The Port of PT held it’s first big Boatyard BBQ event Thursday September 28th. The event was a welcome home to our fishing fleet and a thank you to all of our marine trades and fisher folk.  Port Commissioner Pam Petranek, herself a commercial fisherman. This editor asked the commissioner to share her moving speech with anyone who may have missed the BBQ as it contains historical references of import and statements that articulate the heart of what so many of us do and why we support our maritime culture and heritage.

Here is the speech in full though the live reading of it was full of sincere emotion.

September 28, 2023 Welcoming Home Our Fishing Fleet, Celebrating our Working Waterfront Boatyard BBQ, Pam’s notes
I am Pam Petranek, Port Commissioner President, and I have the honor of welcoming home our fishing fleet.
Thank you to our sponsors: Marina Café, Haven Boatworks, Port Townsend Sails, Shipwrights Co-op, Key City Fish, Admiral Ship Supply, and ACI Boats.
A little history first…
Since the last ice age 10,000 years ago, people have connected to the waters surrounding Jefferson County, which have influenced tradition, provided rich
sources of food, safe transportation, and valuable trade.
1000 years ago…the Salish people were well established along the coastlines and rivers throughout the Pacific NW, including 13 villages along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
300 years ago Captain Vancouver entered the Strait Of Jan de Fuca to explore and map the area.
150 years ago the first shipyard was built in Pt. Hudson by ET Briggs.
100 years ago, on November 4, 1924, the citizens of Jefferson County voted to approve establishing the Port of Port Townsend. Our port “district’’ encompasses the entire county. Boundaries on three sides of the county boast 237 miles of shoreline; Hood Canal and Admiralty Inlet due east, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, and the Pacific Ocean shining in the west.
Acting on a 1927 appeal from the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, and following three years of study, the port commission resolved to build the Port’s first capital project in September of 1930 — Boat Haven. Resolution No. 24 describes this project as:
“A haven in the form of a sheltered enclosure as a protection against wind and waves, together with suitable floats and docks for landing and mooring small craft of all descriptions and keeping them under proper protection… a haven to serve the needs of deep sea fishing boats…and other small vessels of public and private nature..”;
Today, Boat Haven and Point Hudson are the jewels in the Port’s crown. Our working boatyard is the largest public boatyard in the Northwest. It has developed into a mecca for marine construction and repair. The businesses in our boatyard support the working boats in communities all throughout the Pacific Northwest. People from all over OR, WA, and AK, employ and trust our community to keep their boats afloat. Boat owners can work on their own vessels and have access to a full spectrum of marine trades businesses. Generations of knowledge and skill abound as boats are built, maintained, and repaired. These skills encompass taking care of the resources we already have. Investing in them is key to our own survival.
Together, Boat Haven and Point Hudson provide the majority of the port’s revenue. This economic activity represents 20% of the living wage jobs in Jefferson County, and generates over 12 million dollars of annual tax revenues for our county and state. Generational viability is alive and well, these boats create a stable and successful livelihood. Our children often leave to search for treasure in other places—and come back home to discover it here.
The commercial fishing industry is an essential component of our region and economy and has been for generations. Washington state is home to 1000 boats that travel to fish off the coasts of WA & AK. Following Alaska, Washington State provides the highest number of skippers, crew, and active permit holders in the AK fishing industry. Washington State is second in the nation for seafood processing.
Small boat fisheries are built upon family and friends, representing multi=generational skills and mentorship. I am a commercial salmon troller, lifelong Alaska/Washington fisherman, and advocate for our marine environment and maritime culture. My dad built a boat the year I was born and I have been fishing ever since. My 3 children, Jay, Kev, and Kai, have all been involved in fishing; maintaining the boat, fishing out in the ocean, and selling fish in our community.
I’d like to welcome home and thank all of our fishermen and marine trades for the work you do. There are so many beautiful boats and wonderful people and I only have time to spotlight a few now…but I’ll write a book later!
Our fishing fleet includes…
* F/V Cape Cleare, 70 ft sailing schooner built here in Boat Haven, a salmon troller, owned by Rick Oltman, AK fisherman of 40 years, and crew, Kai and Eric- hiring many young people in our community over the years, a master of maritimeskills and providing food to our community.
* F/V Arminta, 48 ft wood salmon troller, husband and wife owners, shipwright Greg, and Amy who tirelessly advocates for wild salmon habitat.
* F/V Karolee; 42 ft. wood salmon and tuna troller, 3rd generation Quilcene resident, Joel Kawahara, awarded National Fisherman Highliner of the Year, #1 environmentalist on several boards at the local and national levels as a leading salmon habitat advocate-currently fishing right now off the WA coast today.
* Historic working long-liner fleet; f/v Polaris 1913, f/v Vansee 1913, f/v Seymore 1914, and f/v Grant 1926, all 80+ ft. wood boats, historic technology working over 100 years…generational viability, owner of Polaris – Bryan here.
* F/V Barbara B, 56 ft wood, 1962, and f/v Voyager, 75 ft wood, 1945, the Veitenhaus family 6 generations, Greg and sons Henry and Joseph, along with hiring many young people in our community. Greg says when he grew up and everyone was a fisherman—“you were either too old, too young, OR you were a fisherman!”
Many shipwrights have been fishermen…
* Tim Hoffman, former owner of Steelhead Marine and now one of the 12 owners at PTSC, “90% of my business are fishing boats, and they don’t get the credit they deserve for what they have brought to this place for decades. Every time you get a downturn in the economy, yacht work evaporates. Commercial fishermen keep coming back because these boats are their business’s, their
livelihood”
* Blaise Holly—f/v Coronation and then F/v Alaska, and now owns Haven Boatworks with approx. 40 employees.
* Joe Smith and family, beautiful wood troller/longliner called Caribou, grew up in Boat Haven, and now master of installing and repairing marine systems.
By any standards, fishing is hard work- physically demanding and financially unpredictable. But for those individuals who persevere and master the skills it takes to keep a boat going, “It’s the best work there is.”
We should all be proud of the world class knowledge and skills of our marine trades and fishing fleet here!
Welcome Home and let’s raise a glass to our fine fishermen, their crews, all of our
marine trades, and everyone here who supports our working waterfront!