Kaci nominated for PT Business Leader of the Year

First, I want to say a huge thanks to Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce for the honor! Second, huge congratulations to all the other nominees, as some of them clearly kick my butt with their business accomplishments.  Kris Nelson, especially stands out as a Thirty-Something generation home town gal who not only does "big" business in town, but serves on City Council.  A heroine for our times and despite all the things all the rest of us have done, and my sincere congratulations to the winner, Linda Lakush, Kris would have gotten my vote for the top honor this year. That's probably ageist, but so be it. At 50, I want to balance my cheers for my elders with the cheers to those coming along behind us.

Regarding my nomination, I am giddy with gratitude for the attention it brings to DECADES of work by Port Townsend marine trades and gigantically generous people who volunteer and businesses, Port leaders and Chamber volunteers who have always been vital to it's success.  Here's what I wrote to Fred Obee at the Port Townsend Leader when he emailed me with the news of my nomination.  I regret I couldn't be there in person to say it at the banquet, but I'd already booked a flight out before knowing anything at all about the banquet. 

 "The WBF Founders, the early Directors, Festival Coordinators and Volunteers are who should get this honor.  Their incredible vision, the generosity of Port Townsend people of all political persuasions, the skill contributed and committed to for decades in our marine trades, the cooperation and support of the Port of Port Townsend and the partnership with the City, the Leader, accommodations owners, neighbor businesses, PTPD, transportation, heck...even Goodman Sanitation! are why I fell in love with the Festival personally and why it was such an honor, such a dream job for ten years.  Certainly my international experience and passion for making the event richer in every way possible for people attending, my deep respect for the traditions of those who'd created before me and for the visitors was where my previous experience contributed most, but without the wooden boat owners year round contributions and without the local marine trades and Port keeping our town "authentic" we could never have accomplished the reputation in the world we have.  Through the festival a wooden boat found me and now, without the full-time job as director, I'm writing my first book called Finding PAX.  Pax is the 1936 Danish spidsgatter that came into my life on a windy day at Cupola House and I will be aboard her the entire Festival this year with owners from near 8 decades of her life.   Forever a fan of wooden boats, my passion and support continue for the Festival, Port Townsend's Port and marine trades and the impact this makes on people worldwide. Thank you so much for the honor.   Kaci Cronkhite"

Brest, France: Largest wooden boat gathering in the world features Norwegian boats

Mark your calendars!

July 13-19,2012 is the next Brest Maritime Festival in the region of Brittany, France. The festival features more than 2,000 historic ships from 30 nations and expects 700,000 spectators. I was warned by friends who attended the last one to plan ahead if you need to use the toilet. Lines were 2 hours long at times! A little challenging for you beer drinkers:) I'm going to do my best to be there and hoping others from USA and Canada will be there too.

Here's a Google Translate version of the story announced in Afterposten Norway today for fellow English speakers: I'm sure my Norwegian friends can improve this translation, but it's the best I could do this morning.

Norwegian Culture a Hit in France! 1100 years after Rollo made the landings in Normandy, Norwegian sailors again shut down the French coast. This once peaceful - in the coastal city of Brest

Click to read more ...

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2011

48 North is the favorite "free" sailing rag for sail cruising folks in the Pac NW. Editor Rich Hazelton and his hard-working, humorous, devoted or arguably crazy staff have saved me countless times over the past decade by taking a press release at the 11th hour, calling me in foreign countries to tell me they're missing our ad, and provided at-a-girls and "here, let us help" salvation through our most difficult times. When I sent the article summing up the 35th Wooden Boat Festival, I had no idea it was going to be my last at the helm. As it turns out, it was and I'm grateful to Karen for bugging me to send it and to Rich for allowing it to take up so much real estate when we weren't even advertising, again:) If I could add a postscript, it would be to publicly thank 48 North staff and readers for your amazing loyalty through the decade. I'm sure you do this for everyone and it's part of why 48 North remains a fav. Here's my final article (pages 14-15), wrapping up the decade on a high note!

Cronkhite caps wood boat festival career

Cronkhite caps wood boat festival career

NWMC wants full-time events director


By Scott Wilson of the Leader

In the immediate wake of what many are saying was the largest and most successful Wooden Boat Festival ever, festival organizer Kaci Cronkhite is sailing on to other adventures.

Cronkhite has skippered the festival since 2002. She also held the interim role of director of the Wooden Boat Foundation in 2004, during a difficult transition as that organization was merged with the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC).

Cronkhite’s work at the most recent festival resulted in a 6 percent increase in gate receipts, brought in almost 600 local volunteers, filled the Point Hudson Marina with all sizes of wood en boats, and kept nine classrooms or stages busy with educational presentations and music for the three-day festival.

Those achievements mark her final festival.

New position created

Cronkhite’s change of course was prompted by the decision of Jake Beattie, NWMC director, to create a new fulltime events director position.

Click to read more ...

PTTV Interview with Kaci, March 2009

In her community leaders series, Karen Nelson of PTTV interviewed Kaci at the Cupola House. Her focus question was "Who influenced you?" Watch the video here. "