Grant Supports Effort to Restore Tacoma Dock

The Foss Waterway Seaport has announced a grant of $10,000 from the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation toward its capital campaign for the restoration and adaptive re–use of its home, the Balfour Dock Building at 705 Dock Street, Tacoma. The dock is also the home of the Working Waterfront Maritime Museum. Funding for this grant was provided by the June and Julian Foss Fund, Hayes Family Fund, and the Marco J. Heidner Fund of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. More information is available in this story from the Tacoma Weekly.

1945-Era Vessel Offered as Donation

Donald P. Wang wrote to Maritime Heritage Network with an offer of a 1945-era YW class ship. The 166-foot vessel is currently named the Coast Angel and the USCG document number is 520075. The vessel is currently berthed in Seattle, and pictures are available here. If you're interested in visiting the Coast Angel, contact Don at 310-892-1332, e-mail Skyline420@aol.com.

MHN Calendar: Virginia V Christmas Cruise

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for Dec. 22-24, 2006.

• 12/23/2006: Cruise, Christmas Ship Cruise, Steamer Virginia V Foundation, 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, Price: $50 members, $60 non-members, Steamer Virginia V, South Lake Union Park, Seattle, 206-624-9119, info@virginiav.org, View the lights of Christmas from the deck of an historic steamship. Reservations required.

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.

Last Minute Gift Ideas from MHN Gift Shop!

Here's a few last minute holiday gift ideas from the online MHN Gift Shop. A portion of each purchase supports MHN operations.

• Books: Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona; The Pirate Queen: The Search for Grace O'Malley and other Legendary Women of the Sea; Red Herring: A Novel.
• Music CDs: Great Big Sea: Courage & Patience & Grit; Glenn Yarbrough: The Day the Tall Ships Came; Dan Zanes and the Festival Five Folk: Sea Music; William Pint & Felicia Dale: Seven Seas
• DVDs: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge Buddies / Nautical Nonsense
• Toys & Games: Ship Simulator (like Flight Simulator, only for big ships!); Battleship 2: Surface Thunder; Fisher Price Little People Lil' Pirate Ship
• Apparel: Liz Claiborne Newport Striped Scarf; Nautical Flags Men's Tie; Flydanna Bandana (pirates!)
• Gifts: Nautical 3D Chocolates;Wild Planet Troll Caught Wild King Salmon; Anchor Weatherglass
• Pirates Gear: Men's Pirate Costume; Deluxe Eyepatch with Gold Trim; Silver Costume Pirate Sword; Skull & Crossbones T-Shirt

Happy Holidays from Maritime Heritage Network!

More Gift Ideas, This Time From the Center for Wooden Boats

Here's more gift ideas, this times some experiences offered by the Center for Wooden Boats.

• Beetlecat Gift Package -- Gift certificate for CWB's eight-lesson SailNOW! experience. Includes "Experience the Craft" long-sleeve t-shirt, CWB cap, and CWB mug. Package price: $335.95.
• Davis Boat Gift Package -- Gift certificate for two hours of rowboat use, including CWB cap and CWB water bottle. Price: $65.95.

CWB is located at 1010 Valley Street, next to South Lake Union Park in Seattle. Call 206-382-2628 for store hours.

You can support Maritime Heritage Network with a purchase from our online store. We feature more than 350 books, DVDs, music, gifts, and much more.

MHN Calendar: Christmas Cruise; Parents Shopping

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for Dec. 15-17, 2006.

• 12/15/2006: Cruise, Christmas Ship Cruise, Steamer Virginia V Foundation, 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, Price: $50 members, $60 non-members, Steamer Virginia V, South Lake Union Park, Seattle, 206-624-9119, info@virginiav.org, View the lights of Christmas from the deck of an historic steamship. Reservations required.
• 12/16/2006: Meeting, Holiday Social, Center for Wooden Boats, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Price: FREE, Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley St., Seattle, 206-382-2628, cwb@cwb.org, Hot chocolate, coffee, cookies, holiday music and a special appearance by Captain Christmas sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• 12/17/2006: Family, Parents Shopping Day Out, Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Price: $30/child members, $10 add. child; $40/non-members child, $15 add. Child, Central Waterfront, 2205 Alaskan Way, Pier 66, 206-374-4000, info@ody.org, Holiday mini-camp while parents go shopping

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.

