MHN Calendar: Olympia Harbor Days, Great Big Sea

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for Sept. 1-3, 2006.

• Sept. 1-3, 2006: Festival, Olympia Harbor Days, South Sound Maritime Heritage Association, Price: Many activities free, Percival Landing, Swantown Marina, Olympia waterfront, Olympia, 360-556-0498, harbordays@comcast.net, Historic tugboats, model tugboats, human powered boat races
• MHN also recommends the performance at Bumbershoot of Great Big Sea, Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea chanties, which draw from the Island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage. The band performs Sunday, Sept. 3, at 8:30 p.m. at the Mural Stage.

MHN is always looking for more events for listing in its Calendar page. If you know of a maritime-related event in the Pacific Northwest, please send details to info@maritimeheritage.net.

Wawona Google Image; Heritage Tourism Article

The summer doldrums have hit the MHN Blog, and interesting maritime history news is slack. But here's a couple of tidbits discovered in a widely cast net:

• A web surfer with far too much time on his hands found the historic schooner Wawona via Google Earth and posted his discovery on the Google Earth Hacks website.
• An article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on the heritage travel and tourism trend says the activity ranks among the top activities of travelers to and within the United States.

I'd welcome any further items you may have. Post them via the Comments link.

Mukilteo Lighthouse Celebrates 100 Years

The Mukilteo Lighthouse celebrated 100 years of continuous operation this month. The Everett Herald covered the lighthouse keepers reunion and a set of lighted artwork in Mukilteo town.

A Visit to M/V Lotus, Owner Needs Moorage

My wife and I took a overnight trip to Port Townsend recently to visit Christian Gruye, caretaker of the M/V Lotus, a 1909 houseboat cruiser built for Maurice McMicken of Olympia, an attorney who was legal counsel for the Washington State legislature. He was also publisher of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the Lotus was designed to cruise Puget Sound and the Inside Passage of British Columbia by naval architects Lee & Brinton. I visited the 92-foot boat as research for an upcoming article in Maritime Life & Traditions magazine.

The passengers cruised in luxury. Here's a photo of the saloon, the living room of the vessel. All of the woodwork and fireplace ceramics and ironwork is period. Christian and her volunteers have put nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer labor into the vessel this year after a haulout and new paint on her bottom. The vessel usually divides its time between Port Townsend and Port Hadlock, but Christian is looking for winter moorage, since her normal winter moorage at PT is not available this year. If you have any suggestions, e-mail me at info@maritimeheritage.net or e-mail Christian at info@mvlotus.org.

PSC Working on "Ships Ahoy!" Traveling Exhibition

The Pacific Science Center is working on plans for a 2008 traveling exhibit called "Ships Ahoy!" which will look at the science behind boats and ships. Although plans are preliminary, the exhibit will likely examine all the basics of boats: why boats float, how they move, wind power and steam/diesel power, ancient and modern navigation, and so on. The exhibit will have the usual PSC hallmarks, including hands-on experiences for young children. The projected budget for development, construction, and promotion is $1.6 million. Organizers are now putting together an advisory group. For more information, contact Felicia Maffia, Manager of Exhibit Development & Special Projects, 206-443-4626, felicia_maffia@pacsci.org.

Fireboat Duwamish Profiled by Seattle Times

The Seattle Times profiled the fireboat Duwamish on Friday. The article notes that the owner, the Puget Sound Fireboat Foundation, has a new president, David Morse, and will conduct a major fundraising push later this year.

Built in 1909 in Seattle for the Seattle Fire Department, she was equipped with three American LaFrance steam piston pumps rated at a capacity of 3,000 gallons per minute each. After an upgrade in 1949, the pumps delivered a total of 22,800 gallons per minute. This capacity was only exceeded in 2003 by the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Fireboat #2, which delivers 38,000 gallons per minute.

PSFF hopes to have Duwamish refurbished in time for its 100th birthday in 2009. (Photo courtesy Maritime Heritage Network)

Seattle Firm May Have Found Lost WWII Sub

The Boston Globe reports that a Seattle firm, surveyors Williams and Associates, may have found the World War II submarine USS Grunion off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The warship was lost without a trace in July 1942, and the sons of the captain have sought her whereabouts ever since. The Globe article was reprinted in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Here's a link to the Grunion Search blog with sonar images. (The blog is photo heavy, so it takes a long time to load.)

