You are an important part of Lady Washington’s story. Thank you for writing each of our chapters over the past 35 years. Maybe she has touched your life through education, sailing, or by creating a memorable family experience. Whatever the reason for your support, we couldn’t be more grateful.

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Running any business is challenging, and the Seaport is no exception. Seasonal revenue, keeping people employed through the winter, redeveloping an abandoned sawmill, and ensuring that Lady Washington sails for 35 more years is not work for the faint of heart. What keeps us going are probably the same reasons that you support this amazing non-profit. The sense of wonder and adventure that sailing inspires, passionate people, and the legacy of people who have entered the maritime workforce and are earning a living wage because of you. Times like restoration periods can seem overwhelming, but they are also an opportunity to bring people together to make positive change.

We see the impact Lady makes when she sails into the different communities. She brings tourism dollars, but she also brings magic that only those who have stood on her decks can completely understand.

Due to COVID and shortened sailing seasons the past five years have been challenging, but we’re more determined than ever to preserve the magic of Lady Washington for current and future generations. Thank you for your resilience as caretakers of Lady Washington.

We are calling on you again to see us through to the other side. Life without seeing the majestic Lady Washington sailing would be just a little bit dimmer. Please join us in restoring Lady over these next two winters.

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So, what is the plan for Lady Washington?

The current plan is to restore her over the next two winters, with a small sailing season thrown in. Once her restoration is fully complete, she will be able to come home to Aberdeen, as well as sail down the coast and visit her long-lost friends in Oregon and California. This winter will focus on some woodwork along with a major systems upgrade.

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We will be replacing the main and foremast. The Douglas Fir was sourced by Port Townsend Shipwrights in Canada and will be making its way here. We are using a crane to pull the masts, so by the time this reaches you, the masts should all be out. Lady’s crew stayed and worked hard to complete the rest of the down-rig – which means to take down the sails and spars so everything can be preserved and maintained over winter.

The work will be completed by Port Townsend Shipwrights, who we have contracted with to complete the restoration. The work is being led by our Project Manager, the talented Pat Mahon, who is also a marine surveyor. The masts are expected to cost $78,000.

Because the Seaport is also working on the environmental remediation and two large construction projects at Seaport Landing, some of our funds are still tied up. We are writing additional grants, selling assets, and will be conducting our usual year-end fundraising.

We are excited to announce that we ranked 11th out of 41 projects through the Heritage Capital Project fund competitive grant cycle, and as long as there are no critical changes to the state budget, we will be receiving $688,000 in 2025 to complete the restoration.

In addition, we will be hosting an online auction and fundraiser in the first part of December, so keep that in mind for your holiday shopping. We will also be participating in Giving Tuesday again this year.

Interviews start this week for a YouTube host to capture the restoration. You will also be able to follow the Seaport Landing development, as staff in Aberdeen will start uploading videos as well. You will be able to help fund the project by watching videos. How cool is that?

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This part will be a little more technical, so we hope you get a chance to check out the aforementioned YouTube videos which we hope to have live starting in December.

The project team started by taking the boat apart and removing anything not needed and protecting the other areas that won’t be worked on. Then we are removing the trail board and transom boards. We will also be removing 22 sets of chains and bolts, wrecking channels and bulwarks, and pulling fasteners. Then we start the fun part of putting her back together.

That part of the project is estimated to take 1,780 hours and cost approximately $230,000.

The remaining woodwork will be done in Phase 2, starting October of 2025.

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A large portion of Phase 1 will be dedicated to updating and upgrading Lady’s systems. Again, this will be technical, so keep an eye out for videos explaining these projects in more depth.

We will conduct an in-depth analysis of each system’s performance, including oil samples, troubleshooting alternators and generators, and other inspections. Expected additional work will arise from those results.

The old water supply will be dismantled, and a new water supply will be designed and installed. All fuel will be removed as the fuel tanks will also be receiving an overhaul. The generators will be receiving a new exhaust system. One of the generators may need to be replaced.

At the same time, we will be working on the electrical system of the boat to ensure optimum safety and systems operation.

The engineering projects (subject to change) are expected to take 1,224 hours and currently are estimated at $197,000 with the electrical updates expected to take 262 hours and will cost approximately $60,000.

In addition to the direct costs, we will also have yard fees, crew wages and housing, paint, and our normal winter maintenance to attend to. We expect the phase 1 budget to come in just over $1,000,000. Fountains of youth are expensive.

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Though this project is daunting, we tackle it as we do any challenging problem, in bite-sized pieces. This Giving Tuesday, we will focus on raising the money for the masts for instance.

You may be thinking that with such a high price tag, your contribution won’t make a dent, but it does. As with most non-profits, we count on hundreds of donations under $100 to reach our goals. Every dollar really does matter.

You can also help by keeping an eye out for volunteer opportunities, buying merchandise or participating in our upcoming auction. We have some cool stuff signed by Seattle Kraken including a hockey stick, tickets to games, and signed team jerseys.

Sharing our videos, emails, and social media posts is also a great way to help. Thanks to you, we reached over 100,000 Facebook followers this past month. Spreading awareness of this restoration and why it matters to you is extremely powerful.

Your donations will also count as grant match for the Heritage Capital Project grant and any other grants we receive or apply for.

Please help however you can. Lady Washington, who is the backbone of our organization and the most visible and powerful piece of our mission, needs you. If you listen hard, you can hear the captain, “Calling all Hands!”

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MORE PHOTOS COMING SOON!