Ships get stuck in sand, too: Lady Washington freed after running aground

TACOMA — Many a driver has found themselves stuck in the sand.

On Monday it happened to the tall ship Lady Washington.

The sailing ship left John Wayne Marina in Sequim Bay around 8:15 a.m., bound for Port Orchard. It quickly ran aground on a sandbar.

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted the vessel. No one was injured, Grays Harbor Historical Seaport said in a statement.

At 3:10 p.m. the tide had risen high enough to refloat Lady Washington. The wooden-hulled ship’s crew conducted sea trials while a Coast Guard vessel observed.

The ship will be escorted to a Port Townsend boatyard for inspection.

“No serious damage to the vessel is predicted,” Grays Harbor Historical Seaport said in a statement. “At this time the causes of the grounding are still under internal investigation.”

The Seaport will issue a statement once an investigation has been made.

Launched in 1989, Lady Washington has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including “Pirates of the Caribbean.”