Submitted by The Sand Man Foundation
The 2018 Dry Dock repair and maintenance effort on Olympia’s 108 year old tugboat, Sand Man, has been completed. The boat should be back at her Percival Landing moorage as of this article. Repairs to hull planks and decking, plus a new coat of paint were finished this week. George Kurzman, local shipwright and Sand Man Foundation Board Member, and a group of dedicated Foundation volunteers, replaced 325 board feet of planking with locally milled cedar provided by Michael Moore of Oly Lumber.
The Foundation was able to obtain a Thurston County Heritage Association Grant and has received donations from the Barbare Foundation, Olympia Federal Savings, Friends of the Sand Man and visitors to help with the estimated project cost of $12,000.
An Olympia Heritage site, the boat is open to the public for free tours on weekends, dedicated to preserving part of the maritime history of Olympia and South Puget Sound. Those interested in assisting in Tugboat Sand Man’s continuing presence on Olympia’s waterfront should check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/tugboatsandman/ or visit us during open hours, take a tour and introduce yourself. Volunteers are needed to docent (be a tour guide) on the weekends and festivals, fundraise or help complete woodworking and painting projects and act as deck crew. Donations for maintenance and insurance are necessary and appreciated. Sand Man will be racing at Harbor Days this year, so come down and wish us luck.
Featured photo: Sand Man Dry Dock 2018 by Kim Gubbe
