Sure, it may seem like a time warp to see a couple of old wooden merchant and naval ships tied up in Newport Harbor this week, but wait until you're aboard.
For the next week the public is invited to tour two late 18th-century vessels that will be docked at the Newport Sea Base, 1931 W. Coast Hwy.
One, the Lady Washington, is better known as the HMS Interceptor from 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," the first in the Disney movie line. In the film, Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) stole the Interceptor with the help of Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom.
The other, the Hawaiian Chieftain, is a replica of a centuries-old merchant vessel.
Together, the pair are offering Southern Californians one chance a day for an hour to go aboard and meet crew members dressed in period costumes.
On New Year's Eve, visitors will set sail with the crew and head off the coast to reenact an epic naval battle, or "Battle Sail," where the ships will maneuver near and around each other, with the crews hurling taunts and exchanging cannon fire.
