Western Tugboat Company’s tug “Flyer” providing support to Lightship No. 83 “Swiftsure”

If you are planning to visit Lake Union Park soon, you will discover an empty slip where Northwest Seaport’s lightship is moored.  Lightship No. 83 “Swiftsure” (LV 83) is undergoing important work at Lake Union Drydock Company, just across the lake. The rotten upper deck, wheelhouse, and radio house are being removed. The steel beams underneath are being cleaned for a new deck.

This work is part of the multi-year “Lightship Rehabilitation Project” to restore LV 83 to its 1947 configuration and reopen it to the public. When the ship returns, a new deck will be installed as part of a public program.

During May 2013, two maritime archaeologists and a professional shipwright carefully studied the construction details and created blueprints of the ship’s deteriorated wheelhouse. These plans will guide the reconstruction of a new wheelhouse. All of the original fixtures such as the ship’s wheel and engine telegraph were removed and will be put back in the new structures.

Over the past month, documentation work has focused on the 1937 wheelhouse. “It is a lot more work than it looks,” said Nathaniel Howe, Northwest Seaport Vessel Manager and Nautical Archaeologist. “There are a lot of complex structural details in that wheelhouse and it takes a saw to get at them.” To get all the work done, Howe was joined by Saxon Bisbee through the seaport’s Nautical Archaeologist in Residence Program.

Bisbee is a recent graduate of East Carolina University’s nautical archaeology masters program and is spending several weeks assisting with documentation of Lightship No. 83’s wheelhouse while staying aboard Northwest Seaport’s other vessel, the 1889 tugboat Arthur Foss. Bisbee is also assisting with documentation and restoration work on that vessel. Aboard Lightship No. 83, Howe and Bisbee worked alongside shipwright Brian Johnson to carefully measure and record the entire wheelhouse, its joinery, to produce drawings, and remove all salvageable artifacts for preservation and later installation in the new wheelhouse.

“San Francisco” is one of a number of names given to LV 83.

LV 83 was built in 1904, at Camden, New Jersey (eight years before RMS Titanic). It was one of 179 lightships built in the U.S. to serve as floating lighthouses. They were stationed in places where it was too difficult to build a permanent lighthouse. LV 83 successfully made the journey around South America in 1905 (before the Panama Canal was finished). During the next 55 years, it served on all six West Coast lightship stations—Blunts Reef; San Francisco (above); Columbia River; Umatilla Reef; and Swiftsure Bank.

During its years of active service, LV 83 rescued shipwreck victims, narrowly survived collisions, and made the transition from oil lanterns to electric lighting, radio, and radar. During World War II, it was converted to an armed training ship on San Francisco Bay, painted wartime gray, and fitted with heavy weapons. LV 83 returned to normal duties after the war, and was retired in 1961. In 1968, Save Our Ships (now Northwest Seaport), purchased the vessel for preservation and gave it the station name “Swiftsure”, after the closest light station to Seattle. It is a National Historic Landmark and the last lightship to retain its original steam machinery and many other historic features.

If you are interested in contributing to the restoration, or for more information, please contact Northwest Seaport.  Continue to see updates via NWS Facebook and this website.

The post Where is Lightship No. 83 “Swiftsure?” appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Over the last two weeks, nautical archaeologists, such as Archaeologist-in-Residence Saxon Bisbee, have generated blueprints by documenting existing structures on the lightship’s upper deck. They have also spent hours extracting artifacts, such as the ship’s wheel, deckhouse windows, ship’s bell and more.

During one afternoon’s pull-a-part session, Shipwright Brian Johnson found a brass plate once lost under the chart table. It is stamped with the bell-pull signals. Johnson said, “If the engine telegraph was not functioning, orders could be sent to the engine room using bell signals, for example, “Ahead,” “Stop,” “Back,” and “Faster.”

Most recently, Northwest Seaport contracted with Lake Union Drydock Company to complete a ship survey, remove the rotted wooden deck and deckhouses and more. Northwest Seaport Board President, Shannon Fitzgerald, said, “The shipyard will conduct hazardous materials abatement and cleaning of the steel deck framing.”

Today, after completing documenting existing structures and removing relevant artifacts from the upper deck, the ship headed to the Lake Union Drydock Company’s shipyard.

