In this edition of Our Working Waterfront, co-hosts Port Director Eron Berg and Commissioner Pam Petranek join KPTZ’s Chris Bricker for a recap of Boatyard projects for the year and season, and then a conversation with Charlie Syberg, who tells us the story of his acquisition and restoration of Nonchalant, a stunning 50-foot motor yacht from a bygone era. He also tells us about its near catastrophic pre-restoration loss, the captains who saved her, and of the Port Townsend shipwrights who restored her.

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins co-hosts Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates and stories surrounding our vibrant maritime community. At the Third Annual Boatyard Salmon BBQ, fishermen, shipwrights and members of the community celebrated the return of the fishing fleet. Amid trollers, seiners, crabbers, tenders and giant Travelifts, Chris, Pam and Eron roamed the boatyard as bands played, children danced, and folks gathered to meet, tell stories and catch up. Our community then took a special space for beloved fisherman Joel Kawahara, who was recently lost at sea. He was definitely with us in spirit as we celebrated this special event that welcomed the fleet home.

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins co-hosts, Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates and stories surrounding our vibrant maritime community. For years, Bernie Arthur, retired maritime tradesman, has had the vision of creating a memorial for those of our maritime community lost at sea. In August of this year, as he had done for decades, beloved fisherman Joel Kawahara set out from his hometown of Quilcene for the fishing grounds.  After a few weeks, Joel’’s commercial fishing troller Karolee was found adrift, without Joel aboard. But even in his passing, Joel Kowahara has once again become the catalyst for a vision come true.. Now, Bernie Arthur’s dream of a mariner’s memorial has come closer to a reality. The proposed sight is at the entrance to the Point Hudson jetty’s Boardwalk. In Joel’s honor, we’ll reprise the interview we did with him in April of 2022.

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins co-hosts Port Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek cover the waterfront – its boats, its people and their stories. The three of us are hanging out in the Boatyard, admiring the components of a massive, brand new 300-ton capacity state-of-the-art TravelLift. It’s destined to largely increase the Yard’s capacity and flexibility. The lift was trucked in on nine flat-bed semis from its builders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. We speak with Justin, one of the Port’s engineers, and two factory representatives in charge of re-assmbly of this massive machine.

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins Co-Hosts Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg, and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates and stories surrounding our vibrant maritime community. Chris reaches out to Port Director Eron for his monthly update, and then Pam & Chris join a small gathering of young Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building alumni in the conference room of the Shipwrights Co-op, along with member owner, Shipwright David “Griz” Griswold, who also graduated from the the School in 1993.

Each month, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins co-hosts Port Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates and stories surrounding our Port and our vibrant maritime community. The 300-ton yard is full this month! Port Director Eron gives us a comprehensive update on the Port’s activities, and then we continue to discuss the fate of the abandoned tugboat Elmore (pictured above) with shipwright Clint Thomas and Commissioner Pam.  Clint spent a decade maintaining and repairing the Elmore during just one part of this storied vessel’s recent life. Now the Elmore sits on the hard amid historic schooners and working vessels – all of them surrounding her as if they were perched as guardians of its 135-years of history.  The Elmore continues to face an uncertain future.

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins co-hosts Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates and stories surrounding our vibrant maritime community. Chris joins Eron for his monthly update, and then Pam and Chris take a tour among the boats on our working waterfront with six delightful goal-oriented and curious members of the Port Townsend Maritime Academy.  The Academy is a free half-day program that provides high school juniors and seniors from eleven surrounding districts the opportunity to gain maritime experience, skills, and certifications while exploring different careers in the maritime industry.

Each month, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker and his co-hosts, Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek cover the waterfront—its boats, its people and their stories. In this month’s edition, Chris, Eron and Pam, along with Commissioners Carol Hasse and Pete Hanke (today’s Captain) board the Puget Sound Express with 120 visiting Harbormasters and staffers as they wrapped up the three-day Spring Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers. The event culminated in a special journey via the harbor, for exclusive tours of the Bay & Waterfront, the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, and our internationally acclaimed Boatyard. Our Working Waterfront tagged along!

Each month KPTZ’s Chris Bricker joins his co-hosts Eron Berg, Port of Port Townsend’s Director, and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek to bring you news, updates, and stories surrounding our vibrant maritime community. Spike Africa (pictured above) is the last coasting schooner, with a proud history of carrying America’s goods across the world’s oceans. Her every detail combines beauty and grace with sturdy seaworthiness. Built by poet and designer Robert Sloan, Spike Africa was named after the legendary sailor of the same name, who was lovingly and humorously monikered “President of the Pacific Ocean.” This iconic Schooner is in our boatyard on the hard and getting thorough attention from a flock of fine shipwrights. We speak with Spike’s current owner Wade Hall, with Doug Jones who’s creating the new foremast, and with Ian Weedman, owner of Brian Toss Yacht Riggers. 

The Port of Port Townsend marked its 100th year in 2024. It was formed by Jefferson County voters in 1924. To commemorate the anniversary, our Port hired former PT Leader publisher Scott Wilson to research and write a book of that history, Working Port: 100 Years of the Port of Port Townsend was published in honor of the Port’s Centennial Year. Scott tells the story of how the Port came into existence, and how it has evolved for over a century to its current reputation as a place brimming with exceptional marine trades skills. Peninsula College recently hosted Scott for a presentation at its Fort Worden Campus’s Studium Generale.  This is PART  ONE of Walker’s entertaining and fascinating talk….

…and here is part two: