Trapper

The one thing at the moment that I CAN tell ye is that we have a sea chantey sing on the second Friday of every month, 8pm to 10ish, at the Wawona. June's song leader will be none other than the great Mary Benson. Pirates be always welcome.

And don't forget the Sea Concert at the NW Folklife Festival, May 28th, from 2-5pm. William Pint & Felicia Dale, Bold Horizons, John Bartlett & Rika Ruebsaat, Pyrettes and more will be performing. Once again, pirates are always welcome to come and party.

The more pirates that show up at Wawona events, the better.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Thanks much, Lorien! And for your wishes as well, Hurricane! We're doing the best we can to try to save her despite the Parks Department thwarting us at every opportunity.

I know Mary very well. I sing with her when we resurrect Broadside, which by the way, we'll be doing at Tacoma Tallships. We're playing Sunday 2:30 to 4:30.

We want to have an all ages event, with music, an auction, demos, etc., in Wawona's yard. I'll keep ye all posted. It would be nice t' have some pirate involvement.

It was frustrating to contact the Seafair Pirates, only to have them be too busy to help. You'd think it would be in their best interests to help the old girl out. Now see, Hurricane, this is the problem with your group being way to hell and gone. The more the merrier, sez I.

Fair winds,

Trapper

We raised over $500 on raffle ticket sales alone, with 2 sides of smoked salmon, a "Master & Commander" night at the movies package, dinner certificates, a wonderful gift certificate donated by Lark in the Morning...just some wonderful things.

The current project is a CD we're putting out. All materials, production costs and songs have been donated, so 100% of the monies raised will be going to the Wawona. Artists on the CD are:

William Pint & Felicia Dale,

Broadside

Shifty Sailors

Toucan Pirates

Coventry

Dan Roberts

The Cutters

Spinnaker

Chris Roe

J.W. Sparrow

Victory Sings at Sea

Dan Maher

Steve Lalor

Tom Lewis

These people have all generously donated a song (or two) to the project. I'm hoping to have it available for purchase by Folklife.

I'll keep ye posted on the Wawona. I did ask the Seafair Pirates to come to the benefit, or perhaps to adopt the Wawona as a cause (what's a pirate without a ship), but they wrote back that they were too busy. I'm open to suggestions, other piratical groups that'd like to help, pretty much anything we can do to keep media attention on her and get her the help she needs.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Actually, the proper name to that one is "Clear Away the Track"

I've heard lots of versions of it, but not that exact one.

Thanks for posting it, mate!

Trapper

Benefit Concert on May 7th for Seattle’s Endangered Tall Ship, Wawona

Come enjoy an evening of Rock & Roll with legendary group The Daily Flash, Seattle's first alternative rock band, and help save Wawona, Seattle's endangered tall ship at the same time! Comedy folk duo Sanger & Didele will open the show, and there will be a raffle as well. All money raised will go to provide materials to continue the restoration of 1897 schooner Wawona. Seattle's Tall Ship is under threat of eviction by the Seattle Parks Department, and needs community support. Donations requested. May 7th, 9 p.m. to midnight, at the Highliner Pub & Grill, 3909 18th Ave W., Seattle (Fisherman’s Terminal) 206-283-2233.

Event organizers hope to raise at least $1000 for immediate repairs and safety improvements. Benefit concerts last year raised about $2000, which provided enough paint, lumber and other supplies to keep Wawona’s volunteers working for the past year.

The historic schooner Wawona, Washington State’s largest tall ship, recently received a letter from the Seattle Parks Department stating she must be gone by November from her long-time home at South Lake Union. Her future is uncertain, but she is in need of community support and funds for restoration, as well as a site where her restoration can take place.

Wawona has long been berthed at South Lake Union, providing the public with school tours, maritime music concerts, and the unmatched experience of standing aboard a large wooden sailing ship. Negotiations about the ‘eviction letter’ and a possible new home for Wawona are still underway between her owner, the non-profit organization Northwest Seaport, and the Parks Department.

“There are funding sources for the major restoration Wawona needs, but to raise that kind of money takes time, community support, and a place to work on her,” says benefit organizer Trapper Graves.

Graves points to Wawona’s sister ship, the C.A. Thayer, as an example of what Seattle could achieve with the Wawona. The Thayer is currently in a hanger undergoing a complete restoration, and will return to San Francisco’s waterfront as a floating museum.

“Out of the hundreds of large commercial wooden sailing ships built on the West Coast, only these two are left,’ says Steve Lalor, a noted Northwest musician who will be donating his time to perform at the benefit. “San Francisco made space to restore the Thayer, and Seattle should do the same for Wawona.”

“She's over 100 years old, and you can't buy the look in a child's eye when he or she dreams of sailing Wawona into the wind,” says local musician Trapper Graves, the organizer of the event.

