HollyKing's Journal

In honor of Chuck Fowler and Captain Mark Freeman’s new book “Tugboats on Puget Sound,” the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society is having an event this Saturday! Come on down to the former Naval Reserve Armory in Lake Union Park to tour FIVE historic tugs: the ELMORE, the BLUEBERRY, the HENRIETTA FOSS, the GRACE, and the ARTHUR FOSS. The boats will be open to the public on Saturday February 8th from 1pm until 5pm.

You might remember me talking about the ARTHUR FOSS. That’s boat I volunteer on giving tours and answering questions. I’ll be down there part of the day and I invite you all to come see these beautiful boats. I’m going to guess we’ll have enough hosts that we’ll have the engine room open on the ARTHUR FOSS which gives you photographers access to a diesel engine built in 1934. We might even start it up and you can hear it chugging away.

Today I sent out the first Iron Epistle. I hope they enjoy their letter. I’m still accepting entries if you want to get in on the fun.

Last Friday I volunteered as a boat host on the Arthur Foss. I was supposed to be the host from Noon until 6pm but thanks to Google Transit not understanding holidays I didn’t get to the boat until 1pm. We had nearly 1,000 visitors during my shift which was great. I spent most of my time in the wheelhouse answering questions about the boat and her history.

One interesting thing I discovered was that my location on the boat effects what questions I am asked. When I’m in the engine room I get asked about the diesel engine from 1934. In the wheelhouse I was asked why there are two steering wheels and questions about the other equipment. I would guess that I would get a lot of questions about the winch and cables if I was standing on the deck next to them.

My favorite visitors were the small kids and the older gentlemen. The kids are excited about the boat and it’s great to see the wonder on their faces. The older guys usually tell me great stories about working on similar boats.

bluemoonshark posted a video about the Arthur Foss. So now you all can check out where I'm spending my Saturday mornings and get an picture of things when I talk about the "boat." ;)

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Originally uploaded by hollyking

And possibly crazy. I just got the email from Northwest Seaport about docent training on the Arthur Foss. So I signed up for the training and volunteered to be a host on the AF on weekends and help out with a work party or two. Wheee!

If you're interested here is the information:

TUGBOAT NIGHT

The next Tugboat Night is April 19th from 7pm to 9pm on the ARTHUR FOSS. Last time, we ran the main Washington Iron Works engine and the auxiliary generators. This time, we plan to turn even more things on, see more of the boat, and eat more snacks (and remember to make coffee!). The cost is $20 per person, payable in advance or at the door. Remember to wear your dirty clothes, as we'll be oiling and wiping. Lots of people who attended last time are coming back with their friends, so make sure you aren't left out!

APRIL WORK PARTY

To get the ARTHUR ready for Tugboat Night, we're having a Work Party from 10am to 5pm on April 19. Our main focus will be cleaning, painting, and more cleaning (which never ends on a boat), but depending on how many people we have we might get to some other projects on the ARTHUR or on the Lightship No. 83. Work Parties are free to all and we provide lunch to participants. The full Work Party schedule is posted on our website under "Volunteer Opportunities."

LAKE UNION PARK OPENING

Seattle's newest park and the only one showcasing our maritime heritage officially opens on April 30th. Northwest Seaport, the Center for Wooden Boats, the City of Seattle, and lots of other folks are participating in the opening. We'll be blowing the horn and keeping the ARTHUR open to visitors, and maybe even running the engine. Lake Union Park is at the southern end of Seattle's Lake Union, and is where the ARTHUR has been docked for more than five years. More information is at the Seattle Parks website.

DOCENTS NEEDED!

We're looking for folks to become docents for the ARTHUR FOSS, to guide tours and give detailed answers to visitor questions like “why are there two steering wheels” and “what do tugboats do, anyway?”

We’ll teach you everything you need to know in a four-session training course that runs on Saturdays. In return, we ask for a six-month commitment to lead at least one tour per month during the busy Summer season at the Historic Ships Wharf.

The next training course starts Saturday, May 3rd and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for four sessions. We’ll use lectures, tours, discussions, written materials, and demonstrations to prepare you for leading tours, and provide lunch to all participants.

BOAT HOSTS NEEDED!

Don't have time to be a docent? We still need you! This summer, we need your help to keep the ARTHUR FOSS open to visitors every weekend. Boat Hosts will be stationed in the galley or the upper deck to direct visitors through the tug and answer those fundamental questions like "how do you get to the bridge?" and "is this a real boat?" We're scheduling folks in two-hour shifts (starting on even hours) between 10am and 6pm Saturdays and Sundays starting April 26. We also need people for the opening ceremony on April 30 (which is a Wednesday). Sign up for as many slots as you like, alone or with a friend.

Saturday I went to the Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) to take the Basic Knots class. Our teacher for the day was Dennis of The Knotted Line. I (re-) learned the bowline, clove hitch, reef knot, sheet bend, constrictor knot and zeppelin knot. The zeppelin knot was the only one that was completely new to me. I knew the constrictor knot but didn’t know it’s name until the class. At the end of the class Dennis showed us the flying bowline. I’m not nearly as quick as Dennis but I was able to tie it pretty well before we left.

After the class I wandered around the CWB a bit to look at all the boats and activities. The Arthur Foss was open so I went aboard to look and see how the restoration work had progressed since I spent a night aboard last September. I was caught up talking with the docent about things when I mentioned wanting to learn how to sail but not having the money for the classes. She then told me that by volunteering at the CWB you earn time for sailing. For every three hours of volunteer time you earn one hour of sailing time.

Really… Guess who filled out a volunteer information form before leaving…