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.