Upcoming Maritime Heritage Events

Vashon Winter Bird and Mammal Survey
Saturday, March 1, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Vashon Island

• Help contribute data to the Puget Sound Seabird Survey—a long term Puget Sound-wide monitoring effort—while also collecting crucial baseline data on Fern Cove’s wintering seabirds and marine mammals. Surveys last 30 minutes and happen on the first Saturday of every month from October – April.

Beachcomber’s and Glass Float Festival
Saturday and Sunday, March 1 and 2, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Ocean Shores

• The annual Beachcombers Festival celebrates beachcombing, glass float collection, and the marine environment. Start your visit at the Coastal Interpretive Center to gear up for a day of beachcombing and learn more about the Pacific coastline.

Coastal Interpretive Center Trivia Night
Tuesday, March 4, 5:00 – 8:00 pm, Ocean Shores

• Join the Coastal Interpretive Center at Corks & Taps Bar for a night of science-themed trivia.

Blue Drinks with Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County
Wednesday, March 5, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Bellingham

• Blue Drinks is a networking meet up of anyone interested in our waterfronts. This meetup will feature a presentation on the Blue Schools initiative to introduce waterfront and maritime studies into our communities through K-12 curriculum.

Buoy Painting Workshop
Thursday, March 6, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Lynden

• Exploring themes from No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister, Bellingham SeaFeast and Whatcom READs will host a buoy painting workshop where participants can engage in a book discussion. Participants’ buoy artwork will be displayed at SeaFeast 2025.

Penn Cove Musselfest
Friday through Sunday, March 7 through 9, various times, Coupeville

• Celebrate the bold, briny, and blue at this year’s Penn Cove Musselfest. Sample mussels, tour farms, and chow on chowder.

Maritime Speaker Series: Skagit Bay Search and Rescue
Saturday, March 8, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Anacortes

• Join Skagit Bay Search and Rescue Captain Fred Kaufhold for an introduction to their work, their new boat, and water safety measures.

She Tells Sea Tales
Saturday, March 8, 6:00 pm, and Sunday, March 9, 2:00 pm, Port Townsend

• “She Tells Sea Tales” offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of women in the maritime industry at a live storytelling event. [Tickets sold out, waitlist available].

Ocean Trivia Night
Thursday, March 13, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Bellingham

• Support Bellingham SeaFeast and orca conservation by playing ocean-themed trivia.

Guided Tour: Shorebird Nature Walk
Saturday, March 15, 12:00 – 2:00 pm, Ocean Shores

• Walk along Ocean Shores’ High Dunes Trail with Coastal Interpretive Center staff to spot and learn about resident and migratory shorebirds.

The Mystery of the Pickled Orca and Other Strange Tales of the Salish Sea
Tuesday, March 18, 6:00 pm, Vashon Island

• Hosted by Knute Berger, editor-at-large for Cascade PBS and host of Mossback’s Northwest, Vashon Heritage Museum presents this special talk about hour home waters at the Vashon Theater.

Tide Talks: Sea Stars
Thursday, March 20, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, online

• Hosted by Bellingham’s Community Boating Center, join University of California Santa Cruz researcher Melissa Miner for a look at how ochre sea stars have been affected by sea star wasting disease, and find out if they’re making a comeback.

Forage Fish Survey – Lab Processing
Saturday, March 22, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Vashon Island

• Assist Vashon Nature Center staff in preparing samples for lab analysis and identifying species under a microscope. No experience necessary.

Razor Clam and Seafood Festival
Friday through Sunday, March 21 – 23, various times, Ocean Shores.

• A free festival celebrating all things seafood on Washington’s coast. Choose from a wide variety of seafood and themed activities—including a clam gun decorating contest

Paddling the Salish Sea Guidebook Presentation
Saturday, March 22, 5:00 pm, Bellingham

• Professional kayaker, standup paddler, photographer, and author Rob Casey presents his updated guidebook Paddling the Salish Sea.

Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners
Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Bellingham

• Learn important first aid and CPR skills specific to mariners, and practice newfound skills onboard the S/V Swiftsure in Squalicum Harbor.

Fine Woodworking Hand Tools How To
Sunday, March 23, 2:30 – 3:30 pm, Gig Harbor

• Join Deneb Puchalski of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks for a presentation about woodworking hand tools, including how to use and sharpen the tools.

Sailmaking Workshop
Various days, March 24 – 28, and March 31 – April 4, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Port Hadlock

• In this two-week class from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and NW Sails and Canvas, learn the art and science of sailmaking, including the essential principles and practical hands-on techniques.

Scarfs, Bungs, and Big Knees: Tales of the Shenandoah Restoration
Thursday, March 27, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Gig Harbor

• Learn about the restoration process of the Shenandoah from Harbor History Museum shipwright Riley Hall.

Coastal Interpretive Center Trivia Night
Thursday, March 27, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Aberdeen

• Join the Coastal Interpretive Center at Mt. Olympus Brewing for a night of science and local history-themed trivia with the Polson Museum.

Commercial Fishing Skills and Drills Course
Thursday and Friday, March 27 and 28, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, South Bend

• Learn the necessary skills to enter the commercial fishing industry, no prior experience necessary.

Intro to Marine Diesels with Meredith Anderson
Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Tacoma

• Join the Foss Waterway Seaport for a class specially designed to build confidence on the water and save money by learning how to repair and maintain diesel engines.

Woodworking Classes at the Foss Waterway Seaport
Various days and times, March, Tacoma

• Catered to a wide variety of experience levels, the Foss Waterway Seaport offers classes that teach woodworking and boatbuilding skills.

Boater Education Classes at Northwest Maritime
Various days and times, March, Port Townsend

• Including topics like radar and collision avoidance, demystifying marine finish, boatbuilding workshops and marine navigation, Northwest Maritime hosts many classes for a variety of interests and skill levels.

Virginia V Drydock Tours
Various days, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, March, Seattle

• Climb up scaffolding to board one of the last two remaining mosquito fleet vessels, or view the ship from below in a unique opportunity to see the SS Virginia V while in drydock.