Russian Sailing Ship Visits Seattle

When you think of school, what comes to mind; an old school house, a large college, on-line classes?  I bet you don’t think about a 354 foot long, three-masted frigate.   The Russian Sailing Ship, Pallada, is a school on the high seas.  Students from eight marine institutions in Russia spend a few months aboard learning their future jobs first hand.  From Vladivostok, she is currently on a North Pacific tour commemorating the 270th anniversary of Russia's colonization of Alaska and the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering space flight.

The Pallada pulled into Puget Sound August 10, 2011.  The crew was allowed to leave the ship to visit Seattle and the public was allowed on deck to experience the sights and sounds of a tall ship.  Facebook was a buzz about the huge, elegant and mysterious, three-mast ship docked at Pier 66.  Many young girls wondered who the sailors were at Pike Place Market wearing different uniforms and speaking a foreign language.  When I visited the ship on its last day in port it was crowded with people of all ages.  They were in awe of the massive vessel and the hundreds of rope coils spread from bow to stern, all leading to some portion of the 26 sails, totaling over 9000 square feet.  All that rope is confusing!  How on earth do they remember exactly what each rope is for?  When the first mate calls, “Hoist the main topsail!” do they ever pull the wrong line?  I would need them to be color coded so I would know which line went to what sail.   

I most enjoyed watching the young boys, both enlisted and officers, flirt with the pretty young girls who they either met in town or happen to come aboard for a tour.  I saw many girls getting a personal tour while other girls were standing at the stern smoking and talking with the sailors.  It was cute to watch the awkward flirtations as the boys stumbled over their English.  I admit not one sailor offered to give me a personal tour; of course, I am old enough to be their mom.  Maybe I should have looked for the captain and asked for a personal tour. 

Their time in Seattle was short, on Friday they pulled anchor, hoisted the sails and made their way out the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Next port of call: San Francisco.