Maritime Person of the Year

The recipient is an individual that has an avid interest and appreciation of wooden boats. One who has knowledge of or contributed to, its history, development and the preservation of the wood boat legacy and future.

Association members nominate and vote for the recipient who is honored as the Association's Maritime Person of the Year at the Sunday Awards Breakfast during the annual Olympia Wooden Boat Fair.

This year's recipient is Bob Peck. Learn more about him on our Maritime Person of the Year page.

2011	Chuck Fowler
	With a longtime interest in maritime heritage activities, Chuck Fowler grew up on the water and in boats in Tacoma and on Puget Sound. He is immediate past president of the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society in Seattle, and founding executive director of the Working Waterfront Maritime Museum in Tacoma. Chuck was also founding co-coordinator of the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council of maritime organizations in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. He and his wife Karla have lived in Olympia for the past 35 years.
2010	Kerry Jamieson
	Kerry has been involved with boats and boating for most of his life, he learned to love the water and boats from his grandfather who ran a freight boat from Olympia to Grapeview. So his love of watercraft, both for building and playing has been a part of his life since before he first learned to row his family’s rowboat at age 7. From that point on, he has almost always had a boat ‘in the works’ or was on a vessel, either playing or working.
2009	Tom Regan
	Having been hooked on sailing as a teen, Tom Regan was in and out of boating until 1987 when he purchased Twilight, a 30 ft gaff ketch built in 1935. One day in 2002, during a break in a 25 year career in electronics, Tom was rowing the boat he’d built. Another boater came alongside and asked who built the rowboat. Tom replied he did, which prompted the next question, “Do you make boats for other people?” Tom replied, “Sure!” and the next day got a business license which founded Grapeview Point Boat Works.
2008	Dell and Penny Gibson
	Dell and Penny have been involved in the Olympia Wooden Boat Fairs since 1984. They, along with their two sons, Jeff and Scott participated in entering the family boat that year. In 1985, they joined the Olympia Wooden Boat Association and took on the chairmanship of Dock master and Publicity. Dell developed a computer program that helped place the boats at the docks as well as keep track of arrival times and registration, along with a short history of each participating boat. Penny & Dell also helped develop the vendor and food alley part of the fair and made a logistic plan for the food and product vendors as well as boat moorage on the docks.
2007	Tom Rogers
	President of the Youth Marine Foundation, Tom manages the Sea Scouts, one of the largest all-volunteer Marine related youth programs in the United States. Membership ranges from 110 to 150 young men and women. Tom is the Senior Captain of the Charles N. Curtis, Sea Scout Ship 110, home based on the Foss Waterway in Tacoma. The Curtis is used by the Coast Guard to train new members on seamanship and wooden boat construction.
2006	Patrick Barmes
	Patrick, a graduate of TESC, studied outdoor education and has been active in the outfdoor field ever since the late 1970's. He is the winner of the Willy Unsoeld Award. He worked his way through school as a boat builder with Carl Brownstein at Rights of Man Boatworks in Shelton. He assisted in the restoration of the schooner "Martha" and sailed with her for four years. He had the pleasure to join her on her trip to San Francisco back in 1982.
2005	Paul Deranleau
	Paul Deranleau is head of the Sandman Foundation. He is lead carpenter and crew chief for the restoration project of the Sandman.
2004	Jim Kannitzer (deceased)
	A past wooden boat lover with his first boat Ruby's Rug (where he was originally going to purchase a new carpet for his wife, instead purchased a boat and then his Chris Craft Cruiser-Lady J) - Jim has been past president of the Olympia Wooden Boat Association, encourages new boat owners with his expertise skills on how to varnish, maintain a boat -" get a boat house or be under cover" and the one of the associations best promoter to the community about the Olympia Wooden Boat Fair and Association.
2003	Dan Moldenhauer of Shelton
	For his many times of assistance with engines of wooden boats for old and new owners of wooden boats . All wooden boat owners consider him the expert to go to when having engine problems or questions.
2002	Robin Paterson of Gig Harbor
	Captain of the tug Joe. Shares his knowledge of wooden boats,tugs and navigation with many groups such as the Maritime Association of Tacoma.
2001	Patrick Haskett of Steilacoom
	For his mastering tugs and other wooden vessels, a past member of the association. A well know artist for his pictures featuring wooden boats
2000	Sarah Pedersen of Olympia
	Teacher at Evergreen State College in the boating classes for students to master their skills on long jaunts on SeaWulf and Resolute sail boats owned by the college.
1999	Terry Paine of Tacoma
	Owner of 72 ft. Schooner "Red Jacket" with his wife Renee, has been instrumental in the Sea Explorer Program, past skipper of the "Odessey" sail boat instructing youth history of wooden boats, navigational and seamanship.
1998	C.W. "Bill" Somers of Grapeview (deceased)
	Curator of the Grapeview Maritime Museum
1997	Richard Miles of Olympia
	A shipwright and a noted West Coast authority on traditional boat and shipbuilding practices. One of the designers and chief builders of the Lady Washington.
1996	Don Fassett (deceased)
	An individual who has contributed to the interest and preservation of wooden boats. A mechanical engineer retired in 1975, Don olunteered with the "Seawulff" and the "Resolute in conjunction with the marine study program with Evergreen State College. Don volunteers his time and his 40ft Gulf "Swirl II" as an instructor with students in the sailing and navigation area at Evergreen State College.
1994	Norman Blanchard
	Selected for his boat building expertise in the Seattle area.
1993	Ray Gillespie of Olympia
	Selected for his working with Boy Scouts of America for over 50 years in the Sea Scout Explorer Post 453. Ray has spent his experience teaching youth navigational and seamanship with the R.E. Gillespie.
1992	Franz Schlottmann of Olympia (deceased)
	Has been active in maritime activities with the tug "The Sandman", past owner of the little classic "The Wombat", past member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 38 of Olympia, and a charter member of the South Sound Martitime Historical Association and Olympia Wooden Boat Association.
1991	Fritz Dalby of Shelton (deceased)
	Boat builder and master caulker who worked in many boat yards in Seattle.
1990	Sam Devlin of Olympia
	Local designer and boat builder. Devlin's boats are noteworthy not only for their high degree of finish, but for the distinctive styling he has given to his chined plywood designs. He is the founder of the Olympia Wooden Boat Children's Boat Building booth and also one of the founders of the Olympia Wooden Boat Fair and Association.
1989	H.A. Long Jr. of Olympia
	Nearly 70 years of boat building tradition in his family, he still thinks wood makes the best boats. Best known for his hand-worked lapstrake rowboats and wooden canoes.
1988	W. H. Dole of Gig Harbor (deceased)
	Retired wooden boat builder and owner of "Evening Star".
1987	Gordon Newell of Olympia (deceased)
	Historian of wooden boats along Percival Landing and Olympia area.
1986	Captain Albert Giles of Olympia (deceased)
	A 3rd generation boat builder. Best known for his long standing interest and expertise in tug boats and steam engines.
1985	Bob Ruchty of Olympia (deceased)
	Selected for workmanship of building canoes and small craft wooden boats since 1941.