Questions about Wawona can be directed to Alice Winship, walice1@qwest.net

An I be up in Seattle, so there's a lot of us lurkin' about.

Trapper

So, yer sayin' ye be in Eugene, eh? Too bad yer not a bit north, in Seattle, say. I'd be interested in checkin' ye out.

Trapper

Sure 'n what ye be needin' help with?

Trapper

Thanks much, Crow.

It seems that the older we get, the faster those we care about leave us. Bobby Kotta was truly one of a kind, but none of us were ready to have Steve join him.

Fair winds and a following sea,

Trapper

For Bob Kotta, chantey man extraordinaire, who crossed the Bar 5 years ago on April 19, and for Steve Guthe, chantey singer, great guy, part of Victory Sings at Sea, who just passed, I offer the song, "Heaven's a Bar"

Heaven's a Bar

Tim Laycock

Heaven's a bar down by the dock

Where the liquor is free they keeps a great stock

There's always a place, always a smile

For a sailor come home from sea

For a sailor come home from sea

The girls are all beauties they dance and they sing

They'll treat an old tar like a lord or a king

Heaven's a bar down by the dock

Where there's liquor for all and it's free

There in the snug drinking with me

Shipmates return from seven salt seas

Tarry tailed tars, gold buckled shoes

The cream and the dregs of the crew

Just sailors on shore with a dream in their eyes

Who saw the world's end where the sea meets the sky

Vision remains, wonders recalled

By the trinkets that hang on the walls

Heaven's a bar down by the dock

Where the liquor is free they keeps a great stock

There's always a place, always a smile

For a sailor come home from sea

Late in the night clouds hurry past

The moon winks and goes

The doors are barred fast

The charts are laid out, the contraband found

The crossbones marked out on the ground

The figurehead does it, and she never gets tired

She beckons a breeze from her berth by the fire

The songs roll around the waves hit the bar

'Til the bottles wash up on the shore

Seafair is a time when the pirate groups all seem to come out of the woodwork, last part of July. In the meantime, there are lots of excuses to run around in pirate garb or just absorb some maritime atmosphere. Tonight, for example, Hank Cramer is at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle with The Constellation's Crew, a loose association of chantey singers, for a great night of music.

Music at the Wawona is usually the third Saturday of the month and chantey sings are the second Friday. All are welcome. We can always use new voices.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Too bad ye're not closer t' Seattle! We could use a few more shantey singers/writers.

Did ye get t' see Tom Lewis' concert when he was out Pennsylvania way? A great shantey singer/songwriter.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Stan's got several different shanty books out there, by the way. Some with more lyrics than others.

William and Felicia's website www.pintndale.com, has a lot of lyrics, as does the Mudcat Cafe: http://www.mudcat.org/

If you email me your address offlist, I can send you a copy of "To Make the Welkin Ring", a book that we put together many, many years ago, full of lyrics.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Nice one, sir! I applaud ye for a very singable adjustment to the Gypsy song.

Fair winds,

Trapper

We always have chanteys the second Friday of the month. I'll be sure to send out a reminder early next time, Jill! We'd love t' have you there!

Fair winds,

Trapper

A bit more information from Alice:

A reminder about the public meeting of the Seattle Parks Department

tonight, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m., in the Naval Reserve Building at South

Lake Union. It appears that your voices may be having some effect on

influencing the Parks Department, but a good turnout of maritime

supporters is needed at tonight’s meeting. If you cannot come to the

meeting, you can email your comments to the Seattle Parks Department at

colleen.browne@seattle.gov

Here are some notes from a meeting on Monday, Feb. 7, between Colleen

Browne and SHIP. The comments are my opinions only, although I suspect

there are many who share them.

Colleen Browne, the project manager for the South Lake Union park plan,

met Monday with SHIP (Seafaring Heritage in Partnership). SHIP is a

meeting of the maritime heritage organizations of South Lake Union.

Colleen was responding to a letter with park plan suggestions that SHIP

sent to the Parks Department. Here is a summary of some of the

information given at the meeting, and some comments.

Question: What would take to change the ‘land form area’ shown on

the plan to an area that could be used for maritime heritage programs?

(This is the area south of the Armory building that is currently

occupied by Northwest Seaport’s yard and buildings. The plan shows

these buildings demolished and replaced by a grassy area.)

Colleen’s answer: “An exciting visionary plan backed by the ability to

implement it.”

My comment: In order to maintain a ‘footprint’ for maritime

heritage in South Lake Union Park, three things are needed. The first

is continued activism by maritime heritage supporters. The second is

some sort of overall leadership that can speak for all the varied

elements of maritime heritage and is capable of raising the needed

funds. It seems likely that the Parks Department is waiting to see if

that leadership organization will develop from SHIP, or the Maritime

Heritage Task Force, or an interaction of both. The third element

needed is to make use of this area in the best way we can at the

present, to provide programs for public benefit. (If you are interested

in helping with this, come to the program planning meeting on Feb. 19.)

