Never in Karen Sanchez’s wildest dreams did she imagine she would be transported back to the 1700s to board the tall ship “Lady Washington” in Newport Harbor last Saturday. “I thought it was a one-in-a-time thing in your life you could do,” said Sanchez, one of 36 Richman School fifth-graders to visit the Newport Nautical Museum. The three-hour voyage, part of the ongoing Tall Ship Program, allowed children from teachers Pam Soto, Denise Vernak and Jesse Amaro’s classes to raise a main sail, sing sea chantries and experience what life was like on board. The children also built a ship model that will be on display as part of the Imagination Celebration of Orange County in May. For more information about the program, call (800) 200-LADY.

photo at left

The crew wasted no time putting the kids to work, above. Under the direction of crewman Johann Steike, from right, Nicholas Baez, Cesar Moreano and Oscar Roman pull lines to adjust the ship’s riggings.

UNDER THE WATCHFUL SUPERVISION of First Mate Rusty Rice, in the background, Cassandra Alonzo and classmates unfurled the 112-foot-tall ship’s mammoth sails.