Announcing Salty Dock Days

The Foss Harbor Marina in partnership with Foss Waterway Seaport is excited to announce “Salty Dock Days,” a new, free open-to-the-public event on Saturday, June 11th at Foss Harbor Marina in downtown Tacoma. Held on National Marina Day, “Salty Dock Days” will celebrate all the recreational opportunities marinas provide on the nation’s waterways by offering live music; food; boater education classes, speakers, and safety demonstrations; a Saturday Night outdoor movie (weather permitting); and visiting historic vessels. A special feature will be Foss Waterway Seaport’s opening of a new exhibit, an extensive collection of maritime artifacts from the legendary, nostalgic steamboat era on Puget Sound. Guest moorage can be reserved by contacting Foss Harbor Marina (253) 272-4404 located at 821 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, or the Foss Waterway Seaport (253) 272-2750, ext. 106 located at 705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402. Public parking will be available at the Republic Parking lot south of the Dock Building at 535 Dock Street or in the Republic Parking lot south of the 11th Street Bridge on Dock Street. More event specific information will be announced as the date grows closer. Visit http://www.fossharbormarina.com/blog.html for more details or http://www.facebook.com/fossharbor .

View From the Pilot House - March 2011

Hello All,

As some of you know, I am back from my great Antartica adventure. I thought I would post a few pictures so that you could take a look at some of the beautiful scenery that was on display in the southern latitudes. Some are urging me to put together a program/talk about the trip. If I have the time, I might be able to share my experience as part of the festivities on Marina Day, June 11, 2011.

I hope you all are faring well and looking forward to the start of spring. I know I for one could use some warmer temperatures and sunny days.

It has taken me a while to catch-up with everything here at work. I don't think I'm quite there yet, but I am getting closer. I'm sure you are anxious to know about some of the things going on behind the scenes right now at the marina. We have several exciting things in the works.

1. Tenant Lounge - Alan and his handy helpers have started putting up the wall in the back section of the store. He has been putting up drywall all day today. After the wall is finished, we will be painting and then it will be on to the flooring. We have some new carpet left from our store remodel that we will be installing. After the space is finished, we hope to put in a couch, a table, a TV and whatever else we can think of.


2. Exterior Painting - It is still our intention to paint the upland buildings this spring. We haven't determined the exact color of this facelift.


3. Passport to Puget Sound Program - The 2011 Passport program has been launched. The bingo card has expanded from 16 squares to 25 squares with additional marinas now participating. There are five free spaces this year and you have the ability to get a wildcard sticker from Westmar Insurance that you will be able to put on any square of your choosing. The object is to visit as many marinas as possible on the card. Once you get one full line or a "Bingo", you win a free t-shirt. If you are one of the first 20 vessels to get a"blackout" , you may pick one of the twenty Grand Prizes worth $300-$500. More information will be available about the grand prizes after April 1st on the http://www.seattleboatshow.com/ website or www.facebook.com/PassporttoPugetSound. Pick up your card now at the marina office and get your first stamp on the Foss Harbor Marina square.


4. The Tacoma Waterfront Association is having its annual fundraiser,"Celebrating the Waterfront" on April 19th from 4:30pm to 7pm at the Foss Waterway Seaport. The cost will be $50/person. There will be refreshments, Entertainment, and a raffle. The Tall Ship Adventurous will be open for free dock-side tours from 4pm to 6pm. For questions, call 253-272-5650. You can pay online @ http://www.tacomawaterfrontassociation.org/.


5. Kayaks - We are almost ready to order kayaks for our upcoming kayak rental program. We are also looking at standup surf paddlers and paddle boats.


6. Marina Day is on June 11, 2011 this year. We are combining forces with the Foss Waterway Seaport to create a brand new event called "Salty Dock Days". They will be premiering their brand new exhibit on the Mosquito Fleet. We plan on having entertainment, food, safety demonstrations, speakers, and hopefully an outdoor movie to top off the night. Let us know if you are interested in helping or have some ideas for the event.


7. Esplanade rebuild - you will probably start seeing engineers and surveyors on site designing the next section of the esplanade. The earliest start date for the actual constuctions was slated for this fall, but I think they are running a little behind schedule.


8. 11th Street Bridge - The City will begin their 2 year remodeling project on the 11th Street Bridge this April. We will lose the parking under the bridge while the project is underway. There are building a new storm water drainage system that will filter down underneath the bridge where the current parking is.


9. Thea Foss Waterway Protection - I am currently working with a committe on the Tacoma Waterfront Association that is developing a plan to create a wave attenuator to help protect the waterway from storms, such as last Novembers. At this point in time, we are trying to find all of the potential stakeholders(USCG, Department of Ecology, WDFW, DNR, City of Tacoma,EPA, Tug & Barge traffic, ect...) so that we can properly plan. This is a long project and will take several years to come to fruition. If you are interested in such things, please contact me or the Tacoma Waterfront Association. They typically have meetings on the second Wednesday of the month @ 11:30am @ the Foss Waterway Seaport. The meeting for this April is cancelled in lieu of the fundraiser.


10. Waterway Security - Lori is working with Coast Guard and contractors to see if we can qualify for a grant that will provide security cameras for the marina. These will not only serve to protect the marina, but also assist the Department of Homeland Security in keeping our waterways safe.
    

So, as you can see, our plates are full with wonderful projects that we hope will enhance your experience at the Foss Harbor Marina. If you have any great ideas, please leave comments or talk to us in the marina office. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Stay Green.