Northwest Seaport staff and volunteers escorted the lightship from the Historic Ships Wharf at Lake Union Park to the Lake Union-based shipyard. The Western Towboat Company tug ”Flyer” provided complementary propulsion and steerage.

Hobie Stebbins, Lake Union Drydock Company Vice President, said, “Our company is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the efforts to restore the Lightship No. 83. In continuous operation on the shores of Lake Union since 1919, we have witnessed the evolution of the maritime industry and embrace efforts to preserve history for future generations.”

Stebbins said, “The restoration of the Lightship No. 83 provides a bridge between past and present marine construction technology. Skills which were common at an earlier time but are no longer commercially relevant will be used in the restoration of the vessel.”

Lightship No. 83 is hard to miss at the south end of Lake Union. Its tall smoke stack, bright red hull, and brilliant beacon light grab the eye and spark the imagination. It is a quintessential steamship bearing the signature lights, foghorns, and six-foot white lettering of America’s steadfast lightships.

At 109 years old, Lightship No. 83 needs significant restoration. Northwest Seaport Vessel Manger and Nautical Archeologist, Nathaniel Howe, said, “When the ship returns to Historic Ships Wharf, the deck rebuild project will be on display for the public to observe as shipwrights and their apprentices lay, fasten, and calk the new wooden deck.”

Howe said, “Northwest Seaport envisions a vibrant working waterfront at the Historic Ships Wharf. Today, our employment training programs provide participants with the ingredients with which to begin a career.”

Northwest Seaport’s Executive Director, Otto Loggers, said, “This project is Northwest Seaport’s top priority as it is the keystone for all other stabilization and preservation projects on the ship.”

Loggers said, “We are creating a shared community vision for the lightship’s future. We’re asking the public to help us answer questions, such as: “What’s relevance of this lightship tomorrow?” and “What business or organization could you imagine working out of it?”

Colleen Browne, Northwest Seaport Treasurer, said, “The Seaport has raised over one million dollars to complete this lightship rehabilitation work. Raising another million will enable us to create a museum ship for families to board and discover the region’s maritime heritage.

The post “Swiftsure” to Undergo Major Rehabilitation appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Nearly 40 people attend the evening’s event aboard CELEBRATIONS. We wish to gratefully thank Argosy Cruises and Odin Brewing Company for their company support of the event.

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Join us in honoring Flo Lentz of 4Culture as she receives the Maritime Heritage Hero Award. Northwest Seaport is honored to present the award on Thursday, May 30, 2013 aboard the Argosy Cruises vessel CELEBRATINS, dockside at the Historic Ships Wharf at Lake Union Park in Seattle.

Event has been moved to the Argosy vessel, CELEBRATIONS, which will be dockside at Lake Union Park in Seattle on the north wall.  This ticketed event runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm and includes hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer.  (Please, dismiss 6:30 pm notice on the written invitations.

Board members of Northwest Seaport will present Flo Lentz with the Maritime Heritage Hero Award for being an instrumental facilitator of the Maritime Heritage Initiative, which led to the cooperation and integration of the various maritime heritage groups in the Northwest. Her tireless efforts to promote maritime heritage and to foster congeniality among the disparate groups was key to the Maritime Heritage Initiative. Through her efforts King County maritime and cultural organizations now collaborate effectively as the Lake Union Park Working Group, which was recognized in 2010 with an award of Project Excellence from the Washington Museum Association for Creating Access to Maritime Heritage at Seattle’s Lake Union through collaboration.

The number of participants is limited by the venue, so reserve your place early. Cost is $45 per person.

TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/377615

Share with others your going:)

Beverage sponsor: Odin Brewing Company

Flo Lentz is lead staff for 4Culture’s historic preservation program. She manages funding programs that support the rehabilitation of landmark properties, partners for advocacy on local preservation issues, and promotes heritage tourism. Flo facilitates 4Culture’s Maritime Heritage Initiative, administers the Destination Heritage guide series, and manages the annual Golden Rain Globe Award. (4Culture.org)

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The post Pinhole Photography Onboard Arthur Foss appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Capt. Dano Quinn, four-time winner of this event, took second place and Captain Syd Stapleton won third place with this cook story aboard a Hawaii-bound tug.  Recordings of the stories will be made available in the future.

