Retired Lightship Sailors to Remember Lost Comrades

Retired lightship sailors from around the country will meet this week in Seattle to reminisce and remember fallen comrades with a wreath laying ceremony. Members of the Lightship Sailors Association will gather at South Lake Union Park, home of Lightship No. 83, also known as Swiftsure, which is owned by Northwest Seaport. This National Historic Landmark and former U.S. Coast Guard vessel is one of the oldest lightships in the nation and still retains her original steam engine, riveted steel hull, and canvas-covered wooden decks. The vessel served at all five west coast stations, including Cape Flattery and the Columbia Bar, before it was retired in 1960. The annual reunion begins on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. A wreath laying ceremony is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Historic Ships Wharf at SLUP. The public is invited. For more information, contact Larry Ryan, 719-440-7280, or Wayne Palsson, 206-412-4736.