Details on 8/16 MOHAI Presentation, Including Wawona Discussion

Alice Winship, a long-time volunteer at Northwest Seaport, heard the entire presentation by the Museum of History & Industry on Wednesday and detailed it in an e-mail to NWS volunteers, including details on Wawona. I could not have done a better reporting job. I'm posting her report here, with her permission. She can be reached at walice1@qwest.net.

The last item on the agenda was a presentation by MOHAI. Leonard Garfield and others from MOHAI presented a draft of a resolution to the committee. This resolution is not yet in final form. Council committee members will work on the resolution with MOHAI before it goes to the Council for a vote.

MOHAI is in need of a new location, since its present building may be eliminated by the widening of 520. MOHAI said this was not just a move from necessity, but an opportunity to transform MOHAI by expanding their scope and becoming a leader in partnership with other heritage organizations. They were enthusiastic about partnerships with other organizations at South Lake Union. They believe that the synergy of heritage organizations at South Lake Union can make it a regional attraction, the ‘Seattle Center of Heritage.’

Peter Steinbrueck urged an emphasis on maritime heritage, but also noted that South Lake Union was the first Boeing site. MOHAI pointed out that the Armory location was the site of the Denny Timber Mill. MOHAI’s exhibits would not be limited to maritime heritage, but maritime heritage would be a major focus. Leonard Garfield said, “Seattle’s story began on the water. To not take advantage of that at that site would be an incredible missed opportunity, which we won’t allow.”

Leonard Garfield also said, “We’ve got to make sure over the next year or two as we plan for those stories and those opportunities that we incorporate the community and build the community input into developing that, including people who have a passion for this area’s history as you do.” (Responding to Peter Steinbrueck.)

There was a discussion of costs. In 2004, an estimate of $11 million was given for turning the building into a community center. Two and three-quarter million are currently being spent on roof repairs and seismic upgrades. MOHAI’s estimate is $26 million for 2009. The higher price is partly due to inflation, and also includes a museum-quality HVAC system and public access to all four floors. Most areas would be open to the public, due to the public value of the location, so there would be a need for some offsite storage and office space. The building is about the same size as MOHAI’s present building, but could hold more exhibits due to its central design. Part of the first floor would have an open zone and community meeting areas. MOHAI also mentioned that the park plan included a placeholder for another building, which they hoped to operate with CWB as an auditorium for programs.

Richard Conlin had several questions about costs. His concern was to be sure that MOHAI was going to go forward with this site, and that MOHAI was confident they could raise the money. MOHAI had previously purchased a downtown site with the aid of the City, and has now decided to go with the South Lake Union location instead. Councilmembers said they had not been enthusiastic about the downtown site, but wanted to be sure that MOHAI was not going to change their mind about the SLU site. MOHAI responded that they had received enthusiastic support from all sides for the move to South Lake Union, which helped convince them of its feasibility.

Peter Steinbrueck had some requests for revision of the resolution. He requested a review of the Maritime Heritage Task Force recommendations that identified South Lake Union as a prime location for a maritime heritage center, to look for ways to honor and respond to these recommendations. He also requested the addition of a provision to consider installation of the historic schooner Wawona on the site as a permanent exhibit, as part of MOHAI’s exhibitory, with the understanding that MOHAI would become the ‘adoptive parent.’ He requested a study of the costs and feasibility of installing Wawona as a permanent on-land exhibit at South Lake Union.

Peter Steinbrueck also said, “What we want is authenticity here. We don’t want fru-fru and we don’t want beautification without value and meaning and authenticity.” He urged flexibility when coordinating MOHAI’s efforts with the park planning that has already occurred.

Your comments, additions or observations are welcome!

MOHAI: KUOW Report, Seattle Channel Video

KUOW-FM, the local NPR station, broadcast a brief report on the MOHAI presentation yesterday before the city council. You can read the script and hear the broadcast (with a quote from me as VP of AKCHO) on this page.

The Seattle Channel has put up video of the committee meeting. You can view the public comments, which occur at the beginning of the meeting, via this link. Or you can go directly to the MOHAI presentation via this special direct video link, sponsored by Maritime Heritage Network. RealPlayer is required to view the videos.

Please offer your comments!

