A warm evening on Percival Landing is perfect for lining the rail.

 The tugs are coming in, and a  band is playing on someone's stern.People come and go, people that you know, and those you don't. 

 

On Saturday, the clouds came in, but we're  used to it.

It always rains here. Always.

("Sunshine" photos you see here are fake.)

 

Street musicians played, craft vendors sold their wares, and the tug skippers showed off their boats.

 

 

Each year, Harbor Days honors the oldest tug that appeared at the previous festival -- and has not been already so honored. In 2002, the boat was PALOMAR, here seen in an old postcard.

 

This 65 foot tug was built in 1926 by San Diego Marine Construction. In her working life, she did everything from work in oil exploration in Southern California, to towing logs and barges in Puget Sound.

 

While owned by Foss, she was known as LORNA FOSS, then after being sold, SEARCHMASTER. Finally in 1979, the tug's original name was restored. PALOMAR is now retired and plies the waters as a live-aboard.

 

PALOMAR's owner/skipper, Dave Haizlip pauses in the tug's engine room. The power plant is an Atlas Imperial rated at 320hp. Drive is direct reversible -- there is no transmission, no neutral. The engine must be shut down to change the boat's direction.

 

Palomar, seen here in a previous color scheme, is for sale. Length is 65 feet, Beam is 19 feet, the draft is 11 feet. Her home port is Orcas Island, WA. For details, email dlh@rockisland.com

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Click on the starting cannon to go to the races!

Disclaimer: This web page is in no way connected to the Harbor Days festival or its sponsors. Error corrections and/or comments should be addressed to the photographer. Email clcook@olywa.net.

A big thanks once again to Jose Balmores, our press boat driver. He braves the huge wakes created by these boats so we can get the photos we need. Jose has moved on to other things, for which we wish him well! We can only hope he is able to return for next years races. Good luck, Jose, and thanks again!

** Digital prints of the poster depicted at the top of this page are available for $25 plus $10 postage and handling. The image is about 12x15 1/5 on a 13x19 sheet of paper.  For more information, email  clcook@olywa.net .

All photographs and text © copyright 2002, Carl Cook. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any manner without permission. This includes internet use. Original photographs are watermark imbedded and registered with Digimarc. Palomar postcard: Photo by Eric Wahleen, distributed by Smith-Western Co. Inc,  courtesy of Robin Patterson.

Click HERE for more information about Harbor Days in Olympia, Washington USA

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