Saving Wawona, One Song at a Time

Seattle's vibrant maritime music community has been an anchor of support for the schooner Wawona, and it's produced a compact disc to prove it. Called "Save the Wawona: One Song at a Time," proceeds from the sale of the CD, available online at CD Baby, support restoration of the 1897 vessel. The disc has 18 songs from the maritime tradition produced by the Pacific Northwest's best sea musicians.

Sea music, a sub-genre of folk music, includes work songs known as "shanties," traditional ballads called "forebitters," and modern songs treating modern subjects, such as the difficulty of making a living on the sea. Some of the artists are world-renowned, such as duo William Pint & Felicia Dale, while others quietly keep the traditions alive in their home towns, such as Dan Roberts. Sea music has a strong sense of ribald humor: check out the songs "Hose Me Down," which describes the after effects of a blistering night out, and a live recording of "Pub With No Beer," about the tragedy of a bar empty of suds.