In 1788, Gray had attempted to enter a large river, but was unable due to the tides. Later he named this waterway as the Columbia River. At the outset of the voyage, Gray captained "Lady Washington" and Kendrick captained "Columbia Rediviva", but the captains swapped vessels during the voyage, putting Gray in command of "Columbia Rediviva". After the switch, Kendrick stayed on the North American coast, trading for pelts and furs, while Gray sailed their existing cargo of pelts to China, stopping off at the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii, en route.