By Tracy Thompson, NWM Volunteer Coordinator
HAPPY VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK!
Volunteers assist Northwest Maritime in nearly every aspect of our programming, and we are especially grateful to them all during Volunteer Appreciation Week. We are so grateful to our ongoing volunteers who commit to regular shifts in the Welcome Center, the Boatshop, on our Board of Directors, and to those who advise our Maritime Programs.
Volunteers are also the engine (or the muscle) behind our many events, with over 9,600 hours of volunteer time donated by 586 fabulous people. The organization, leadership, and teamwork provided by our Wooden Boat Festival, adventure race, and outreach event volunteers is vital to our ability to provide these experiences for the community.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
New Boatshop Volunteer Goes Above and Beyond
Volunteer David Oddo responded to a request in this newsletter to assist Program Operations Coordinator, Galen Piehl, in the NWM Boatshop. Galen was seeking someone who enjoys hands-on work and is detail-oriented, and David has more than fit the bill!
Since he began volunteering, David has built a new oar storage system, organized the equipment in the Bosun Locker, and used his exceptional cabinetry-making skills to reconfigure the tiny staff kitchen in the NWM administrative offices to accommodate a new refrigerator.
David is an experienced carpenter and furniture maker who loves supporting the work in the boatshop. “The Boatshop is such a great resource for the community. I especially love being around people who haven’t been exposed to this environment like I have—to help them out and to be part of their learning process and journey,” David said.
Also volunteering in the Boatshop this past month: Walt Crinean, Reid Sigmund, John Quinn, Tim Rohrer—thank you!
A Thank You Omission!
Volunteer Nancy Jackson stepped in to wash dishes at last month’s She Tells Sea Tales event and was inadvertently left off the thank-you list. Your help is appreciated, Nancy.
Warm, Gracious, and Knowledgeable
The Welcome Center has benefited from the volunteer assistance of the following folks this past month: Sandra Baughman, Dick Benesch, Susan Camp, Mari Friend, Myron Gauger, Alice King, Sue Kutsch, Suzanne Murray, and Anna Shafer. We appreciate their gracious hospitality and know-how.
Volunteers Helped Run a Successful Swap Meet
The yearly Marine Thrift Swap Meet took place on Saturday, April 5, and was supported by volunteers Brad Bebout, Don Bryson, Timothy Cullen, Tim Rohrer, and Susan Camp. Over 40 community vendors participated to sell a wide array of marine-related items. Thanks to those who assisted!
So Many Events! So Many Posters!
Thank you to volunteers, Marcia Harter, Carole Huelsberg, Nancy Jackson, Erica Liepelt, and David Oddo for helping publicize the Marine Thrift Swap Meet, the Maritime Career Fair, and SEVENTY48 by posting posters locally and on Whidbey Island, Bellingham, and beyond!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer to Support our Adventure Races!
The response to our call-out for volunteers for our upcoming adventure races, SEVENTY48 and WA360, has already been robust. Don’t wait to sign up to participate!
SEVENTY48, a seventy-mile journey from Tacoma to Port Townsend, gives racers just 48 hours to complete the journey using only human power. That’s right—no sails, no motors, no support along the way.
Volunteers are still needed for traffic wayfinding at the race start at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma on June 6. The fabulous maritime museum hosts the start and has amped up the party by adding four food vendors to nourish racers and volunteers alike.
The first racers are expected bright and early at Northwest Maritime in Port Townsend on Saturday, June 7. Volunteers are especially needed as Clubhouse Captains, who provide hot beverages and snacks to the tired racers, and for photographers to capture the racers as they finish. Volunteering here means you’ll be a key eyewitness to the drama and excitement of the finish line.
We’ll celebrate the racers at Necktie Affair, the party for all the racers, where the length of your necktie indicates the length of your race completion. Didn’t quite finish? Snip, snip! Volunteers are especially needed as members of the kitchen crew.
