Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Center Programs
Tugboat Storytime
This is a program of reading maritime stories to very young children for Day Care Centers. These programs are held onboard the tug ARTHUR FOSS. several times monthly.
The Anchor Program
This is a program aimed at upper teens and young adults. They learn to work aboard the tug ARTHUR FOSS helping tune up the engine, scrape & paint doing the basic jobs needed to prepare them for a career in the maritime industry.
Music Programs
We have monthly Chantey Sings on board one of the historic ships at the historic pier at Lake Union Park. We have a song leader and everyone is encouraged to sing along with the leader. We also sponsor Sea Chanty concerts where we have paid performers presenting Songs of the Sea. These are not sing along performances but are professional musicians performing for a public audience.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
For the last two years we have had a teenage volunteer working in our office all during the summer vacation time. These young people had no knowledge of maritime work but left with a whole not knowledge of a part of the community they had never before encountered. It truly opened up their minds to another type world.
We are in need of more active volunters to act as docents onboard our vessels. We are currently starting a restoration project on the Lightship # 83, SWIFTSURE. We have in hand almost $1 million in grant money but more is needed as part of our grant requirements. Some of the work can be done by volunteers when the vessel in not in the shipyard. BAsic engine repairs are much needed for the TUG ARTHUR FOSS. The vessel has traveled around in the past but cannot be taken out now until more restoration is completed. Next will be the problem of finding insurance for the Landmark Tug.