January 23, 2010

 

It has been very pleasant here in Seattle, the other day it was 61 degrees when we went ashore to go shopping. We are in the clutches of El Nino where we get the nice weather and southern California gets our storms, and they have just about been washed out down there. The bad part for us is no snow pack in the mountains. We were on the top of a hill and we could see both mountain ranges - the Olympics and the Cascades - and only a bit of snow on top. Our carpenter friend, Paul, who lives in Idaho on the side of a mountain, reports no snow but the ground has frozen down about 3 to 4 feet without the snow insulation.

      These are tough times economically, both my sister, Merry, & I were Depression kids and I can remember all the stories from the folks on how hard it was. My dad took over Fremont Boat Market in 1928 and married May in 1929 and then the big Depression hit and I don’t think that he showed a profit for 10 years. In fact there is a story around that we would still be in the Great Depression if World War II had not happened.  Seems like a long time ago but here we are back into it again. We should all feel very fortunate that we have a job and or someone wants to employ us or use the services that we offer.  My answer to all this has never changed over the last 50 years, work hard and every day apply yourself like there is no tomorrow; hard work cures a lot of problems.  I just love seeing the tugs backing out to go do another job, it’s nice to have great customers. Through hard work and perseverance and being very innovative Margie now has 100 % occupancy in our office building since we lost a major tenant in June of 2009. Bravo Zulu Margie. I will certainly breathe easier when this is all behind us.

Photos this month of us towing yachts and big fishing vessels.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our man in Ladysmith (well actually there are 2 men in Ladysmith) Michael Dean sent me several photos of Canadian tugs which I will share with you; I think I have the names right.  Our other man is Ron Burchett who sends me neat stuff all the time. Michael is a very famous Canadian artist who we meet 25 years ago out in Port Hardy at the ferry terminal. Our house and office could be a display center for Michael’s paintings we have so many of his.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our man in Maple Bay is Mike Wright who owns the tug VICTORY XII and works for the large Marina there. He builds RC models that are just beautiful; in fact in the Crowley building on Harbour Island in Seattle there is a model of the SEA VICTORY that Mike built… of course it’s in good company there with Ron Burchett’s Models. I have in our office 2 beautiful paintings of tug boats done on wooden plaques that Mike did. Here are some of Mike’s photos that he sent me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the next issue of the blog I will share with you photos that our man on Whidbey Island, Stan Willhight, just sent me. Stan also told me that our blog started appearing on the New York City website of Tugster at www.tugster.wordpress.com.

 

The tide has turned- - - - - - FAIRTIDE MARK.

PS:  Did you get to see the movie Our Man in Havana with Alec Guiness yet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. We now have a wait list available. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

January 6, 2010

 

 

 

 Goodbye 2009, hello 2010.

   We had a wonderful holiday over Christmas and the New Year; we just love it when there are 4-day weekends - we got by with working about half days on the two weekends, very relaxing.

     Margie and I received the very prestigious Jerry Bryant Award from the Northwest Marine Trade Association at their annual meeting. It is for the most outstanding contribution to the marine industry by an individual within the industry. Thank you, George and the entire Board; it was a real honor to receive this top award. We also thought everyone there needed to go caroling – they had great voices, singing Happy Birthday to Margie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have another cat story about Batman, one of our resident cats; or we should just call him ‘the roamer’. It starts out New Years day at about 0330 and it’s still very dark out. Erik answers the phone ‘Fremont, how can I help you’. This man says in a nice soft foreign-accented voice: “We are having a party at the rowing club and your cat has been here all night with us and we have to leave now but what do I do with your cat?” Erik replies yawning, just toss him outside and he will come home to Fremont Boat. “Oh no, I can’t do that, it is cold out.” Erik says just drop him off a half block east of where you are and he will come downstairs and go thru the cat port into his “office”. This time Erik did not have to get up to get him out of the bar!

  

 

 

 

Our man in Portland, Charlie Garman, emailed me about the latest issue of the Wooden Boat magazine. He said “Mark, you better go buy a copy.” I did and on the front cover is a picture of the Coast Guard 36 foot motor life boat that had made the rescue of the 32 men off the Tanker PENDLETON in 1952. This is a sister ship to the one I used to run in Gray’s Harbor. It’s good reading. I also finished reading the story of the MERMAID and the Coast Guard Motor life boat TRIUMPH which  were  both lost at the mouth of the Columbia River. It’s a real eye opener and  happened  just a couple of years after I was at Grays Harbor lifeboat Station. TRIUMPH was a sister ship to our  INVINCIBLE and they were both 52 foot motor lifeboats.  I bought my copy at the Columbia River Maritime Museum at Astoria – which is not to be missed if you’re down there.

 

     

 

 

 

Our man in Coos Bay, Bob Richardson, sent on several more pictures of Coos Bay and a real good shot of the tug OCEAN RETRIEVER towing in a big barge over the bar at Newport; Chris Common was Captain. It’s hilly country out there. Thanks Bob!

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our tugs have been quite busy I get to watch them come and go and flash our big flood light at them at night to say hello.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been working in my dad’s files and I found both bid sheets for the SEAL ROCK and the JERKMORE - my first tugs. I went thru 5 banker’s boxes before I found the 2 sheets of papers that I was looking for. Now that’s a lot of paper.  Happy New Year to everyone.

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capt. Mark Freeman ( Fairtide Mark )

 

PS: The movie “Our Man in Havana” with Alec Guiness (1959) is not to be missed and ties in with lot of our fun with the blog.

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only one suite available for 4-6 people. Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 19^th 2009

 

Margie and I finally got a day off, well four to be accurate. We were celebrating our 25^th

wedding anniversary and guess where we went, our favorite place, Astoria, Oregon. We spent our honeymoon in Astoria and further down the coast but we did not have enough time to do all that this time. We stayed in the Cannery Pier Hotel which was rebuilt out of a salmon cannery and it is right next to the bridge between Washington & Oregon and the main ship channel is about 400 feet from our front porch.

 

 

 

 

Margie got us the room next to the bridge, the NE corner, and we almost got sea sick - it was blowing about 30 from the east with about a 4 ft chop running and about 20 degrees so the frost was on the pumpkin. We went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum first and if you have never been there just stop whatever you are doing and go. I understand almost everything that I see there from the 75 HP Atlas Imperial Diesel at the front door to the 44 foot Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat that they have tilted up on top of a big superimposed wave. There is a Coast Guard 36 foot Motor Lifeboat on display, a sister to the 36469 that I used to run at Grays Harbor.  I found an Intervox portable direction finder on display just like the one I bought and used at Westport. The Coast Guard small boats did not have direction finders when I started running boats for them so I bought one from Gordy at G&L Radio in Seattle. I had been tuna fishing out of Westport when I was 16 and Jack made me Navigator so I was well aware how handy these sets were for finding your way home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, we went thru the marina and checked all the boats in the water and out of water on the hard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found one of Margie’s old tugs tied up in the marina. She was one of Pacific Towboat’s tugs, the LEA MOE, about 65 feet long. Margie renamed it the Katherine H and she is now called the PATRICA ANN. She had an 8V-71 when Margie had her and before that she had a 343 Cat and before that she had a heavy duty. She had the biggest tunnel stern that I had ever seen; of course she was a wood boat. She laid in La Conner for years and then was sold real cheap and how she got to Astoria I will never know. I always admired her - a really good looking boat and nice house design and carpentry work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We like all the back roads and there are 100’s of miles of them. The first day we went to Warrenton, Pt Adams, Fort Stevens and found the pilot boat moorings.

 

 

 

 

Then out to the South Jetty past the wreck of the PETER IREDALE. A very low ocean swell because it was blowing Easterly. We saw the remains of a lot of blow downs, trees that had fallen across roads etc.  We got to asking questions and we got two answers a westerly blow at 140 mph and a westerly blow at 100 mph I could believe either one.  When I was at Grays Harbor Life Boat Station it blew 100 mph in the boat haven breaking off docks and it was just awful. If I remember that night it blew 120 mph at the Naselle Radar Station.

 

 

 

The next day we shot across the bridge to the Washington side and went to the North Head Lighthouse, Ilwaco and the Fort Canby store don’t miss the store it is just above the lifeboat station at Cape Disappointment and has lots of models and neat stuff - even a model of the Virginia V. Later that day we drove to Altoona and did see a big herd of elk right along the highway! We took the windey road to Altoona but the cannery building is gone; it was a beautiful barn-red building on piling.

 

 

 

 

 

The next day, we went east on the Washington side until the road turned off at Skamokawa to steam boat island. It was low tide and all iced in and beautiful we saw the same tug go by with a dusty headed up the back channel for the mill at Wauna as we had seen going by our hotel that morning, I think it was the LIBERTY.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before Puget Island, we went up to Cathlamet  and found Jay Peterson’s RANGER 10 tied up in the marina and a look-see at some Brusco tugs then across the bridge to Puget Island and the small ferry to Westport on the Oregon side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was just clear as a bell really good picture taking weather but you sure wanted your long underwear on.  Traveling on, we went out the back road to the John Day River where the Houseboat moorage creates a charming spot.

 

 

 

 

Last but not the least are the back roads that lead North to the Columbia River from Knappa. You can find the Aldridge Point Road that you think just goes nowhere but they have an exotic animal ranch back there and you can really get surprised by lamas and giant peacocks etc. Great back roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astoria is only three and one half hours from home and I am (oops, we are) going to go more often.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MARK & MARGIE FREEMAN, ERIK FREEMAN & TOM BULSON & THE ENTIRE CREW - INCLUDING THE THREE CATS: INDY, RAZZ AND BATMAN.

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only one individual office available; also a nice 4-6 person suite now on the market. Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 10, 2009  Margie’s Birthday!

 

The old boat MARION sadly went to the bottom. The owner came to us about raising her.  Global Diving did the diving on her and we recommended that the owner hire the Steam Crane Foss 300 to make the pick. We towed the Foss 300 to the site and back to their terminal with the wreck in the slings. We held the Foss 300 out in the stream on soft lines with the STINGER pushing in the middle of her. We took a lot of pictures which I now share with you.

Capt. Mark Freeman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only one individual office available; also a nice 4-6 person suite now on the market. Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

November 21, 2009

 

I like to publish the blog once a week but it’s been a little too busy to even sit down at the computer and hammer one out and I really enjoy doing it.

First and most importantly, my cataract operation was a complete success; I can see again - all my great vision has returned to my right eye. Thank you Dr. Gorman of Group Health.  I cannot  believe how bright the lights are and I can tell the difference between a rock pile and a bunch of seagulls, I had quit running the BLUEBERRY because of my eyes.

We have had several big blows and have doubled up most of the lines in the marina so that I can sleep nights. Margie and I were having dinner the other night and a big gust hit and we saw our outside table and chairs and cover go sailing across our outside float, they were really moving.  Lucky that we had a fence up that stopped some of it and we were able to retrieve them. The JEEP is a little exposed to ESE winds so we tie her up with 3 lines when it blows.

The Pacific Marine Expo is held at Qwest arena and it brings a lot of our friends to town.  Grant Snyder and his girl friend Jennifer stayed onboard the BLUEBERRY for a couple of days.  Grant is an old friend from Depoe Bay, he bought the PEGGY FOSS and is operating her on the Oregon Coast.  Bob Letts could not make it from Oona River just too many things happening.  Ron Burchett from Ladysmith came by our office and we had a wonderful 4 hour BS session.  Ron set up his big pool at the Expo for the radio controlled boats. I love seeing the models. Randy and Linda Floodquist were there of course. Randy has been president of the Northwest R/C Ship Modelers Club for the last couple of years and they furnish R/C boats as well as people to this great event. Some day if I ever get enough time I would like to build a RC boat.  Five of us went to expo on Friday morning - Margie and I and Erik, Keegan and Al.  We tried it the day before but had to turn around and go back because Capt. Erik got a tow call to put the BARENTS SEA into dry dock at Northlake Shipyard. Erik had tried to make every Expo that has been here but this was the first one he actually made, the tugboat business comes first. In fact Erik almost didn’t make it to his 21st birthday party; he got off the tug at nine at night but we were still waiting for him. Deep Sea Tom had too many projects going on, so maybe he’ll come next year.  We stopped at Bob Tandecki’s booth where he had a lot of paintings on display and low and behold he had done a painting of our DIXIE in the snow. Erik got the original and I got a print for Margie, what fun! Then we had an old home week there, with a lot of people stopping to say hello.  Some of the people we saw at the show were Buzz Dana, Cap Capela, Rod Tomkins, David Rahn, Richard Kirsten and Adair James – all of them just happy to be there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our calendars should arrive any day - hope they didn’t get any salt water on them, this year I am going to get some help for the big mailing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a busy winter for the tug company but it slows a little when they shut the locks for three weeks for repairs. We have some boat moorage available and Margie has a couple of offices to rent out. Our man in Panama (undercover) sent along some tug pictures as did our man in Coos Bay (Bob Richardson).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a printer die and its replacement died and so we have a new printer and a separate scanner now; we will see how this set up works, of course every time you change equipment I have to learn how to run it; if it wasn’t for Al, Keegan & John I don’t think that I would make the grade.

 FAIRTIDE MARK

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only two individual offices available. Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER 26, 2009

Deep Sea Tom and Dakota Brown took the DIXIE  to Tacoma on Friday afternoon to tow back the HARVESTER ENTERPRISE from the Trident Base. Tom said it was blowing a steady 40 on the wind meter but he just raised his periscope and away they went. It was flat calm on Saturday morning at 0600 when they got underway for Seattle. They picked the right day and stayed made up on the hip all the way to Seattle.  When you get there the evening before the tow you get a good night’s sleep - at least that is what I always tried to do; like Pat says ‘you’ve got to sleep sometime, so do it right’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had everybody, except Capt. Erik, busy all week on a big construction project, of course they always sneak off to do those tow jobs in the middle of my projects. I think it is just an excuse to get away from the harassment and get back on the boats for a break. Of course I taught them so I should expect something different?  I am sworn to secrecy so you have to ask Capt Erik where he has been.

 

Margie’s sister, Ellen, came out from New Jersey to celebrate her 60^th birthday. We all

 had a good time, although it rained most of the time but we were able to sneak off to LaConner on Sunday for a nice lunch and some shopping. A lot of shops have closed in LaConner during these hard times. They are having an Arts Festival the first weekend in November if you’d like to help out a little.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep Sea Tom towed a 58 foot seiner by just as we went to work so got a few pictures but it was almost dark and she was 28 feet wide.  I always figured a 3 to 1 beam to length ration was just perfect for a work boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some pictures  from our man in Coos Bay, Bob Richardson. Great tug boat photos, thanks Bob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next group of photos are from Stan Willhight, thanks Stan, always fun to get tugboat pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last bit of news I am going in Tuesday for an operation on my right eye for a cataract things have been getting too cloudy so I will take a whack at changing that.

                   FAIRTIDE MARK

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only five single offices now available!  Kitchen, sun deck and conference room are included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the Ballard area.

    Call Margie at 206 632 0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy – we’ll send one to you; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 14, 2009

 

 

Captain Erik really surprised us last Friday night. He and Heidi invited Margie & I to a nice quiet dinner at Anthony’s Restaurant at Shilshole Bay, strictly a come as you are little family get together. All my alarm bells went off when we did not go to the main seating. Erik said ‘we will just eat in this other section over here to the right as it’s a little more private’.  Wow! We walked into the room and there were 30 people clapping their hands and cheering us: a lot of old friends and all the people that work with us and for us. A huge sign was up celebrating Mark’s 50 years and Margie’s 30 years. Needless to say we were speechless- they really knocked the socks off us. The people that came the farthest were Chuck & Karla Fowler from Olympia and Robin & Kae Paterson from Gig Harbor. Many speeches were given – sometimes 2 or 3 from the same person, all heartfelt and funny; Margie never really made it all the way through her thank you due to choking up…now that takes a bit of doing; and I have to share with you this one item which is quite touching. This was printed on the side of a box “To Capt. Mark Freeman:  Mark we hope that this 25 million candle power hand held light helps you to continue to light the path of inspiration & quality of life that you have shown and continue to still do. Thank you Captain.  PS: You are truly a Captain of Life.”  Signed Mike & Patti.  Now if that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, nothing would.  We had a lot of fun, the food was great and the BS wonderful. It seemed like it was over in about 5 minutes actually it was more like 4 hours, then we were home and Margie and I looked at each other and said ‘did that really happen’? Talk about a blur. Erik and Tom, you really pulled off the secret of the year – many thanks to you both – it’s an honor to have all of you in our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STANDFAST has been sold! Her new owner is Thompson Pile Driving of Port Orchard. Paul Fritts was their contact man and she will be renamed FRITZY.  Cliff Thompson brought the pick up crew over in his yacht TRIUMPH named for the old tug. Cliff and I go way back to 1952 when I started working for his Dad, Sherman, and partner, Mississippi, making up log rafts out of Deer Harbor on Orcas Island.  I have included in the blog several pictures that were taken on Columbus Day in 1992 of the STANDFAST.   We called the storm Hillary’s Hurricane.  The photos were taken from a KIRO video with their permission. We were called to get a barge that was beating a condo to death on Lake Washington and the STANDFAST was just south of the Evergreen Point Bridge and it had to be blowing over 90. Once thru the bridge they could not turn around so they ran down to the I-90 bridge and sheltered there till the wind went down to 40 and then got the barge in tow off a lee shore. If you look carefully in one of the pictures you can see the bridge and a big truck on it.  I bought the STANDFAST in 1972 and she did thousands of tows for us – couldn’t have asked for more from such an able vessel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost another old friend - Ed Delanty - whose funeral was Saturday.  Ed was born in 1934  and I had known Ed forever, starting when I was selling boats in the early 1960’s. Ed was out of Grays Harbor and he took a lot of tug boat photos. It’s nice that we stayed in touch all those years – he will be missed.

 

The cats are staying closer to home now that it’s a bit colder . Perhaps a bit too close.  I looked in on Margie and Raz was behind her on her chair and Batman was sleeping on her lap while she is trying to type on the computer. Indy moved into closer range once I turned on the oil foc’sle heater in our house boat.

 

                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIRTIDE MARK.

PS:  First south east blow of the season is just starting at 1100 on Tuesday. Good, it didn’t last long….but I have a feeling that was the preview.

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only five single offices now available!  Kitchen, sun deck and conference room are included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the Ballard area.

    Call Margie at 206 632 0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy – we’ll send one to you; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here goes another unlikely tug boat story that some will not quite believe:   Capt. Erik is home and sound asleep when the phone rings at 0140 or more commonly referred to as  O’ Dark Thirty in the tow boat business. Erik answer’s Fremont this is Erik, a sweet little voice comes on and says “Erik, I have your cat in the bar at the Fremont Dock Restaurant and we would like to close for the night and I don’t want to just put him outside.”  Erik actually gets up and dressed and jumps in his truck and 15 minutes later walks into the bar. He finds the cat at the end of the bar curled up in the arms of this big, burly guy and he is petting him. He looks up at Erik and says “Is this your daddy?”  Erik takes Batman over to our office which is just across the street and puts him in the office for the rest of the night and goes home for a little more rest before the morning tow. Batman slept soundly as well.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margie & I had a nice trip to Anacortes to celebrate our 30 and 50 years at Fremont Boat. It was a lovely fall day, got to see lots of stuff (old boats). We took a quick run out to Deception Pass - always pretty from on top of the bridge; it gets a lot more serious at water level and it seems like you are always late for the change of current.  We stopped in La Conner on our way back and got to visit with Ron from Frontier Ford at his place on the water, always fun to see Ron. We bought our truck from him, and he said that Don Nystrom his neighbor was still in Alaska with his gillnetter. Also stopped by the Dunlap Office and took some pictures I hadn’t seen the HERCULES in their colors.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys  - Erik and Tom - have elected to sell our tug STANDFAST.  She is an ex-U. S. Army ST type 45 footer with an 8-92 Detroit.  They haven’t given me a price yet but you will be able to see her at our dock.  She hasn’t been used much in the last few years and the name doesn’t go with the boat. She has always been a super -handy boat with a main rudder and a huge monkey rudder and a 48 inch wheel.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

We may have some winter moorage available check with Margie and our office building is almost full just a few individual offices left, ring Margie at 206 632 0152.

         

       I have rebuilt and painted 5 tug models in the last couple of months.  Enclosed are pictures of them. The small models talk to you – no, one has to press the buttons.  The 2 big models are from the Waterfront (TV show): one is the CHERYL ANN and the other one is her sister but re-named Preston Foster - the star of the series.  They are still in the construction stage but I went up to the warehouse and brought back a log boat, the SEA IMP X,  Ron Burchett gave me her years ago and I have been waiting until the time was right.  I may not have the skills to make the radio control side but she will look like a real tug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Richardson and Grant Snyder sent me a bunch of pictures.  This fish boat the LITTLE LINDA went ashore north of Newport and Grant with the PEGGY worked with Fred Devine and Coos Bay Towboat  to get her off the beach. George Wales brought the EMPIRE up to Newport to tow her to Coos Bay after Grant brought her into Newport for repairs. Grant reports he is staying busy with dredging projects and tail jobs in over the Newport bar.   Should be lots to do with NOAA building a new base there.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys just finished up the South Lake Union Boats Afloat Show and I talked to one broker and he said the show was very much a success.  As I write this, Deep Sea Tom and Bucko Mate Keegan are underway from Olympia on the DIXIE  with a tow for Seattle.

    I see on Craig’s List several tugs for sale: the owner of the RUSTLER is trying to give her away as she has to leave Fisherman’s Terminal and I see the MARLIN II and the CHICKAMAUGA (first diesel tugboat in the United States) also are for sale. And I’ve heard the ELF is for sale…everything changes.

 

      On Friday night we got a great big surprise: a catered dinner on our houseboat just for Mark & Margie.  Wow!   We started for home on the tug JEEP and the HALFTRACK was already tied up there; I said “we had better circle the herd and see what’s going on here.” Margie apprised me that Erik said something may be happening on Friday night, and she was right. Our friends suprised us with a full catered dinner with all the trimmings (think filet mignon) and was it ever delicious — never have we been waited on like that; what a great surprise and big thank you to who was behind all this… we know where you live! And a thank you to Erik as co-conspirer for making sure it went together correctly.

By the way Daniel’s Catering handles meals from 2 to 2,000 people!

                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIRTIDE MARK

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage

    to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. Only five single offices now available!  Kitchen, sun deck and conference room are included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the Ballard area.

    Call Margie at 206 632 0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy – we’ll send one to you; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

September 10, 2009

 

On September  20,  2009  I will celebrate 50 years of being in business at the Fremont Boat Company and my wife of 25 years, Margie, will celebrate working here for 30 years. My dad “Doc” bought the business which was called Fremont Boat Market on September 20, 1928 from Capt. V. C. Webster, who founded Fremont Towing in 1915 and Fremont Boat Market in 1916. I was born in 1934 after my sister Merry who was born in 1930; a couple of Great Depression kids, I always thought that I was a depression mistake because times were so hard. I started running one of dad’s tugs the launch DOLPHIN II, a 36 footer when I was 11. Boy what a thrill that was. At age 13 I got my first tug an ex- Navy 21 foot motor dory the SEAL ROCK with a tremendous 8 horse power. I used her for log salvage and called the company Tatoosh Towing & Salvage, the name was bigger than the boat and dad charged me $600 for her. Seeing the demand for logs, we built the JERKMORE up when I was 16, her cost to me was $2500.  She had been a surplus landing barge with 225 H.P. I ran her in the log salvage business and did general towing and log rafting, paying for her before I went in the Coast Guard in 1955. I served the Coast Guard for 8 years: 4 active and 4 inactive. After boot camp I went to the Grays Harbor Lifeboat Station at Westport  and stood watches in the lookout tower before I got to run all the different motor lifeboats and utility boats. We had the 52 foot INVINCIBLE and a smaller 36 foot lifeboat the 36469 - a 26 ft Monomoy surfboat and three different 40 foot fast utility boats.  I always laughed that when I joined the Coast Guard all I did was change uniforms and take a drop in pay and start towing for them. I received a Coast Guard Commendation medal for rescuing the crew off the Liberty ship SEA GATE aground on Sonora Reef near Pt. Grenville on the Washington Coast and a Letter of Commendation for the rescue of two boys in the surf at Grayland.  In all, the Coast Guard said that I saved 37 lives and I attained the rank of 2^nd class bos’n  mate of course no

one knew it but I enjoyed that work so much that I would have done it without  pay. Coming off active duty in 1959 I went to work for my dad and later in the year I got the chance to buy the business at Fremont Boat which dad had out on a lease. I sold boats on consignment, bought and sold boats, rented moorage, ran tugs for my dad and worked 7 days a week - a typical small business.  My dad “Doc” died in 1963 after being sick for two years and I took over his position to help my mother “May” operate the family businesses. I didn’t really like selling boats so I resurrected the tugboat side of the business and formed Fremont Tugboat Company. I had a grand time with it. I did general towing and had a drill barge, the GOPHER, and a ramp scow and several flat scows as well as two salvage barges the GUZZLE  and the GRAPPLER  and over the years I operated the tugs STOKER,  HMS, BARF, MANILA,  CROSSCUT,  PEAVEY,  STANDFAST,  A-1,  SOVEREIGN,  SPITFIRE, FREMONT 105,  JEEP,  BLUEBERRY  and GRACE.  My son, Erik, was born in 1970. Margie went to work for me when my mother wanted to kick back just a little in 1979.  I suffered a brain tumor and had it removed in 1981 and every one pitched in to keep everything going.  Margie and I were married in 1984…one of my better moves. In 1994 Margie and I bought the BLUEBERRY an ex-Coast Guard Buoy Tender. We would use her as a tug and took a 6 month cruise to Alaska in her in 1995 going with our good friend Lodo and family with their boat Decoy.  I sold the tugboat  company to my son Erik and his best friend Tom Bulson in 1995 and they still own and operate the company. Their main tugs are the DIXIE, STANDFAST, STINGER AND HALFTRACK and a flat scow FT 4519.  In 1999 we rebuilt the “Doc Freeman’s” marine hardware building into the “O. H. ‘Doc’ Freeman office building and we lease out office space. My mother “May” died in 2002 at age 98.  Today Margie and I operate 12 businesses  from our office at Fremont Boat Company  and our son Capt. Erik has been tug boating for 30 years starting- on the 15 ft tug BARF when he was 8 years old. No one told me about child labor laws I always thought they did it right on the farms and I have been accused of being a Lake Union farmer.  I have my own Tugboat Museum in my office and a collection of over 100,000 tugboat photos.  Chuck Fowler  and I got together and published the book “Tugboats on Puget Sound” so now I am an author although I couldn’t spell it last week. I still run a small tug so that makes it 64 years that I have been running tugs. Margie and I commute to our houseboat on Westlake with the tug “JEEP” and we are still working 7 days a week. I always figured that a lot of hard work will solve most problems so I get up every day and get my ass in gear and I have about 100 irons in the fire and can’t wait to get at them. I have even started building model tugs again…more  later.

                                 Mark Freeman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Jim Cole has been made a Fellow of The Society of Naval Architects and Engineers as reported in the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society of which he was president during 1979-1981. Jim was the head of a team that designed a tuna seiner which held a speed record for 18 years. He also executed the design of the SDM tug for Eric Hvide.  He also has been writing articles for the Fisherman’s News on the evolution of fish boats.  Jim is famous for all his illustrations and pen and ink drawings of boats.

 

 

 

 

Kevin Campbell informed me that his dad, Bob Campbell, passed away last March.  He was a long time tug boat Captain and an old friend.   He worked for years doing ship handling for Brusco in Grays Harbor and they named their newest tug after him the CAPT. BOB CAMPBELL.

 

 

 

 

 

Jay Peterson sent on an obituary on Captain Ben Strickland who passed away on July 26, 2009 at age of 79.  He spent a lifetime on the water starting with the U.S.Navy in 1947, he was a surveyor for US Salvage and also worked for Crowley Maritime. He was a senior salvage master and supervised the rigging and towing in 1989 of the         EXON VALDEZ   from Valdez to San Diego. He also founded National Marine Services his own consulting firm for marine operations and salvage. He retired for good in 1997.

 

 

Keith Sternberg of Lopez Island reports that he got to go on the steam tug MASTER on a big cruise around Vancouver Harbour.  Keith remarked how nice and quiet the steamers were.  Keith in his spare time, when he is not adjusting compasses, rebuilds steam engines; sounds to me like he has a 24 hour job.

                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIRTIDE MARK.

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. From 110 s.f individual offices to 3,600 square feet! Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.

 

 

 

 

August 22, 2009

 

    The name of Sue’s tug is the DOROTHY MACKENSIE. She towed a gravel barge thru the course. Later she took her Yorkshire terrier, Harley, for a ride on the barge. This was her third year of competion. The first year she got her feet wet, the second year she came in second in the small tug class and sixth overall. This year she came in first in the small tug class and first overall to win the Foss Cup. Her husband Glen builds the models. Bravo Zulu to Sue.  Now she can say well when I won the Foss Cup- - - - - - - - -!

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our good friend Robin Paterson of Gig Harbor gets an A for effort, he found 2 pictures of the tug VIOLET that Stan Willhight had been looking for.  Stan’s email said he was just thrilled to finally see an image of the boat that he had looked so long for.

 

 

     

 Capt. Chris Common of Coos Bay dropped by the office to say hello. Chris was in town to pick up the tug MARINE RETREIVER which had engine trouble and was at a local shipyard for repairs.  I met Chris with Bob Richardson at the Coos Bay Pilots office a couple of years ago when Margie and I were car tripping on the Oregon Coast. Thanks for the visit, Chris.

 

     

Capt. Art Anderson sent in more pictures of the FLORENCE FILBERG’S fire. Art says these were taken by some people on a boat in Sooke Harbour. Thanks Art.

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

Towline Erik and Deepsea Tom were handling the steam crane Foss No.300 at Stabbert Yacht & Ship the other day and she lifted out two 40 ton, 1100 H.P. Superior Diesel engines that came out of the NORTHERN RETRIEVER  which they are scrapping. She was a V-4 WW II tug.

They made several other pics that day.

 

                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         NAKOA IN DRYDOCK ON A SUNNY DAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIRTIDE MARK

 

 

RENTAL PROPERTIES & SERVICES WE OFFER.

 

·       Quiet, protected open boat moorage to 70 feet at FREMONT BOAT COMPANY at 206-632-0152.

 

·       Great office space at the O.H. Doc Freeman office building. Water views over our marina on Lake Union. From 110 s.f individual offices to 3,600 square feet! Kitchen, sun deck and conference room included. Call Margie at 206-632-0152.

 

 

·       Tugboat service & barge rentals call Erik or Tom at 206-632-0151 and

 

·        Dog walking, Petsitting and Lodging – call Heidi Freeman at Happy Camper Pet Service, 206-784-5291.

 

·       Single family homes for lease in the North Seattle area call Margie at 206-632-0152 or Erik at 206-632-0151.

 

·       Covered & open boat moorage plus brokerage situation available at DOC’S DOCK on Lake Union. Call Dayle at 206-697-4552.

 

·       New book for sale “TUGBOATS ON PUGET SOUND”. Call 206-632-0152 to buy your signed copy; or pick one up from Fremont Boat Co. at 1059 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103.