Northwest Seaport Offers Holiday Gift Suggestions

Here are some holiday gift ideas from Northwest Seaport. Your purchase helps maritime heritage groups spread the word and pay the monthly bills.

• Historic Ship Shirts -- Choose from beautiful designs depicting the schooner Wawona, the tugboat Arthur Foss, or Swiftsure/Lightship #83 (New!). Comfortable, long-lasting shirts in a variety of colors and styles. Price: T-shirts, $15 adult sizes, $10 child sizes. Sweatshirts, $20 to $40. 10% discount to Northwest Seaport members and volunteers.
• Maritime Music CDs -- A wide selection of ballads, chanteys and instrumental music from the West and East Coasts, focusing on the talented maritime performers of the Northwest. Price: $13 to $17, most $15. 10% discount to Northwest Seaport members and volunteers.

Northwest Seaport Gift Shop is located at South Lake Union Park, 830 Terry Ave N, Seattle. Holiday hours are Saturdays, noon to 4:00 p.m.

You can support Maritime Heritage Network with a purchase from our online store. We feature more than 350 books, DVDs, music, gifts, and much more.

Gift Ideas from Willapa Seaport's Ship's Store

The Willapa Seaport Museum is an amazing maritime museum in historic Raymond, Washington, just minutes from Willapa Bay and the Oysterville National Historic District. For gift ideas, museum director Capt. Pete Darrah suggests exquisitely hand-crafted stick built models of row-boats. These clinker-built gems are from nine to 24 inches in length and feature leathered oars and painters. Price: $35.00 to $225.00.

The Willapa Seaport Museum Ship's Store is located at 310 Alder in Raymond, just off US Highway 101 in Pacific County. Hours are Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 4:00 p.m., other times by appointment. Call 360-942-2855.

You can support Maritime Heritage Network with a purchase from our online store. We feature more than 350 books, DVDs, music, gifts, and much more.

Holiday Gift Ideas from Working Waterfront Maritime Museum

Many Pacific Northwest maritime heritage groups have small stores with fabulous gift ideas, often available nowhere else. And the sales support operations: paying the phone bill, electric bill, and such.

The Working Waterfront Maritime Museum in Tacoma offers these two gifts.

• The Willits Brothers and Their Canoes, by Patrick E. Chapman. This biography and company history tells the story of the Willits brothers business, paying close attention to their business management and meticulous construction techniques. The Willits Brothers Canoe Company earned a reputation that enabled a tiny company to compete successfully with businesses much larger, leaving a name and legacy which is still admired by canoe aficionados today. Price: $48.96 at the museum, includes tax, or $52.00 online, includes shipping and handling.
• Finding Thea - A Documentary Film, by Nancy Bourne Haley & Lucy Ostrander (DVD) Finding Thea separates the myth of the famed Thea Foss, a pioneer maritime businesswoman, from the woman herself. It combines rare archival footage, photos, and clips from the 1933 Tugboat Annie film starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery with contemporary reflections of her legacy along Washington State's waterfronts. Price: $27.15 at the museum store, includes tax, or $32.15 online, includes shipping and handling.

Both items are available at the WWFM museum store, 705 Dock St., Tacoma, Wash. Store hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Items are also available at the WWFM online store.

You can support Maritime Heritage Network with a purchase from our online store. We feature more than 350 books, DVDs, music, gifts, and much more.

MHN Music: Great Big Sea / Courage & Patience & Grit

Music is one of the easiest gifts to give this holiday season, and we can't think of a better maritime music gift that the latest album from Great Big Sea: Courage & Patience & Grit. It features the premiere Newfoundland group in concert on this CD/DVD combo album. Great Big Sea blends traditional sea shanties, sea songs, vocals and acoustic instruments with modern sounds and arrangements to create a popular music punch that has turned heads around the world. Buy the CD at Amazon.com. Listen to a sample. A portion of the sales supports Maritime Heritage Network.

Adventuress Hauled Out for Winter Maintenance

Sound Experience's schooner Adventuress has been hauled out for winter work, which is detailed at the Sound Experience website. Volunteers have several opportunities to help out in the coming months. For more details and photos of the work so far, visit the haulout web page. (Photo courtesy Sound Experience)

MHN Calendar: Waterfront Christmas, The Cutters

Here's selected special events from the Maritime Heritage Network Calendar for Dec. 8-10, 2006.