Next up is WA360: a roughly 360-mile loop from Port Townsend to Port Townsend threading through Washington’s waterways, down to Olympia, and up past Point Roberts near Bellingham. Racers will be competing in two categories, The Wind Division and The Muscle Group. Sails or sheer human grit.
Before WA360 begins at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 28, we are serving up The Breakfast of Champions—a giant, by-donation community breakfast in celebration of the racers. Volunteers are especially needed to assist with setup and help in the kitchen.
Access all race volunteer opportunities here.
SEVENTY48 and WA360 are three weeks apart, so pay extra attention to the shift dates.
FREE Race Swag! Race volunteers earn a FREE volunteer t-shirt when a total of 8 hours or more are worked.
Front Desk Volunteers Sought
We’re looking for volunteers to be our “front door” and serve as the first point of contact for Northwest Maritime’s administrative office. If you are familiar with Northwest Maritime’s many programs and events, or can study up to become so, this role might be right for you!
You’ll be a font of information, or be able to connect with the staffer who is, for our upcoming adventure races (SEVENTY48 and WA360), answer questions about Wooden Boat Festival, venue rentals, and so much more.
Shift opportunities are flexible, typically between 9:00 AM–1:00 PM Wednesday through Friday, and afternoons from 1:00–5:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The learning curve will be accelerated if you are able to fill more than one shift a week.
Contact volunteer@nwmaritime.org if you are interested or have any questions.
Volunteers Needed to Build a New Kids’ Boat for the NWM Commons
A funky wooden play boat lived on the commons at Northwest Maritime for years and was enjoyed by children for imaginative play. Due to weather and age, the Kraken, as it was named, sailed off into the sunset during the last Wooden Boat Festival.
Joel Arrington, Boatshop Manager, is hoping to assemble a crew of folks to build a new Kraken—which would also be a great opportunity to learn the ways of the boatshop and how to volunteer there in the future. The project will start in early June and may take a couple of months to complete. If you are interested in volunteering in the Boatshop and helping with this project, reach out to Tracy at volunteer@nwmaritime.org.
Also! Joel plans a Beer, Boats, and Brats orientation to the boatshop and the Kraken project for an evening in mid-May. Those who sign up will be invited.
Leadership Roles Available at the Wooden Boat Festival
The 48th annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival takes place this year on September 5-7, 2025, and we are seeking volunteers who are ready to step into a leadership role. This event relies on capable volunteers who serve as captains; they organize and direct the volunteers for separate areas of the festival. We are currently seeking captains for the following areas:
- Greeter Co-Captain, Festival Headquarters
As the co-captain of this team, you will be guiding visitors, volunteers, and vendors to the correct check-in location. You’ll lead the volunteers who check wristbands, direct people to Main Gate or Volunteer Check-in, and assist exhibitors and musicians coming and going through their special gates. With your kind but firm demeanor, you are contributing to the success of the Festival in a big way.
Contact Tracy at volunteer@nwmaritime.org if interested.
Still Seeking Regional (and Local) Postering Assistance!
We are hoping to get our fabulous WA360 poster posted in places where boaters, paddlers, and interested race fans might see—on the Olympic Peninsula and beyond.
Race Boss, Jesse Wiegel, has compiled a new list of yacht clubs, marinas, marine hardware stores, and other “boaty” places in Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Coupeville, Bainbridge Island, Kingston, Edmonds, Olympia, Seattle, and more!
If you are located beyond the Olympic Peninsula and are available to help, contact Tracy at volunteer@nwmaritime.org.
If you are willing to do some postering in the Port Ludlow/Chimacum/Sequim area, reach out, as well!
Curious About Volunteering?
Attend a New Volunteer Information Meeting! Learn about the many programs and events hosted by Northwest Maritime as well as the most current volunteer opportunities. Held the first and third Tuesdays of the month from noon to 1:00 PM.
Location: the OWL room, first door to your left inside the Northwest Maritime Center Administrative Offices. Please RSVP to volunteer@nwmaritime.org.