Question: What would it take for Wawona to have permanent moorage at

South Lake Union?

Colleen’s answer: “That’s really a question for Ken Bounds. But my

impression is that what is needed is for Wawona to be open to the public

more, to have more going on, more volunteers – more like the Center For

Wooden Boats.”

My comment: This is precisely what we are trying to do. Volunteer

involvement greatly increased during the past year. Your volunteer

efforts can make a difference! We also need your public comments to

remind the Parks Department of the wonderful programs that are already

occurring on Wawona, and that Wawona has been open to the public more

than any other historic vessel at South Lake Union. Keep telling the

Parks Department that Wawona must be moored at South Lake Union, and

should not be forced to move.

Question: What is the time frame for implementing the “land form area”

portion of the plan?

Colleen’s answer: The only portion of the plan that is moving ahead at

this time is the replacement of the bulkheads at the northwest corner,

the construction of the new dock and wooden sidewalk in that area, and

replacement of the bulkhead on waterway 4, next to the Center for Wooden

Boats, and building the abutments for the bridge. This is the only part

of the park plan that has funding. The Seattle Parks Foundation is

working on raising funds for the rest of the Park. The land form area

is the last part of the park that would be constructed and “frankly, the

least exciting,” said Colleen.

My comment: This may give maritime heritage some time to develop a

leadership organization that has the ability to implement an alternative

plan for this area. Maritime heritage supporters need to continue to

urge the Parks Department to keep this area for maritime heritage, and

not to demolish the existing buildings, most of which were donated and

constructed for maritime heritage programs and would be expensive to

replace. We also need to ask the Parks Department NOT to go ahead with

building the bridge abutments, and to continue to look for a solution

that will allow a bridge that opens.

The bridge over waterway 3 was discussed. We are concerned that the

bridge shown in the plan would block any possibility of large vessel

moorage in waterway 3, and that moorage will be needed for events like

Tall Ships festivals. We suggested a bridge that could open to let

large vessels through. Colleen said that technical problems with an

opening bridge would make it too expensive.

My comment: Please urge the Parks Department to continue to seek a

solution for this problem. When a major maritime heritage center at

South Lake Union becomes a reality, the need for a bridge that opens

will be obvious. A cheaper bridge does not save money in the long run,

if it has to be replaced with an opening bridge later. In the meantime,

blocking the waterway will limit our ability to make the maritime

heritage center grow by staging large events.

Colleen said that the vessels now on the west wall (Arthur Foss,

Duwamish, Twilight, Swiftsure) will be moving to the Maritime Heritage

Wharf before setup begins for the Summer Nights Concerts. They are now

trying to complete the electrical connections at the Wharf so these

moves can take place.

My comments: This is a crucial moment for our maritime heritage,

with some of our most significant vessels moving to the Historic Ships

Wharf. It is critical that the Seattle Parks Department continue to

offer moorage to these vessels at very low cost. This is fair, because

of the public benefits that these vessels provide, and because the

Maritime Heritage Foundation put up $2.2 million of the $3.2 million for

the Historic Ships Wharf. Much of this money was raised with the

understanding from the donors that these specific vessels would be

moored there. It would be a mistake for the Parks Department to see the

organizations that own these vessels as a source of revenue; every penny

of their extremely limited funds goes into providing public benefit.

As far as I know, none of the vessels has signed a moorage agreement

with the city for the new wharf. I have no idea what negotiations may

be under way; and this information is not likely to be public until the

agreements are complete. The public needs to comment to the Parks

Department that our historic vessels need low cost moorage, to make sure

that Parks understands this crucial need and the public support for it.

Also discussed were the possibilities for use of native plants and

Native American design elements in the park, and the future of the Naval

Reserve building. Decisions about the use of this building will be made

by Ken Bounds and the Mayor.

My comment: Maritime supporters need to urge that this building be

used for a maritime museum. This will require a large amount of

start-up funds, and a maritime heritage leadership organization that can

raise those funds. In the meantime, the Parks Department could

facilitate the process by allowing maritime heritage groups to use space

within the building at little or no cost for events and interim

exhibits. Parks has found that they can make more money by renting out

the space for non-maritime events. Making money, not promoting maritime

heritage, has defined the way the building is being used. The public

needs to insist that this building be used for maritime heritage, both

now and in the future.

