Wooden Boat Foundation & Northwest Maritime Center
2002 - 2009
"The future of these organizations is the future of our community. We have history, geography, historic buildings and incredibly accessible waterfront. Small businesses, environmental stewardship and community leadership that balances progressive thinking with sustainable, people-centered economics is going to make the difference between our special historic seaport and the many other rural, end-of-the-road communities. As a local writer said recently, "we have all the ingredients here already.. we just need to not screw it up.' We must make reasonable progress to develop our economy in ways that reflect the values and natural setting and have the courage to care about all people, despite their politics. There are waterfront communities and organizations all over the world that are watching, share our concern and vision. That's why I stay involved. " Kaci Cronkhite, June 2007
Background:
Founded in 1978, after the first and highly successful Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, the Wooden Boat Foundation has grown to serve thousands of people visiting Port Townsend and participating in their many on-the-water and maritime educational programs. The most popular and largest program continues to be the now internationally renowned Wooden Boat Festival, but this small non-profit has offered rich experiential programming ranging from Summer Youth Sea Symposiums (3 week boatbuilding, seamanship and sailing experiences) to Puget Sound Explorers (year around school program for regional youth) and Sea Scouts, rowing programs (fixed and sliding seat), wooden boat lectures, classic and fun sailing regattas and diverse youth and adult programs energetically supported by community volunteers and generous donors.
In 1995, the Northwest Maritime Center evolved from Wooden Boat Foundation board who dreamed of a permanent home for the WBF and who strongly supported preservation of the historic waterfront of Port Townsend and the historic Point Hudson marina. To this end, they raised nearly $1 million dollars, purchased a derelict fuel loading site and dock and began a series of improvements that now sets the stage for groundbreaking of two new facilities anchoring the end of Victorian Water Street to the entrance to the annual Wooden Boat Festival. The facilities, called Northwest Maritime Center will connect the history - from native tribes to Captain Vancouver and 19th century boatbuilders and merchants to modern marine trades, innovative maritime school programs to partnerships with other non-profits and organizations in the northwest region. Part of the mission includes public beach access to Port Townsend Bay and coordinated efforts with the City and the Port to preserve the significant shoreline, docks and historic buildings while monitoring shoreside development.
In March 2005, the NWMC and WBF decided to re-integrate, combining boards, staff and vision. Dave Robison and Kaci Cronkhite co-lead the organization during the initial integrated phase and in January 2007, a Executive Director, Stan Cummings was hired. In the first quarter of 2008, programs passed the tipping point, an expected 800 students in longboats, up from 44 in 2006. Other programs also filled in exponentially. Construction will be underway during the 2008 Wooden Boat Festival with hopes both buildings will be open for 2009 festival. The Chandler Education building will open summer 2009. A "naming" gift of $2 million will confirm opening of the Maritime Heritage building by September. For updates on the capital campaign, click here. Donations of all sizes are welcome.
Milestones for 2006 & 2007:
Dr. Stan Cummings was announced as new Executive Director, January 1, 2007. With a long track record of innovative and sustainable maritime program development and Ph.d. from Stanford to boot... Stan provides leadership as new facilities and exponential program growth goals are set and achieved. In late November, the NWMC Board votes to proceed to bid, January 28, 2008.
Dave Robison, founding Executive Director of the NWMC/WBF moved to new Point Hudson offices and in December, transitioned to Project Manager. He works with Olympia and Washington DC funding, architectural and permit coordination and manages Port, City and government interface.
Kaci Cronkhite, Managing Director and Wooden Boat Festival Director, manages staff in programs, retail, operations, volunteers and public information. In 2007, she articulated the new "old" mission of Wooden Boat Foundation, serving on the staff with Stan Cummings and Adam Henley to recruit a new WBF Board, host a party for 120 WBF members, defined the role of the board of the Foundation and led efforts to create the new website.
Adam Henley joins the NWMC/WBF as Wooden Boat Chandlery Manager on March 1, upgraded the Chandlery website to include an online store, greatly improvef profitability and service, established a POS system and managed Classic Regattas. Adam returned to work at Edensaw Woods where he specializes in boat construction projects.
Jerry Fry, took the helm of the Chandlery in April 2008, preparing the store for exponsential growth in the Heritage & Resource building by summer and fall of 2009. New staff were added and a design committee formed of top wooden boat and retail stores in the west. Marty Loken, Dennis Dignan, Charlie Kanieski, Adam Henley and Ted Pike are among that group.
Captain MB Armstrong joined the staff as full-time Puget Sound Explorer Coordinator for the 2007 season, taking the PSE program through its mosts challenging phase of change from 44 to 200 students. Managing growth and maintaining the core values so vital to the quality of the program for 13 years, MB was a pivotal leader in the integration. She now serves as Captain of the 122' Schooner Adventuress for Sound Experience.
Andy Gale took over management of PSE programs as Stan Cummings stretched educational capacity within the programs to include Build A Boat options. Kaci led efforts to expand to multiple, overlapping day programs, as the organization experienced it's largest, most active days in its history. As many as 14 educators per day were working at times and the future facilities are now much more clearly sustainable.
Rob Sanderson, Waterfront Programs Coordinator announces re-launch of High School Sailing Team and our commitment to expanded tall ship sailing opportunities through partnership with the Schooner Martha Foundation and Bryony. Summer Learn to Sail classes and Messing About in Boats Sea Camps evolve with great instructors, more weekends, more women only or subject specific classes and better database management.
Kaci's comments on the 2006 transitions:
The 2006 Festival theme was "Pulling Together". At first we envisioned a crew in a racing shell, or all hands on deck heaving together on halyards to lift big sails, like on Adventuress. In my mind, this theme has an even broader vision for our organization. It represents the ultimate celebration of "the spirit of crew". I see 400 people working to make the Wooden Boat Festival happen; Dozens of teachers, parents and captain educators working together to make the Puget Sound Explorers program real; 3 generations of Daubenbergers or Langley's dedicated to teaching kids to sail or working in the marine trades; Eight 50-year-old women with support of their teachers and friends, rowing a shell to glory in San Diego; hundreds of people participating in the efforts to design and build a new maritime center - while also preserving the traditions and culture of our growing community. We've saved the old Thomas Oil site from condos and continue to work hard to preserve public access to our historic waterfront and to keep Point Hudson alive with education, boating and ocean loving people.
My focus in 2006 was to set and maintain a sustainable course for staff in Cupola House and to begin the work on new or merged computer systems, integrating organizational connections and retaining the great staff who who live, work and visit here. That focus has become sharper and the vision becomes more reality every day. As youth programs take on a life of their own, I'm switching focus to marine trades, chandlery sales and adult programming in 2008.
The Wooden Boat Festival is a great model. It represents a unique and very successful example of a community inspired event. It provides infinite opportunities for authentic experiences and educational connections with all kinds of wooden boats, their builders, owners and crews. As a model of collaboration, this event inspired decades of other programs at the WBF and will inspire new program and community partnerships within the integrated Northwest Maritime Center.
The WBF gives us depth and the NWMC gives us breadth. By pulling together, we hope to continue the maritime legacy of Port Townsend.
Photo of Cupola House was taken by Michael & Jan Berman. Thank you Michael for your beautiful work and your continued generosity.