MHN Calendar: Heston, Lake Union, Sanger & Didele

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for August 19-21, 2006.

• 8/19/2006: Film, August Film Series: Gray Lady Down, Naval Undersea Museum, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Price: FREE, Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, Wash., 360-396-4148, bgalvani@kpt.nuwc.navy.mil, Watch the adventure-filled submarine movie starring Charleton Heston.
• 8/19/2006: Tour, Lake Union Historic Walking Tour, Museum of History & Industry, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Price: Contact MOHAI, Start at Gas Works Park, North Lake Union, Seattle, Wash., 206-324-1126, feliks.banel@seattlehistory.org, Walking tour of historic Lake Union with CWB founder Dick Wagner
• 8/19/2006: Concert, Sanger & Didele / Shanghaied on the Willamette, Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Ctr, 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM, Price: $10 General; $8 students, seniors, and maritime heritage organization members, South Lake Union Park, Seattle, 206-447-9800, seaport@oz.net, Eastern Washington comic duo of Sanger & Didele and Portland duo Shanghaied on the Willamette bring their take on the music of the sea to Seattle.
• 8/20/2006: Music, Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival, Port Gamble, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Price: Donation, Hood Canal Vista Pavilion, Port Gamble, Wash., 360-297-8074, psp@wesweddell.com, Leading Northwest maritime musicians sing songs from our nation's maritime heritage.
• 8/21/2006: Cruise, September Virginia V Cruise, Steamer Virginia V Foundation, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Price: $65, Virginia V, South Lake Union Park, 206-624-9119, info@virginiav.org, Deadline for booking a one-way ticket to Port Townsend on Sept 7, 2006, the day before the opening day of the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

MHN is always looking for more events for listing in its Calendar page. If you know of a maritime-related event in the Pacific Northwest, please send details to info@maritimeheritage.net.

MOHAI Turns Out Support; What MH Orgs Should Do Next

More than a dozen maritime heritage supporters and organizations, including Northwest Seaport, the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society, and the Steamer Virginia V Foundation, spoke in favor today of a proposal by the Museum of History & Industry to move to South Lake Union Park. MOHAI presented an outline of its plan to the city council's Parks, Parks, Education, Libraries and Labor Committee, chaired by Councilmember David Della. The council must give permission for the mayor to pursue negotiations with MOHAI. No decision was made at today's meeting.

According to a memo from the Parks Department to the committee, MOHAI would completely renovate the Naval Reserve Building in 2009 at a cost of $26 million, and it would spend another $13 million on museum exhibits. The memo said the renovation would be a "city-funded and managed project," with MOHAI "contributing" to the project. MOHAI would finance the exhibit upgrades.

The memo goes on to say that the NRB would be MOHAI's "primary public venue," which would give "special attention to our rich maritime heritage." The memo acknowledges MOHAI's obligation to pay the city $1 million plus interest for abandoning plans to build a new museum on property near the Washington State Trade and Convention Center. Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck says the city will not "write that obligation off."

The maritime heritage organizations and supporters all called on the council to allow negotiations to move forward, though some said they expected the new facility to place heavy emphasis on maritime history. Several large historic vessels are now moored at South Lake Union Park, and MOHAI and Northwest Seaport are working on a plan to display the historic schooner Wawona on land at the park.

Maritime heritage organizations are excited about the potential of a MOHAI move to SLUP. They should recognize that they are equal partners with MOHAI in developing a facility that ranks with Mystic Seaport and other world-class maritime museums. They deserve a seat at the table once MOHAI and the city agree on terms for the NRB renovation. The MH orgs are not only tenants in the NRB, but they own the key assets, namely the ships, that will draw the biggest crowds. MOHAI and the MH orgs now need each other more than ever.

What do you think? What's the next step for maritime heritage supporters in this process?

Volunteers Needed for Port Gamble Festival Booths

Northwest Seaport and Seafaring Heritage in Partnership Seattle (SHIPS) are looking for booth volunteers this Sunday, August 20, at the Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival. Volunteers would transport display panels and boxes of flyers, CDs, and t-shirts to Port Gamble on Bainbridge Island. Cars or vans could be loaded on Saturday evening. Some volunteers need rides to the site, which is not served by public transportation. For more information, contact Alice Winship, 206-448-0707, walice1@qwest.net.

