Volunteer Bulletin – July 2025

By Tracy Thompson, NWM Volunteer Coordinator

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer at the 48th Wooden Boat Festival!

Join us in celebrating the 48th Wooden Boat Festival by volunteering during the first week of September! Shifts are available Thursday–Sunday, September 4–7, 2025.

Festival highlights include a special screening of Women & the Wind—a documentary about three Australian women sailing the North Atlantic in a 50-year-old Polynesian canoe—plus presentations from renowned shipwrights and beloved annual traditions.

With over 500 volunteer opportunities, there’s something for everyone: help out in Kids’ Cove, greet guests at the Main Gate, or keep active as a Parking & Traffic Crew volunteer.

Browse volunteer roles here, and take note of your favorites—shifts are now “live” on our website.

If you volunteer for three shifts, you’ll also receive a volunteer t-shirt and a 3-day Festival pass! Not ready to commit to three shifts? No problem! We can still use your help, and you’ll get into the Festival for free on the day(s) you work.

Questions? Contact Tracy Thompson at volunteer@nwmaritime.org or call (360) 316-1570.

Support Youth Maritime Education on the Water

Attend an Information meeting on Monday, July 21, at 11:00 AM – Coffee & pastries provided!

We are seeking Safety Vessel Operators to assist students in our Port Townsend Maritime Academy (PTMA) program. 

We will provide robust training on August 18–20, where you can get First Aid certified and qualify for a Washington State Boaters Card.

The role would start in mid-September, with a time commitment of 1-5 mornings a week from 7:45 –11:15 AM. PTMA’s program is expanding, and we need volunteer help to meet the on-the-water needs of our students. Qualifications:

• Skilled vessel operator: rowing, small keelboat sailing, outboard, and small motorboats
• Experience teaching in hands-on alternative learning environments or in a classroom setting
• Thrive within a team setting (you will be part of a small instructional team)
• Enthusiasm for working outdoors in all types of weather

Interested? Contact Program Coordinator Ellie Meopham at ellie@nwmaritime.org or call (541) 505-0623 with questions or to learn more..

Ship Simulator Docents Needed

Train with the best of them and run our Ship Simulator for the public!

After special training, our Ship Simulator Docents will encourage the public to step up to the helm and take this adult-sized video game for a spin! The idea? Practice driving any vessel, anywhere around the world, in any kind of weather condition.

Tours will be held Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, weekly in July and August, and once per month the rest of the year.  The simulator is open all three days of Wooden Boat Festival. In addition, there are occasional private tours scheduled throughout the year.

Docents will need to attend at least one training session plus shadow a seasoned docent during a tour. We’ll do our best to schedule training sessions at times that work best for everyone involved.

Qualifications:

• Comfortable with computers and technology, specifically Windows
• Can happily engage with and respond to members of the public
• Available during some of the tour times mentioned above
• Able to attend training(s)
• Love of the sea and NWM

Interested? Contact Venue Rentals Manager Marvin Copeland-Griggs at marvin@nwmaritime.org

Welcome Center Volunteers Needed—Especially on the Weekends!

Volunteer at the heart of Northwest Maritime—regular and on-call Welcome Center volunteers needed!

Do you enjoy engaging with people in a fun environment? We are seeking volunteers to not only provide great visitor service to visitors looking for quality maritime gear, but also to serve as interpreters for the exhibits in our Welcome Center.

As a Welcome Center volunteer, you will also be an ambassador for Northwest Maritime’s many exciting programs, including adventure races such as the Race to Alaska, SEVENTY48, the Wooden Boat Festival, Maritime High School, boatbuilding and navigation workshops, and more.

Currently, we are seeking folks willing to take on a 4-hour morning or afternoon shift once or twice a week, especially on weekends!If this dynamic opportunity sounds like a good fit for your time and talents, reach out to Tracy Thompson, Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@nwmaritime.org

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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

Breakfast of Champions & WA360

Estimates of the number of race fans, racers, and townsfolk who turned out for the inaugural Breakfast of Champions vary from 350 to 450 people served! It was a bright and sunny Saturday, and an epic send-off for the WA360 racers.

Huge thanks go out to Jen Takaki and Shawn Meyer from the Marina Cafe, who served up eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, fruit, AND pancakes to all. Equally large thanks go out to Sunrise Coffee Company’s Sue Ohlson, who brewed and served gallons and gallons of coffee.

A capable crew of volunteers showed up to make the coffee, serve the food, and set up and tear down the event. Gratitude goes out to: Cathi McDade, Chrissy Scannell, Claire Acey, Donna Lipsky, Betsey and Michael Baker, Gordon Burke, Harry Powell, Kathy Hartman, Lucie Mews, Nancy Jackson, Patrick Keaty, and Philip Grate. Helping out before the race were Ashley Paterson, Cathy Cloutier, Chris Curtis, Keith and Dee Norlin, and Carol Serdar Tepper.

Race Boss Jesse Wiegel also received valuable assistance from a willing crew of Safety and Media Team volunteers, who inspected boats and their onboard safety gear, as well as from our volunteer Media Team, who kept our media feeds humming with a fantastic flow of photographs and video. Thank you to: Scott Allen, Scott Andrews, Robert August, Brad Bebout, RJ Bennett, Tony Blackner, Tracey Capen, David Cascadden, Mark Cole, Jim Connell, Candice Cosler, Stephen Croizier, Tim Cullen, Chris Curtis, Robert Cushman, David Dalbey, Michael Delagarza, Shanon Dell, Emily Dingwell, Jeff Dotson, Melissa Edwards, Karen Eng, Manny Eusebio, Dennis Faust, Ben Glass, John Gerke, Peter Geerlofs, Philip Grate, Diana Grunow, Richard Hemmen, Richard Juntunen, Suzanna Kovoor, Mikaela Legarsky, Stuart Lochner, Jak Mang, Ted Maresh, Will Marken, Jack McCreary, Carol McCreary, Anne McCormack, Leo Newberg, Norris Palmer, Harry Powell, Samantha Ritchie, Alden Rohrer, Luc Schoonjans, Amado Shuck, Tom Sims, Ocean Smith, Julie Sotomura, Dave Stewart, David Walker, David Waterman, Keshauna Walston.

Front Desk Heroes!

Thank you to Anne Cameron, Sharon Dale, and Pat Keaty for staffing the entry point to all things Northwest Maritime, answering the phones, and directing visitors to the right connection. You are appreciated!

Welcome Center Volunteers

Our Welcome Center volunteers continue to be amazing ambassadors for all things Northwest Maritime while providing excellent customer service. Thank you to Dick Benesch, Susan Camp, Mari Friend, Myron Gauger, Alice King, Suzanne Murray, and Anna Shaffer for their help this past month.

Youth Support

Thank you to our teen volunteers who are busy assisting with Youth Sailing Classes taking place this month: Alan M., Willa W., Kai A., Robin H., Chloe L., Bodhi F., Reid S., Millie O., Scott H., and Skylar J.

Boatshop Assistance Appreciated

Big thanks to Walt Crinean, Howie Elder, David Oddo, Tim Rohrer, and Tim Sullivan for volunteering in the Boatshop!