I recently heard about a old tug that will be destroyed unless someone wants to take it off the owners hands and restore it. Now you may think, "what's so special about an old tug and why does Wendy care?".
The tug, built by the Skansie Brothers in Gig Harbor, is a 26 foot, cedar vessel. It was built around 1926, the year my grandparents married, thus why it caught my attention. Looking at the pictures of the Greta people might think "just let them dismantle her", but what of her history? Just think of what stories this ship could tell from the last 83 years on the water....
I admit I don't know more than what I've written at this point, but I'm sure this maritime vessel has something left to give. It may take her being restored as the Virginia V and Adventuress have been, and making the Greta seaworthy again. Perhaps it's a better fit for a museum ala the Shenandoah a ship also built by Skansie around the same time, now housed at the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor.
It would be a shame to have the Greta destroyed while so many of us are working to find ways to save historic maritime vessels. Earlier this year I worked with a group who have introduced a bill for the 2010 Washington State Legistlative session, House Bill #2379 and Senate Bill #6185. These bills, if passed, will establish a way to help owners of historic maritime vessels receive the funds they need to restore and preserve their ships. How sad it will be if we loose another historic vessel while trying to find funds to help all local historic ships.
Today we live in a "disposable" world, if something breaks, is used up or damages, the feeling is "I can get a new one". I think we've forgotten that once something is gone, such as wonderful old ships, they are gone forever and we can't get that piece of history back.
My hope is that someone will come forward to save the Greta. It would be a shame to loose a part of our shared heritage.
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