Council Meeting to Hear MOHAI MH Proposal

The Seattle City Council's committee that deals with parks issues will hear the Museum of History & Industry ask for permission Wednesday to pursue a move to South Lake Union Park. The Parks, Education, Libraries and Labor Committee, chaired by Councilmember David Della, is considering whether to allow MOHAI and Mayor Greg Nickels to pursue a lease or purchase agreement for the Naval Reserve Building at SLUP. The move could have enormous implications for maritime heritage, according to an e-mail from maritime heritage volunteer Alice Winship to supporters of Northwest Seaport.

"The key issue for maritime supporters, which the public may wish to communicate to both MOHAI and the City, is that the Armory Building should be used for a major maritime museum, and that South Lake Union Park should be a maritime center, with space for all our local historic vessels, including Wawona," Winship writes. "A number of maritime organizations already have vessels and operations at South Lake Union, and by working with these organizations, MOHAI could help create a major maritime heritage center."

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers downtown. The discussion is lively here on the MHN Blog, check out comments to Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck's demands and my post Sunday about MOHAI's MH record. Share your thoughts via the comments link.

MOHAI An MH Stalwart, But Some Ask, "What About Its Other Activities?"

Seattle City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck has placed a maritime heritage theme at the top of his agenda for the future of South Lake Union Park (see previous post), and the Museum of History & Industry has a long history of supporting maritime heritage efforts. Just last week, MOHAI sent me two new listings for fall events related to maritime heritage, one a lecture on drawings by an officer on the USS Decatur in 1855. A MOHAI researcher, Lorraine McConaghy, has done extensive research in recent years on the Decatur, which participated in the brief Indian War that year. The other event is a lecture sponsored by the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society on the battleship Washington. (MOHAI hosts the PSMHS archives.) H.W. McCurdy, one of the founding lights of MOHAI, had strong ties to the maritime industry, though he was not supportive of the Save the Wawona campaign of the early 1960s, according to Kay Bullitt, dean of Seattle philanthropists and social activists.

The question over the emphasis on maritime heritage by MOHAI at SLUP may boil down to one of degree. Currently, MOHAI doesn't really have a theme to tie all its holdings together, beyond a "grandma's attic" strategy. There's nothing wrong with this, but people are wondering whether this is compatible with the community's expectations for a tightly focused maritime approach at SLUP. An anonymous commentator on this blog asks, "Will it be a Museum of (regional) History and Industry, a Museum of the History of Seattle, or a Museum of Northwest Maritime History?" MOHAI may need to answer this question before it gets full support from the maritime heritage community, and before it risks alienating its dedicated fan and membership base.

What's your view? Should MOHAI modify or clarify its thematic strategy? Or is that irrelevant to a move to South Lake Union Park?

Steinbrueck Says What He Wants from MOHAI

Seattle City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck says he expects the Museum of History & Industry to make maritime heritage "more than a token presence" at South Lake Union Park if the museum takes over the Naval Reserve Building. To make that vision happen, he says he may hold MOHAI accountable for $1 million he says MOHAI owes the city.

Steinbrueck met with representatives from MOHAI and the Seattle Parks Foundation this week to discuss MOHAI's upcoming request to the city council to authorize negotiations with the city on a lease or purchase of the NRB for a new MOHAI facility. MOHAI announced last month that it wants to move from McCurdy Park to SLUP. The museum will make a formal presentation to the council on Wednesday, August 16, at 2 p.m. The full council must approve a final agreement.

Steinbrueck told MOHAI and the Parks Foundation, which is working with MOHAI on the proposed move, that maritime heritage should be a key focus of the facility, and that it should incorporate the recommendations of the 2005 Seattle King County Maritime Heritage Task Force. The city council has made it clear over the years that it expects South Lake Union Park to have a strong maritime heritage theme.

That maritime heritage focus, Steinbrueck says, should include an intact Wawona. MOHAI and Northwest Seaport, owner of the historic schooner, are working on a plan to dry berth Wawona for display at South Lake Union Park. The city has proposed "disposing and demolishing" the ship if it is not moved by Sept. 30. Pieces of the vessel would be saved, under the city's plan. However, I hear consistent rumors that the city has informally backed off that deadline, in part because it cannot obtain the needed permits by its self-imposed deadline. Talks about the vessel herself are ongoing.

