​Tugboats, or tugs for short, were once more common working vessels. These days, they are mostly relics of their previous lives and require preservation. At Olympia Harbor Days, annual tugboat races celebrate Pacific Northwest maritime history. This “Oregon Field Guide” story was produced by Ian McCluskey. For more stories like this visit https://www.opb.org/show/oregonfieldg... and https://www.opb.org/science_environment/ --- Oregon Public Broadcasting aims to elevate and amplify the community, connect Oregon and its neighbors, and illuminate a wider world through stories. OPB Every Day. OPB Everywhere. One way to support OPB and the work of public media is to subscribe to our channel for new OPB videos: https://www.youtube.com/opb?sub_confi... Engage in the OPB community by Liking, Sharing and Commenting on our videos. Member support makes all the videos on the OPB YouTube channel possible, and everything else you love. Ensure the next important story is covered and join in as a Sustainer now at https://give.opb.org/opb/?s=OAMEGNS22... #oregonfieldguide #OPB #Oregon #PacificNorthWest #olympiaHarborDays #tugBoats #tugboatrace #tugraceTranscript

South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) successfully reaches its 50th year presentation of Olympia Harbor Days Maritime Festival(OHD), Labor Day weekend starting Friday, September 1st at 3PM and closing Sunday, September3rd at 6PM. SSMHA also announces the opening of an outdoor exhibit of the History of the Logos of Olympia Harbor Days in the 48 windows of 108 State St, Olympia. The maritime heritage festival takes place along Olympia’s Downtown Budd Inlet Waterfront Boardwalk from historic Percival Landing to the Port of Olympia’s Port Plaza Park. President Dave Peeler says, “we carried and produced the festival through the turbulent times of the pandemic and celebrated after the most successful return in 2022”. OHD has been named the Best South Puget Sound Event in 2022 by the Washington Festivals and Events Association and most recently the Best Festival by South Sound Magazine’s Best of 2023 publication”. This year’s event continues highlighting the traditions of the Puget Sound’s vintage tug boat races and show, along with historic ships, tribal activities, four makers markets, live entertainment, kids activities and two food G’Alleys, all weekend.

The logo of the festival features a different tug boat annually and this year is no exception. Tugboat Chippewa, formerly known as the Roland Foss, is the 2023 Logo Tug and returned to Olympia Harbor Days after many years of absence and a full restoration by owner Jeff Mincheff of Tacoma. The tug, built in 1943 is 85 feet long with a 375 horse power diesel engine.

Watch a video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyzjpd2T-18&ab_channel=SteveBloom.
Learn more here https://tugchippewa.com/gallery%2Fvideo

NEWS
South Sound Maritime Heritage Association/ Olympia WA
August 25, 2020 Contact: Don Chalmers/ 360-280-0511
Carol Riley/ 360-566-0498


Scaled-Down, Virtual Olympia Harbor Days Event Announced


Working within Washington State coronavirus health guidelines, the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) has developed a scaled-down version of its popular Olympia Harbor Days festival normally held every Labor Day Weekend, according to board president Don Chalmers.
“While we want to continue our 47-year- long Harbor Days legacy, we are also aware that we need to offer a safe event for the public in this coronavirus pandemic era,” Chalmers said. “So, we’re presenting a virtual event with safe at home community participation activities, Olympia Harbor Days Lite, which keeps our transitional tugboat heritage theme, while using online digital media content and other ways to provide family-friendly activities.”
Among the features of this year’s event are ……

• Olympia Maritime Heritage Self-Guided Tour along the Percival Landing Boardwalk
• Links to a Decade of Olympia Harbor Days Videos of Tugboats, Races and Fun
• Lego Tugboat Building at Home with an Instructional Video
• Harbor Days at Home – Encouraging Maritime Displays in Neighborhoods
• Estuary Beach Quest, Crab Bingo and other Stay Safe at Home Activities for Kids by the Puget Sound Estuarium
• Logo Hats, Facemasks, Collector Buttons and Tugs at the Capital City Vol II Available for Purchase

• more -

The SSMHA founded the Harbor Days festival nearly 50 years ago. The Labor Day festival has become a widely known, community-based event bringing together South Sound area communities and tugboat heritage enthusiasts from around the Pacific Northwest.


For the past nine years the SSMHA had licensed the Kiwanis Club of Olympia to host the event. However, because of the health impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit service organization had to end its sponsorship for 2020.


“The Association and its community partners, including the City of Olympia, Port of Olympia and Kiwanis, have worked diligently to accomplish their goals to keep the festival alive in 2020,” Chalmers said, “and to find new partners to help us present our traditional Harbor Days tugboat festival and races 2021. However, the coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll on this year’s event.”


Under State and local health limitations, the SSMHA has developed a series of Harbor Days Lite activities designed to accomplish this goal for 2020. A full list of event information, activities, videos and links will be available at www.HarborDays.com, www.MaritimeOly.org and on Facebook.com/OlympiaHarborDays starting September 5th.