Port hosts Workboat Races Saturday Posted by Joan Pringle | Aug 22, 2012 | 326 views

Dig out your pirate gear for the fourth annual Workboat Races and Pirate Faire on Saturday.

The event is hosted by the Port of Anacortes and raises funds for the Seafarers’ Memorial Foundation.

Keep an eye out for the Brotherhood of Oceanic Mercenaries, a band of pirate entertainers.

The B.O.O.M pirates will bring their ship, the “Emerald Rose,” to sail alongside workboats of every kind including, hopefully, the mighty tugs of Crowley Marine Services.

The tugs operate along the West Coast and assist the largest ships through some of the tightest waterways in the world, according to the company’s Web site.

Two Crowley vessels homeported in Anacortes are the Valor and Response. The Valor is a 6,772-horsepower Z-drive tractor tug with a maximum pulling force of 182,000 pounds. The Response is a 7,240-horsepower Voith-Schneider propulsion tractor tug with a pulling force of 154,000 pounds.

“These are working boats and we’ve been very busy of late, so I can’t say for certain that the boats will be available to participate in the event,” said Derrick White, Crowley harbor services/ship assist and escort services manager. “But we support the event and the effort of the Port of Anacortes to put this together, and we will have a boat — or two — participate if we can.”

The faire is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Port’s Pier 1 along Guemes Channel. Racing in four classes starts at 1 p.m. Unlike other years, the parade of boats will start from the west end of the channel, rather than behind the dry dock, for better viewing.

Another change is the former chowder challenge is now a chowder-eating contest in two categories — one for tweens and teens and another for adults. Pirate contests for all ages go on throughout the day along with a car show, steam engine demonstrations, cannon blasts and sea chanteys. Merchants will also be on hand.

Nick Mavar Jr., crewman on the F/ V Norwestern of the Discovery Channel show “Deadliest Catch,” will participate in the races and sign autographs afterward. Also attending will be the crew of the new Spike TV show “Diamond Divers.” Signed posters from both shows will be raffled and auctioned off during the day.

At the Cap Sante Boat Haven, free tours of John Wayne’s former yacht, The Norwester, will be provided 9 a.m. to noon. At noon, the boat leaves for a sold-out private charter in the Guemes Channel for a close-up look of the races. Cost was $35 with funds going to the Seafarers’ Memorial Foundation.

The Foundation is a nonprofit devoted to preserving the memory of those Anacortes residents who have been lost at sea while actively making their living on the water. The mission of its board, led by President Linda Ann Lipke, is to oversee the upkeep and preservation of the Seafarers’ Memorial, to screen and approve applications for inclusions of names on the memorial and when funds allow, ease the financial burden of the surviving family members of those lost at sea.

“Maintaining the important activities of the Foundation requires broad community support from business and personal donations,” Lipke said.

At noon Saturday, the Foundation hosts a service at the memorial to honor those lost at sea and announce or place names on the memorial.


Workboat Races and Pirate Faire

• 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Racing begins at 1 p.m.

• Pier 1, north end
of Commercial Avenue

• Sea chanteys pirate contests for all ages, chowder challenge, car show, merchants, steam engine demonstrations and cannons galore.

• Free tours of John Wayne’s former yacht, The Norwester, are 9 a.m. to noon at the Cap Sante Boat Haven. A private charter to watch the races is noon to 4 p.m. The private charter is sold out.

• A dedication at Seafarers’ Memorial Park to honor and remember those who went to the sea in ships to work and never came home is at noon. For more information, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (360) 708-7770.

(Photo of Bill Mitchell by Ruth Dorsey)