Steinbrueck also asked the Parks Foundation for "flexibility" in its plans for the Park, complaining that the current plans, which don't include space for displaying Wawona on land, are overly rigid. Steinbrueck said the Foundation was receptive to the idea of revisions to the plan.

The councilmember said he will ask for an accounting of $1 million he says MOHAI owes the city. In 2003, MOHAI purchased property from the convention center, which later became a temporary city central library while the new one, now open, was under construction. Included in the deal was an obligation to pay the city $2 million if MOHAI did not open a museum on the site by 2007. The obligation was reduced in 2004 to $1 million, but now that MOHAI has all but abandoned plans for the downtown location, Steinbrueck says he will use the obligation as leverage in discussions about the move to SLUP. "We're not going to just write the obligation off," Steinbrueck says.

What's your view? Is this the right thing for Steinbrueck to do? Should the obligation be forgiven? Intelligent anonymous comments are welcome. Screen names or real names preferred.

SHIPS at South Lake Union Block Party

It was great to see a booth from Seafaring Heritage in Partnership Seattle (SHIPS) at the 2006 South Lake Union Block Party today. Dan Roberts, Carla Holley, and Mariide Widmann set up the booth right next to the main entrance. This is a perfect example of reaching out to the community and making the maritime heritage case in the South Lake Union neighborhood.

MHN Calendar: Buccaneers, Clark Gable, Boat Show, Steamboat Meet

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for August 11-13, 2006.

• 8/11/2006: Concert, Budd Bay Buccaneers, Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Ctr, 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM, Price: FREE, South Lake Union Park, Seattle, 206-447-9800, seaport@oz.net, The Olympia music group Budd Bay Buccaneers bring their racuous versions of classic sea chanteys to the monthly sea chantey sing-along at SLUP.
• 8/12/2006: Film, August Film Series: Run Silent, Run Deep, Naval Undersea Museum, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Price: FREE, Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, Wash., 360-396-4148, bgalvani@kpt.nuwc.navy.mil, Watch the classic World War II submarine movie starring Clark Gable.
• August 11-12, 2006: Festival, 100 Years of Light, Mukilteo Historical Society, Price: FREE, Mukilteo Lighthouse, 604 Front St., Mukilteo, Wash., 425-513-9602, kmhirte@msn.com, A celebration of 100 years of service by the Mukilteo Light Station
• August 11-13, 2006: Exhibit, McCall Wooden Boat Show, Payette Lakes Chapter, ACBS, Price: Contact owner, Mile High Marina, McCall, Idaho, 208-286-0699, speedboatn@cableone.net, Boat show sponsored by the Payette Lakes Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society
• August 11-13, 2006: Festival, NWSS Annual Meet, Northwest Steam Society, Price: Contact NWSS, St. Helens, Oregon, Columbia River, 503-267-6465, matwete@comcast.net, Historic steam craft meet on the Columbia River at St. Helens.

MHN is always looking for more events for listing in its Calendar page. If you know of a maritime-related event in the Pacific Northwest, please send details to info@maritimeheritage.net.

Pirate Festival a Hit in Everett; Vancouver Museum Job

The Everett Herald published a roundup of the first annual Puget Sound Pirate Festival last weekend at the Port of Everett. The event was sponsored by the Seattle Knights & Swashbucklers, a reenactment troupe.

The Vancouver B.C. Maritime Museum is looking for a director. Thanks to Kelly at Maritime Compass for the heads up.

Peter Iredale Anniversary Marked with Festivities

Oregon and Washington State historians, curators, marine experts and local residents are gathering in October to to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the wreck of the Peter Iredale, an iron and steel sailing vessel that ran aground near Astoria, Ore. in 1906. The story will be remembered during the Graveyard of the Pacific Shipwreck Week Oct. 21 to 29, 2006. The festival includes artifact and photo exhibits, underwater archeology, stories from survivors, Columbia River Bar pilot demonstrations and maritime music performances. Festival organizers include the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and the Ilwaco Heritage Museum. More information is available on this web page.

Toy Boat Exhibit at Working Waterfront Museum

One man's love of toy boats is the theme of a new exhibit at the Working Waterfront Maritime Museum in Tacoma. The exhibit features toy craft loaned by Jerry Bauer, who has collected miniature boats since age two. He believes he has the largest toy boat collection in the world. The exhibit is on display until September.

