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The Port of Seattle's Centennial 101 Series of tours culminated with "Ship Canal 101" Wednesday at Fishermen’s Terminal. The annual Port 101 Series included four tours beginning with Duwamish River 101 on Sept. 28 which we covered here. it also included Cargo 101 and Airpot 101.

The sold-out Ship Canal tour, a two and a half hour boat ride, took place on the Argosy's Lady Mary, the same vessel used for the Duwamish River tour. Maritime Industry representatives included Foss Maritime, Kvichak Marine, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and PFI Marine Electric, Pacific Maritime Magazine and Fishermen's News, Seattle Marine Business Coalition, and Western Towboat. Western Towboat has a large presence on both the Duwamish River and Ship Canal.

Gael Tarleton

"The Duwamish River and Ship Canal tours are always the top draws," Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton told the West Seattle Herald as she welcomed the 100-plus embarking guests at Fishermen's Terminal. She had also welcomed guests on the Duwamish River tour. "Every single part of the waterfront is a connection to companies and people that keep this waterfront working," she said of the Seattle area waterways.

Kenny Lyles

"This year the Port celebrates its Centennial," opened Kenny Lyles, Manager, Fishermen's Terminal, as the Argosy pulled away from the cement floating dock. Docks were replaced about three to four years ago at the terminal. "I am proud to be a part of this industry. Fishermen's Terminal proper is about 75 acres, with 600 to 700 commercial and fishing vessels. There are 6,000 jobs in King County as a direct result of Fishermen's Terminal fleet, plus another 4,000 induced jobs. Of the 6,000 jobs, there is over $400 million in wages earned. Our local fishing business receives over $700 million from our Puget Sound fishing fleet."

Jim Peschel, Foss Maritime

Speaking of jobs, Foss Maritime's Jim Peschel expressed concern that there will soon be many jobs in the industry and not enough people to fill them.

"The mean age of our employees is 60 years old," he said. Foss operates more than 70 tug boats and 75 barges and is the largest such operator in the country.

"We're going to start having a lot of retirements and not a lot of 20 year-olds coming into the industry," he speculated. "Young people should train to be serving as deck hands or getting licenses now. As an industry we are trying to find people to go to sea. For longer hall towing you typically work two weeks to a month on, and have two weeks or the month off, working just half the year for a whole years salary." He then quipped, "You'll be away a large amount of time, and sometimes families like that better.

"Ballard High School has a maritime training track," he said. "We have scholarship programs to convince these kids to stay in the maritime industry."

Others speaking for the industry agreed, and explained that since 1997 and 1998 federal law dictated that fishing quotas stayed with each factory trawler and could not be transferred to another vessel. Last fall and early spring federal, state, and local legislation OK'ed big factory trawlers to move their quota to a new vessel. Therefore the existing vessels are 15 years old or more which means many new boat builders will soon be needed as fishermen update their trawlers. About 500 vessels are affected and range in price from $70 million to $350 million each to replace, and have to be built in the United States.

Ric Shrewsbury, Western Towboat

In addition to Foss, another big player is Western Towboat, owned by brothers Bob, Jr., and Ric Schrewsbury, with facilities both in Ballard and West Seattle.

"We have 23 tugs, six barges, with three or four boats tied up on the Duwamish River," Ric told the West Seattle Herald during the tour. "We grew from two tugboats to 23, and have been building another to be launched in November. We leave Seattle (from the Duwamish River) three times a week with general cargo going to Alaska. Almost all freight to Southeast Alaksa is supplied out of the Duwamish River." Alaska Marine Lines, Northland Servies, and Boyer Towing are other major towing companies on the Duwamish, he said.