The event would not be possible without the support of the companies and organizations supporting it.  Paula Cassidy of the Highliner Pub and Grill and event host wrote, “What a great night!!! I do believe that was by far one of the best, if not the best, Stories of the Seas ever. Superbly organized, well attended and great performances. I don’t know how the judges picked the winners as I thought everyone was outstanding.” Additionally, Paula said one of her patrons the following day said, “That was SO authentic!”

Northwest Seaport’s planning committee made a few small changes that may have made a large difference in the event’s outcome.  Using social media and the broad support our music program already receives, organizers were able to get the word into many different circles.  Additionally, the Seaport representatives cruised Fishermen’s Terminal docks with Capt. Larry Kesner hand delivering event posters over the gunwales.  Folks showing up for the event seemed ready for the storytelling/song contest, and seats were filled nearly one hour before the first story was told.

Emcee, John van Amerongen, wrote, “That was a dandy evening, and I do agree with, and vouch for, its authenticity. What a cool thing to have so many captains on stage sharing their sea stories and talent. This is what you call “history in the making… Now, it’s a rare moment indeed when we contemplate our own little boxcar in the train of time. Events like this one give us that chance, and it’s pretty damn special.”

We agree.

Thanks to all who made this authenic event possible: Judges (• Vigor: Brian Mannion; • National Fisherman: Bruce Buls; • Propeller Club: Rachel Shrewsbury; • Port of Seattle: Tracy McKendry and, • Northwest Seaport: Wayne Palsson) … and many representatives of Vigor, Pacific Marine Expo, Highliner Pub & Grill, Odin Brewing Co., Port of Seattle, Propeller Club of Seattle and Pilgrim Media Services.

The post Three Captains Hook Winnings appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Friday, May 10th

Hank Cramer is one of the best-loved folksingers in the American West. He’s known for his booming bass voice, smooth picking on a vintage flat-top guitar, and a wry sense of humor. Hank’s repertoire is a mix of original, traditional, and contemporary folk songs. They tell the stories of cowboys, sailors, soldiers, miners, adventurers, and just plain drifters. That fits with Hank’s life story: he has been an underground miner, a professional soldier, shanty-man on a square-rigged sailing ship, wrangler for a high-country outfitter, and a world traveler. Those experiences make Hank’s music ring with a special authenticity.

Sea Chanteys and other maritime music celebrate our connections to the sea, boats, and those who sail them.  They include work songs and foc’sle ditties with great choruses that tie our present day maritime traditions and lore to those of the past. The call-and-response form makes these songs easy to learn and fun to sing for adults and children alike. Come and lead a song of the sea or just join in on the chorus.

The post Chantey Sing with Hank Cramer appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Nathan Miller, a high school student in the Ballard Maritime Academy at Ballard High School in Seattle and ubber Seaport volunteer choose to fix things while staying aboard Northwest Seaport’s historic tugboat Arthur Foss during the Seaport’s Alternative Spring Break Program. Below, Nathan highlights his stay and the “fix” he made to the tug’s diesel stove, which draws diesel fuel from the same tanks as the engine.  From his own keyboard:

“During my recent stay on Arthur Foss, my biggest accomplishment was to make the galley stove work. There is much work yet to do, but my efforts during spring break have made it possible to boil water on the stove without bringing the Seattle environmentalists down on us.

The stove “didn’t work” because the fan motor did not run. It is a 120 Volt DC motor which had to be run off the DC generator. We seldom ran it, since the generator would drain the fuel tank before the stove even grew warm. The burner would function properly, being nothing but flaming pool of Diesel, but absent the forced draft it would smoke terribly.  This situation led Adrian Lipp (tug engineer) to forbid the use of the stove without the fan. But the oil stove is one of the most fuel-efficient heaters in existence, and I was determined to have it working for my stay.

Those who have been with the ship longer will remember the days when the galley refrigerator was not serving as a light bulb repository. Hoping to restore it, I stumbled across its former power source: A much-coveted rectifier. Nobody seemed to know that we had this rectifier, despite universal fear of the sketchy-looking box in the engine room with the pegboard cover.

Following this discovery, it was a simple matter to connect the leads from the stove fan into the fuse holders for a test run. Yet, when connected to the “120” VDC circuit, the fan did not run. It took extensive shuffling of the leads and a complete dismantling of the fan motor before I realized that our Harbor Freight voltmeter was doubling the voltage readout. Sure enough, when connected to a “240” VDC circuit, the fan started right up and ran perfectly. Problem solved.

Once again, bacon may be cooked on the oil stove in a comfortably warm galley, with not a wisp of smoke from the stack.”

NOTE: If you know a young person interested in fixing things…have them contact Northwest Seaport.  Alternative Summer Break program opportunities are currently being discussed.  The Seaport also wishes to thank Nathan and his family for all they do for the Seaport and Historic Ships Wharf programs.

The post Spring Break on a Tug appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Boatwright Apprentice Christine Jacobson working aboard tug Arthur Foss.

South Lake Union Boatwright in Residence –

10 weeks, May-June-July 2013.

Northwest Seaport and The Center for Wooden Boats are teaming up to provide a unique opportunity to hire a recent graduate from a boatbuilding school to work on both historic small craft and historic ships.  The adjacent physical location of these two organizations makes it possible to offer a wide range of experience to the resident, benefitting both the hired employee and the two organizations.

Job Description: The Boatwright in Residence will aid in the care and maintenance of the CWB fleet in the two CWB Boatshops on Lake Union and aboard the tug Arthur Foss working along an experienced shipwright.

Tasks include:
-Assessing and executing repairs in small craft under direction from CWB Boatwright and NWS Shipwright
-Communication with CWB Boatshop Manager and NWS Vessel Manager
-Directing and coaching volunteers to assist with projects
-Sanding, fairing
-Painting, varnishing, and finishing
-Milling, shaping, and installation of wood parts
-Maintaining a clean and efficient shop space

Schedule:Tuesday through Saturday, 40 hours per week

Compensation: $1600 per month, of which $500 is the fair market value of provided housing. NWS will provide resident with a comfortable Officer’s Cabin aboard Arthur Foss located in Lake Union Park. This residency does not include health benefits.

Application Deadline: April 21, 2013.

Boatwright in Residence SLU announcement Spring 2013 (PDF) Application Instructions.

Boatwright program launch related post

Reflections:Winter 2012 Boatwright in Residence

About The Center for Wooden Boats

The Center for Wooden Boats, founded in 1976, provides a gathering place where maritime history comes alive through direct experience and our small craft heritage is enjoyed, preserved, and passed along to future generations. CWB, with locations on Lake Union in Seattle and at Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, engages visitors in whole body learning by putting the historic boats, oars and paddles, sails and tools in the hands of people who visit.

About Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Center

Northwest Seaport, founded in 1964, preserves and interprets the maritime heritage of Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest.  At Seattle’s Lake Union Park Northwest Seaport museum ships, the tugboat Arthur Foss and the Lightship No. 83 Swiftsure, provide a hands-on venue for family education and vocational training programs.  Recent Northwest Seaport events include Gold Rush Tugboats, on-board story time for toddlers, tugboat tours, maritime music and overnight experience programs.

The post Boatwright in Residence Position appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

MAY 8 at 8:00PM ; Highligher Pub & Grill (location details)

The Vigor Seattle Maritime Festival will award cash prizes to the top three finishers in this unique maritime storytelling event. Only 12 spaces are available and preferred e-mail registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is OPEN.  Presented in cooperation with Pacific Marine Expo and National Fisherman; Sponsored by Propeller Club of Seattle and Port of Seattle.

To register, email Northwest Seaport- E: info@nwseaport.org or use the Contact Form or phone 206-447-9800.

To be entertained, join us May 8 at the Highligher Pub & Grill!  Special appreciation is shared for the Highlighter Pub & Grill owners and crew for supporting this event and to Mick Shultz of the Port of Seattle for assisting NWS in producing the event!

WATCH FOR DETAILS on Northwest Seaport’s Facebook page and register for the Seaport’s electronic newsletter on the homepage to keep informed.

The post Stories of the Sea, A storytelling, poetry and music tradition appeared first on Northwest Seaport.

Friday, April 12th

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