If you are work for or volunteer at a maritime museum in the Pacific Northwest, and you would like to publish your news release on the MHN Blog, send it to info@maritimeheritage.net.

MHN Calendar: Puget Sound Pirate Festival

Here's a late addition of an event today from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for August 4-6, 2006.

• 8/5/2006: Festival, Puget Sound Pirate Festival, Seattle Knights & Swashbucklers, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Price: FREE, Port of Everett, 1720 W. Marine View Dr., 425-557-0311, First annual pirate festival, includes the Lady Washington

MHN is always looking for more events for listing in its Calendar page. If you know of a maritime-related event in the Pacific Northwest, please send details to info@maritimeheritage.net.

P.S. Don't forget the hydro races on Lake Washington on Sunday!

Vietnam Boat Book; Finnish Immigrant History

The Vietnam Wooden Boat Foundation of Port Townsend, Wash., has published an English translation of J.B. Pietri's Voiliers d'Indochine, "Sailboats of Indochina." Originally written in French and published in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1943, the 284-page, soft-cover book has 70 black and white drawings of boats, rigging, and other subjects. VWBF plans a hard-cover reference edition. Purchasing information is available at Lulu.com. Search the site with the word "Indochina." (Cover image courtesy VWBF)

The Ilwaco Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, Wash., has a new exhibit, "Uusi Suomalainen Maa - New Finn Land," which celebrates the contributions of the Finnish immigrant community to southeastern Washington State, especially Pacific County. Finns played an important role in local maritime history, as well as the timber industry. Nancey Olson of the museum says her researchers found 372 different Finn family names in the local area.

If you would like to publish your maritime heritage and history news items on the MHN Blog, send the item to me care of info@maritimeheritage.net.

MHN Calendar: Berte Olson, Glenn Ford, Drayton Harbor

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for August 4-6, 2006.

• 8/4/2006: Presentation, Little, But Oh My!, Kitsap County Historical Society, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Price: Contact KCHS, Kitsap Historical Museum, 280 Fourth St., Bremerton, 360-479-6226, khsinfo@kitsaphistory.org, Storyteller Jill Johnson recreates the life of Berte Olson, the first woman to skipper a ferry on Puget Sound.
• 8/5/2006: Film, August Film Series: Torpedo Run, Naval Undersea Museum, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Price: FREE, Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, Wash., 360-396-4148, bgalvani@kpt.nuwc.navy.mil, Watch the classic World War II submarine movie starring Glenn Ford.
• August 5-6, 2006: Festival, Drayton Harbor Maritime Festival, Northwest Steam Society, Price: Many activities free, Blaine, Washington, Drayton Harbor, 360-332-5742, nw-steamboats@comcast.net, Historic steam craft meet at Drayton Harbor.

MHN is always looking for more events for listing in its Calendar page. If you know of a maritime-related event in the Pacific Northwest, please send details to info@maritimeheritage.net.

Kalakala Settles with Makah; New NW Ships Website

The Kalakala Alliance Foundation has announced that is has settled its disputes with the Makah Tribe and both sides have agreed to drop legal proceedings. The undated announcement appears on the foundation website. The Makah Tribe sued the foundation in 2004 after the vessel was tied up to Makah property at Neah Bay in 2004. The historic 1935 vessel moved to Neah Bay after it was evicted from a berth in Lake Union. In the suit, the tribe claimed that the vessel had damaged a tribal dock. "The foundation will always honor the tribe and Neah Bay for helping us save our Kalakala," the foundation said. "We are extremely grateful for all their help when no one else offered to do so."

A new website has appeared with photos of some of the Pacific Northwest's historic vessels. The site is called Northwest Historic Ships & Boats.

Local Coverage of 2006 Inter-Tribal Canoe Journey

The Seattle Times and the Tacoma News Tribune provided extensive coverage this year of the 2006 Inter-Tribal Canoe Journey, an annual traditional canoe gathering. Several Northwest Coast tribes from Washington State and British Columbia participate. Columnist Danny Westneat describes his experience paddling a canoe through Lake Union into Lake Washington. The Tacoma News Tribune focused on the Muckleshoot Tribe's participation. This year's canoe journey, which included as many as 75 of the intricately carved boats, was marked by tragedy. One participant drowned when he fell overboard near Seqium, Washington.