South Sound Maritime Heritage Association: Who We Are
Forty-one years ago, in 1974, the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) was formed. At the time it was known as the South Sound Maritime Chapter of the State Capital Museum. Its founders included historian Gordon Newell and Pat Haskett, later a tug boat skipper and widely-acclaimed maritime artist. Early members included Franz Schlottman, owner of the vintage tug Sand Man, Scott Schoch, and maritime historian Chuck Fowler. Derek Valley, Director of the State Capital Museum, initially was centrally involved. Presidents during the 80s and 90s included Les Eldridge (twice), Ralph Blankenship and Mark Johnson. Dave Peeler is the current president. Marine artist Karla Fowler has designed the race logo, a series of different vintage tugs, for each Harbor Days race until 2015. Patrick Eldridge has mostly taken over such duties since.
The Association presented the Olympia Harbor Days Festival, featuring tug boat races, from 1974 until 2011, when it transferred the festival to Olympia Kiwanis, and assumed an advisory role. The festival typically draws 15 to 30 tugs, and 40,000 to 50,000 attendees. The race has always received strong support from the International Retired Tugboat Association and their longtime president, the late Robin Patterson.
In its early days SSMHA attempted to gain ownership of the lightship Relief, retired from the Swiftsure Bank lightship station, and SSMHA also began an effort to acquire maritime artifacts. An eventual organizational goal, never realized, was to establish a maritime museum in Olympia.
Most recently, the association has identified establishment of a virtual museum as a more attainable goal. These websites, maritimeoly.com and navycruiserolympia.com, are the first, incremental steps toward realization of that goal.
SSMHA Board of Directors:
Dave Peeler, President
Bob Peck, President Emeritus
Scott Schoch, Vice President
Loyd Long, Treasurer/Secretary
Carol Riley, Former Executive Director, OHD
Megan Ready, Incoming Executive Director, OHD
Directors: Karen Fraser, Chuck Fowler, Bill McGregor, Pat Eldridge
Supporting Members:
George Kurzman, Parthia Restoration
Mark Johnson, Immediate Past V.P.
Key Olympia Harbor Days Funders: City of Olympia and LTAC, Port of Olympia, Squaxin Island Tribe
Key Parthia Collaborators: State of Washington Department of Commerce
Key Parthia In-Kind Professional Services: Ron Thomas, Drew Phillips
Key Parthia Fundraisers: Rick Panowicz, John Warjone, Waite Dalryple, Dick Seaman, Republic Services
The Association presented the Olympia Harbor Days Festival, featuring tug boat races, from 1974 until 2011, when it transferred the festival to Olympia Kiwanis, and assumed an advisory role. The festival typically draws 15 to 30 tugs, and 40,000 to 50,000 attendees. The race has always received strong support from the International Retired Tugboat Association and their longtime president, the late Robin Patterson.
In its early days SSMHA attempted to gain ownership of the lightship Relief, retired from the Swiftsure Bank lightship station, and SSMHA also began an effort to acquire maritime artifacts. An eventual organizational goal, never realized, was to establish a maritime museum in Olympia.
Most recently, the association has identified establishment of a virtual museum as a more attainable goal. These websites, maritimeoly.com and navycruiserolympia.com, are the first, incremental steps toward realization of that goal.
SSMHA Board of Directors:
Dave Peeler, President
Bob Peck, President Emeritus
Scott Schoch, Vice President
Loyd Long, Treasurer/Secretary
Carol Riley, Former Executive Director, OHD
Megan Ready, Incoming Executive Director, OHD
Directors: Karen Fraser, Chuck Fowler, Bill McGregor, Pat Eldridge
Supporting Members:
George Kurzman, Parthia Restoration
Mark Johnson, Immediate Past V.P.
Key Olympia Harbor Days Funders: City of Olympia and LTAC, Port of Olympia, Squaxin Island Tribe
Key Parthia Collaborators: State of Washington Department of Commerce
Key Parthia In-Kind Professional Services: Ron Thomas, Drew Phillips
Key Parthia Fundraisers: Rick Panowicz, John Warjone, Waite Dalryple, Dick Seaman, Republic Services
