New maritime center anchors Port Townsend's downtown

PORT TOWNSEND — A cold, blustery day may have been a perfect time to visit the Northwest Maritime Center's new headquarters, two buildings on their way to full completion that anchor the northeast end of Port Townsend's downtown on Water Street.

The wind blew, the temperature dropped 10 degrees in a matter of minutes, rain pelted at times, and clouds skittered across the sky, even while the Olympics remained crystal clear in the distance. In other words, a mild day for this time of year in Port Townsend, according to the center's executive director, