June 6, 1944  – June 6, 2010

On D-Day I was 10 years old. How lucky can you get; if I had been 20, I might not be writing this newsletter. Thank you to all our Armed Services. If not for you, Europe would have a new language.

The Tug Company has been busy pushing the fishing fleet out of town but we are sure happy to see them when they all come back.

 

RORY AT STABBERT'S

NORTH CAPE

 

  

DAN MONTGOMERY OUR REALTIVE CELEBRATING GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE.

 

VISITING WITH 3 OF OUR MOORAGE CUSTOMERS WHO HAD HAULED OUT THEIR 3 BOATS AT CANAL TO WORK ON THEM.

A NEAT YACHT THAT I CAUGHT GOING BY OUR FRONT DOOR.

 

 

 

 

K SEAS TUG PARAGON IN DRY DOCK AT NORTHLAKE SHIPYARD.

MARGIE AND A NEW BATCH OF SUMMER ? FLOWERS.

I had several visitors this last couple of weeks which always makes me happy. Tom Stevens was in town so he dropped by and we had a good BS session.

 

TOM STEVENS AT HOME WITH ALL THE MODELS.

Capt. Skip Lampman, one of our men in Agate Pass, dropped by and brought me a bunch of old tug boat pictures and some neat negatives which I will get made into b/w photos. Then I will share them with you; thanks Skip! He had his own tugboat company, Inlet Towing, as well as working as a Captain for the big boys. Skip is a old hand at the tugboat business and it’s always fun to talk with him.

 

CAPT. SKIP LAMPMAN BROUGHT TUGBOAT PICTURES.

ELK II, IBIS AND FLYER A SKIP LAMPMAN PHOTO.

Chris Eden, who has been a moorage customer for the last 25 years, dropped by. I didn’t even recognize him as he has lost 65 pounds and looks just great. We discussed my new book “Lifeboat Station Sailor” as he publishes the Antique Boat Society magazine “Rudder” as well as flying all over the world taking professional pictures for his company.

 

MARK & CHRIS EDEN HAVING A GOOD TIME. Bob & Janice Spearing of Victoria, B.C. dropped by to say hello. Bob has saved a ton of information on Canadian Tugs and has given me a lot of stuff on U.S. tugs. I hardly have time for work with all this visiting going on, but I still wouldn’t miss a word of any of the great conversations. BOB SPEARING DOWN FROM VICTORIA BC.

JANICE SPEARING.

I missed Don Brunson from Manson but he left off an old- time kerosene light, thanks Don, what fun. Tike Hillman, retired now from Manson, sent on a nice email getting us up to date. I think Manson has the corner on neat people.

 

A lot of neat stuff comes in via my computer. Thanks to Mike Wright for a great shot that Steve Rees took of the North Arm tugs tied to their dock.

 

 

 

NORTH ARM TUGS FROM MIKE WRIGHT PHOTO BY STEVE REES.

Art Anderson supplied me with 6 pictures of his newly built model of the NUMAS WARRIOR.

 

 

 

NUMAS WARRIOR BY ART ANDERSON AND PHOTO TOO.

 

 

ANOTHER PHOTO OF THE NUMAS WARRIOR PHOTO AND MODEL BY ART ANDERSON.

Gary King sent down more photos of the christening of the BRAtt and the model tugs that were at the tug meet in Vancouver, B.C.

 

  

 

 

BRATT PUSHING SEASPAN RESOLUTION BACKWARDS PHOTO FROM RON BURCHETT.

 

 

 

BRATT A TOWER OF POWER PHOTO FROM RON BURCHETT.

 

 

  

 

Stan Willhight sent along another package of great tugboat photos.

 

 

 

JEFF W BUILT BY AMERICAN TUGBOAT CO. OF EVERETT A 1975 PICTURE BY STAN WILLHIGHT.

 

 

SELRIC A YTL JUST COMING OUT OF THE LOCKS 1975 STAN WILLHIGHT PHOTO.

 

 

SUSY ONE OF THE EARLY FIBERGLASS TUGS OF DUNLAP NOW A PRIVATE BOAT OF RON RENNEBOHMS 2010 PHOTO OF STAN WILLHIGHT.

 

 

SKAGIT SHIP MODELERS MEET IN ANACORTES 2010 PHOTO BY STAN WILHIGHT.

 While I am thanking people for sending me neat stuff I want to say thank you to Capt. “DeepSea” Bulson and Capt. Towline Erik and their crews for all the pictures that they take and usually don’t get credit for on all the multitude of tow jobs that they do. I real feel like a flake just sitting in my big office chair while they do all the work. Of course Margie always reminds me that it is up to me to get the history down on paper because it all dies with me if I haven’t written it down.  I have been especially busy filing pictures of fishing vessels I must have over 100,000 photos here, but never enough, and I have had to ask our Puget Sound Maritime Historical  Society, as well as the Columbia River Maritime Museum, for a few more pictures for my new book. I was able to get several from the Coast Guard Museum in town here. Had a great lunch with Howard Giske of MOHAI –  he got me a picture of the halibut schooner EAGLE which really helped me out.

 

 We got a new Dickinson oil stove for the BLUEBERRY to put in her foc’sle. The old one never worked very good (another brand) so we bought a new Dickinson.  We have some exciting news but it is strictly on a need to know basis so maybe next time I can talk.

 

 

 

 

MARK & MARGIE AND NEW STOVE.

Margie and I were really disappointed with the results on the TV show ‘Survivor’. My hero, Russell, lost out on the big prize, but won the hearts of America in the online vote for a smaller purse. My next pick, Parvati, also lost to the default winner, Sandra, who did nothing during the whole show except complain. I think she won only because everyone hated the others for being so smart and crafty. Oh well, on to the next season.

 

I am still looking for Gene Brown or his son, Mark. Also, I have never found a model of the tug CHERYL ANN – that I could afford! Keep those pictures cominG.

                                      Your man in Seattle,

                                        Capt. Fairtide Mark

SUNSET OFF OUR FRONT POURCH PHOTO BY MARGIE FREEMAN.

ST.EVAL DENNIS WASHINGTON YACHT GARY KING PHOTO.

BRATT AND THEA FOSS AT THE TUG MEET PHOTO GARY KING.

 

THESE ARE TUG MODELS THEY LOOK LIKE THE REAL THING AT THE TUG MEET IN VANCOUVER BC. PHOTO BY GARY KING.

     Ron Burchett sent more photos of the BRAtt – the good one is her pushing against the SEASPAN RESOLUTION; Ron says she is fun to run.