An exciting morning aboard the schooner Adventuress as we were honored by a visit from Congressman Norm Dicks and his staff. We’re tremendously grateful to Congressman Dicks for his support of a $180,000 appropriations from the National Park Service Save America’s Treasures program. Matched by $100,000 in private funds from generous individual donors, we were able to complete Phase 1 of Adventuress’ Centennial Restoration this winter! Arriving around 9:30AM, the Congressman met ship’s crew members Sarah, Nate, Beth, Steve, Asa, Adam and our restoration Project Manager Korie Griffith (formerly Mielke), as well as board members Kiwi and Mike. Also joining us were Port of Port Townsend officials including Port Commissioner John Collins. Bill Mahler, Executive Director of the NW School of Wooden Boat Building, represented our partnership with the school for the incredible rebuild of the fo’c’sle. Allyson Brooks, WA State Dept. of Archeology and Historic Preservation and Mary Thompson, a Board Member with National Trust for Historic Preservation, also joined us for the Congressman’s visit.
After lots of photos in front of the ship’s wheel, we treated Congressman Dicks to muffins made by Sarah this morning in our diesel stove and delicious coffee generously donated to the ship by the Undertown Coffee Shop. We all had a great discussion in the main cabin about the state of Puget Sound and the Congressman’s early efforts to bring resources to its cleanup decades ago, and heard a few fishing stories from Congressman Dicks’ employment on a fishing boat while he was putting himself though law school.
We all really enjoyed the visit and have invited the Congressman to come sailing, see our environmental programs in action with boatloads of Puget Sound kids, and, of course, take the helm. If I were a betting gal, I’d bet we’ll see him on board again! Thanks, Congressman Dicks, from all of us for a wonderful visit!
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