• 12/9/2006: Festival, Merry Time on the Waterfront, Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, Noon to 3:00 PM, Price: FREE, Central Waterfront, 2205 Alaskan Way, Pier 66, 206-374-4000, info@ody.org, Holiday fun for the whole family, free admission to ODMC
• 12/9/2006: Concert, The Cutters & Friends, Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Ctr, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Price: $10 General; $8 students, seniors, and maritime heritage organization members, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1215 Thomas St., Seattle, 206-448-0707, walice1@qwest.net, Annual holiday concert featuring Northwest family maritime music group The Cutters with special guests
• December 9-10, 2006: Festival, Port Gamble Country Christmas, Port Gamble, Price: FREE, Port Gamble, Wash., Port Gamble, 360-297-8074, portgamble@orminc.com, Handmade crafts, horse-drawn wagon rides, roving carolers, a visit from Santa all in an 1850s mill town and port.

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.

December Shanty Sing Has a Pirate + Xmas Twist

Northwest Seaport hosts a shanty sing-along every second Friday of the month at South Lake Union Park, and this month's event on Friday, December 8 has a pirate twist with a heavy dose of Christmas. Singer and shantyman Matthew Moeller will recite "A Visit from Old Whitebeard," a pirate version of "The Night Before Christmas." Admission is free, though donations accepted. Refreshments and maritime music CDs for sale. For more information, call (206) 447-9800 or e-mail seaport@oz.net.

Finally! My Wawona History Book Is Published

After more than three years of work, my history of the Wawona has been published. The book is called "Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona." It's all about the 1897 lumber and codfishing vessel that's now berthed at South Lake Union Park in Seattle. You can purchase the book via iUniverse, Amazon.com, or Barnes & Noble. The cost is just $18.95 plus shipping. Sales via Amazon support Maritime Heritage Network.

If you are a bookseller, such as bookstore, museum gift shop, or retailer, you can order the book from Ingram Book Group, Baker & Taylor, and from iUniverse. Or call 1-800-AUTHORS. The ISBN is 0-595-41833-3. More information is available at http://www.wawonabook.com.

Here's the blurb from the back cover: "Discover the history of the three-masted schooner Wawona and the quirky adventures of her captains and crews in the North Pacific. Shipbuilders, Sea Captains and Fishermen reveals the innovations of Wawona’s builder, H.D. Bendixsen. Capt. Ralph E. “Matt” Peasley, “the big overgrown kid,” became the most famous ship captain in America. Capt. Charles Foss called on the heavens for a breeze by wearing his wife’s hats. And the crew caught hundreds of tons of cod in the stormy Bering Sea while secretly fermenting shipboard wine with canned fruit and sourdough starter. Complete with detailed illustrations, historical photographs, and great stories, Shipbuilders, Sea Captains and Fishermen recreates a world that ended with the last sailing ships."

MHN Music: Glenn Yarbrough / The Day the Tall Ships Came

Can you imagine a better holiday gift than this week's MHN/Music featured CD? It's Glenn Yarbrough and the Shaw Brothers' The Day the Tall Ships Came. With over seventy-five albums to his credit, including both his chart-topping stint as the Limeliters lead tenor, and his marathon solo career, Glenn Yarbrough's voice has graced millions of listeners lives. The album features fifteen traditional and contemporary maritime songs. Purchase the album from CD Baby. Here's a sample. A portion of the sale supports Maritime Heritage Network.

Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival Symposium

Kelly at Maritime Compass posted a note about the upcoming Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival Symposium next year. The museum wants proposals for papers in history, folklore, literature, ethnomusicology, or other disciplines that address music or verse of the sea or inland waters. More information is available at Maritime Compass.

SHIPS Moves Family Fun Days, Seeks Ideas

Seafaring Heritage in Partnership Seattle has decided to move the date of its annual Seafaring Family Fun Days from September to July to coincide with the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival, which is scheduled for the July Fourth weekend. The group of maritime heritage tenants at South Lake Union Park made the move to reduce expenses. A letter from SHIPS leadership said 950 people attended the event last September. But the event was "not as successful financially." Moving the event to July 4, 2007 will save the group money on permits, insurance, and sanitary facilities.

SHIPS is also asking maritime heritage organizations to submit ideas for the 2007 event, which is geared toward children and families. Call 206-448-0707, or e-mail seafaringheritageseattle@yahoo.com. The deadline for submittals is January 31, 2007.