Alice Winship

206-448-0707

walice1@qwest.net

Thanks! Here's some information from the Seaport, for those that live too far, but would like to comment:

"...We hope that a large number of you can come to the meeting, and that many of you will offer comments. Whether or not you come to the

meeting, you can give your comments to the Seattle Parks Department by emailing colleen.browne@seattle.gov

We suggest that your remarks offer positive remarks about how maritime heritage supporters can work with the Seattle Parks Department to create a park that will provide benefit to the public. Criticism alone is not likely to have any effect. We would like to make a convincing case that maritime heritage groups would make effective partners in developing the park..."

Any and all letters would be much appreciated. Colleen actually likes the Wawona, but there needs to be an obvious interest for her berth to be guaranteed. Letters from out of town might serve to show people the possibilities of Wawona and tourism.

Thanks for the interest!

Fair winds,

Trapper

It's that time again! Sea chanteys will be sung from 8ish 'til 10ish this Friday night in the carpenter's building next to the Wawona. They'll be hosted by Seattle chanteyman Dan Roberts and he tells me that the theme is "love", it bein' almost Valentine's Day an' all.

Bring yer voices and singalong. Or lead one! We're always after new blood. There'll be munchies and beverage available for purchase, with proceeds going to the continued restoration of the Wawona.

We be at the S. end of Lake Union, 1002 S. Valley Street. Email me for further info if'n ye have questions.

Fair winds,

Trapper

his is your chance to make your voice heard. At 6:30, the Seattle Parks Dept is having a meeting regarding the S. Lake Union Park. For those that don't already know, this is where the schooner Wawona is docked. The Parks Department would like to have all the ships and shipwright buildings gone, in favour of a sterile, concrete park, with non-native plantings, a model boat pond, and oh yes, some signal flags to give it a maritime feel. You notice from this description that there is no place for the Wawona at this new park.

The plan that the maritime heritage groups have come up with would turn the area into a 19th century living history park, with the ongoing restoration of the Wawona as a focal point.

One and all are invited to come and voice your opinions. It'll be at the old Naval Armoury Building on South Lake Union.

email me for further info.

Fair winds,

Trapper

Hi there!

Actually, it's a cotton screwing chantey. In order to stuff as much cotton in the hold as possible, they would basically tamp it down using a plate and screw assembly (much similar to a capstan, from what I've seen). Cotton was, however, a dangerous thing to carry, as it was prone to overheating and combusting.

"The Galveston Screwmen's Benevolent Association was a trade union of specialized longshoremen who, with the aid of screwjacks, stowed and packed the bulky cotton bales into the holds of ships before the use of the power cotton compress. Their specialized ability insured an increase in the bale capacity of a ship by 10 to 15 percent, a skill critical to the profitable operation of the shipper." - from the Benevolent Assn. of Screwmen

More than you ever wanted to know, eh?

Fair winds,

Trapper

Hey, Buzz!

I LOVE that song, "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate"! I've got the tape it's on. It's on the "must learn" list.

Trapper

Oooh, I like it!! Any tune with it?

Trapper

I'm posting on this thread as well, so there's no confusion, since the original post of "Bein' a Pirate" was posted here before being copied off to another thread:

Once again, I must say, that if you want the lyrics, it's only polite to contact the writer of them, since that's what he has stated he wants. The writer of the original song is Don Freed. The writer of the lyrics that everyone, at this point, knows, is Tom Lewis, up in Salmo, BC. You may recognize the name from the many fine albums of sea music he has put out.

He has asked, very specifically, that if someone wants the lyrics, he is happy to provide them. All they need to do is send him an email at seadog@netidea.com, asking for them.

Please refrain from posting the lyrics on this site, as I do know that is not something that he wants done. If you think I'm posting this frivolously, I would ask that you check his first album, Surfacing, and his latest album, 360, All Points of the Compass. I'm listed on both as a performer.

He is a close friend of both mine and Sir Nigel's, and I would ask that you respect his wishes in this regard.

Fair winds,

Trapper Graves

Once again, I must say, that if you want the lyrics, it's only polite to contact the writer of them, since that's what he has stated he wants. The writer of the original song is Don Freed. The writer of the lyrics that everyone, at this point, knows, is Tom Lewis, up in Salmo, BC. You may recognize the name from the many fine albums of sea music he has put out.

He has asked, very specifically, that if someone wants the lyrics, he is happy to provide them. All they need to do is send him an email at seadog@netidea.com, asking for them.

Please refrain from posting the lyrics on this site, as I do know that is not something that he wants done. If you think I'm posting this frivolously, I would ask that you check his first album, Surfacing, and his latest album, 360, All Points of the Compass. I'm listed on both as a performer.

He is a close friend of both mine and Sir Nigel's, and I would ask that you respect his wishes in this regard.

Fair winds,

Trapper Graves

Oh, and on the subject of "favourite pirate songs", a new fav of mine is "A Salty Dog" by Procol Harum. Great stuff!! Great album of the same name as well.

Trapper