Luis Munoz said. Throughout the night, it was pushed closer to shore. The vessel had got too close to the south jetty, Munoz said, but he did not know whether the sandbar she struck was part of an existing shelf or was an obstacle created overnight by the large swells. Recent storms have built up sand and silt in other local channels. A few miles northward, the Ventura City Council approved an emergency contract Monday to remove the material deposited by recent heavy storms. Gladson said there was "no identifiable failure" by the crew and captain that might have caused the mishap. "It'd be like a sinkhole opening up in front of you on the freeway and the first thing you know is, you're in it," he said. "All of the indications were that everybody did the right thing at the right time," he said. "They got everybody off (safely)." Holmes, who works at a local cafe, said the beaching was the talk of the community today. "Everyone is coming in talking about the boat, all the locals, saying what the Coast Guard should have done." "I think it is a shame that such a beautiful boat had to go down like that," she said. "It's just tragic for the people. I'm sure it was a traumatizing experience, being tossed back and forth in the surf." The boat is one of two custom-built vessels designed to look like 19th century windjammers. The boat, which left San Pedro on Saturday and was due home Friday, was being used for a seven-day team-building trip through the Channel Islands by students from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, said Laura Trulson, the institute's education director. Ten students and 10 crew members were aboard the boat, she said. "My boat, my boat," lamented a tearful Alice Robinson, a longtime volunteer with the TopSail program based in San Pedro, where the brigantines are used as training vessels for at-risk youths. Interviewed on her cell phone, Robinson was driving to Oxnard at about 6 p.m. to survey the damage. Gladson, president of the TopSail program, also planned to drive up Monday night. He said the program's staff Monday was busy "fielding telephone calls from people in various stages of hysteria." The Irving Johnson is one of two brigantine ships built by professional shipbuilders and scores of volunteers on San Pedro's waterfront. They were completed in 2003. The building of the vintage vessels provided a living history demonstration during those years as ancient shipbuilding skills such as cabinet-making, rigging and carpentry were passed on to a new generation. The $8 million project culminated with the ships' commissioning on March 28, 2003. Much of the funding was provided by the Crail-Johnson Foundation and other private donors. The Irving Johnson is outfitted with 4,450 square feet of sail, a rigging height of nearly 88 feet and a diesel engine. The sails were furled during Monday's rescue. At one point a rescue boat tugged on the vessel with a tow line, straining to pull it bow-first into the waves, but the vessel turned sideways to the waves, which crashed over its decks. The surf eventually turned the abandoned ship bow first toward land, pushing it in and out of the shallows along the rocks.

Sounds like, at the minimum, it will be drydocked for 2005 Tallship Challenge. Once less target for you.

Irish Examiner 'Pirates' stars set for high-seas junket Pirates of the Caribbean stars Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are taking to the high seas for real by joining a round-the-world yacht race, it was announced today. The Hollywood trio will help to crew a boat taking part in the gruelling Volvo Ocean Race. The vessel will be named the Black Pearl – after the pirate ship in the film - and its sail will feature a giant skull and crossbones. It is all part of a marketing stunt to promote the forthcoming release of the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The stars will split the race between them – Knightley will join the boat while it is in Europe, Bloom will cover South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Depp will be on board when the yacht reaches the US and Brazil. Each will undergo rigorous training at the race HQ in Portsmouth. And while the rest of the crew must put up with the sort of living conditions yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur endured during her recent round-the-world voyage, the actors will be living in comparative luxury. A special “Hollywood-style” berth is being built for them on the boat. A spokesman said: “We will be laying on Egyptian cottons sheets, freshly cut flowers and special menus for each star.” The eight-month race covers 31,250 nautical miles and starts on November 12 in Galicia, northern Spain. Knightley, 19, Depp, 41, and Bloom, 28, will take part in the inshore races at each of the main stopover ports. The multi-million pound Black Pearl yacht is to be sponsored by the Walt Disney Company. Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said: “We’re excited to be participating in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race, which is very much like the Formula One of yacht racing. “This is a fun and unique way to remind viewers all over the world that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will be sailing into theatres next summer. “Given the film’s high seas adventures and nautical themes, this marathon sporting event is a great way to make some waves and generate awareness among millions of viewers.” The film is due for release in July next year and is a follow-up to the 2003 blockbuster which saw Depp Oscar-nominated for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. A third Pirates of the Caribbean film is planned for 2007.

There's mention that she already has keel damage. If the tide releases it, will it still float?

The sirens of the seas are fighting fiercly to keep the ship. I do hope they do not win.

My friends, Prayers are needed now. Ship Runs Aground, Sailors Rescued OXNARD — A two-masted sailing ship with 20 crew members and students aboard went aground and was battered by waves near a rock jetty Monday evening, forcing dramatic rescues in heaving seas. Individuals in life jackets jumped off one by one and were picked up by rescuers on personal watercraft. All aboard were accounted for, the Ventura County Fire Department said on its Web site. The scene was broadcast live by ABC7 Eyewitness News, which reported that four people were rescued from the 58-degree water initially. Others leaped overboard as waves rolled the ship severely, pushing it toward the rocks. Rescuers on watercraft darted into the white surge and pulled sailors to safety. The vessel was identified as the Irving Johnson, a brigantine completed in 2003 for the Los Angeles Maritime Institute's TopSail Youth Program. The boat was being used for a seven-day team-building trip through the Channel Islands by students from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, said Laura Trulson, the institute's education director. Ten students and 10 crew were aboard the boat, she said. She did not know how the vessel got into trouble. The vessel is 90 feet long, with 4,450 square feet of sail, a rigging height of nearly 88 feet and a diesel engine. The sails were furled during the rescue northwest of Los Angeles. At one point a rescue boat tugged on the vessel with a tow line, straining to pull it bow-first into the waves, but the vessel turned sideways to the waves, which crashed over its decks. The surf eventually turned the abandoned ship bow first toward land, pushing it in and out of the shallows along the rocks.

Arrrrgh!, I be gone just a few days plundering for treasure in Mexico and this always happens. Capt. Flint, where ye be?

Just reading about the Lynx and Lady Washington in the Grays Harbour Newsletter. Looks like a fine match indeed. Trying to figure out when the best time to catch the crew. I believe you and I had talked about Oxnard in August. I do hope we shall meet then.

The pirates are gathering and planning on raiding the AZ Ren Faire one more time before said season is over. Look for us on Saturday, March 26. Huzzah!

Ahoy Captain Meg Killigrew We have spoken before as I be naught but a humble Privateer out of Scottsdale, AZ. I hope you find what you are looking for here. Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Here you go!

Everything is from Disney. Walt was a pirate at heart.

No asking questions of our sources....they can only post what won't jeopardize their positions.

Off Topic. So, did you get to come to Tucson for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition segment at the Children's Hospital?? Did ya?, did ya? Just another fascination of mine.

Oooohhhhh!, How did I miss this post? Lovely....ah the coat...that is. Yes, yes, I meant the coat. Oh, and the boots, and the breeches. Yes!

Alas, Mrs. Barbossa, it sounds like a grand time. Meself, having grown up in Wisconsin would love to visit, but me treasures all been plundered. Ye must post pictures afterward. It, almost, be just like we's were there.

I've been thinking about yer delima and me thoughts went to the lovely paresol of Ms. RhumbaRue. Have ye thought of creatin yer own "parroty" skeleton from squab or rock cornish game hen bones? I don't think the public would scutinize enough to know the difference.

Not anymore. It now can be had for more than $82.81. Bloody Pirates!

My personal favorite is C and B Treasures. It's operated by two pirates from the desert here. They carry lovely cameo's of tallships, mermaids and other "prom appropriate" jewelry. Although skull, crossbones and cutlasses be what the usual pirate chooses, you would be wise to invest in some quality unique pieces that play with people's minds.

Captain Dread Pirate Captain Jack2 and Mayor Mad Kate and her first mate (can't remember the name, sqawk)

That be Jack2...ye know him from the potccostuming yahoo board.

Well, why didn't you say so in the first place. See, it was POTC and Disney. :)

Sorry can't help you, do you have a picture of it? Just kidding.

From what content is said picture suppose to be from? Disney's POTC ride? If so, I have what you are looking for. If from some other publication, I may have it, but you will have to be more specific.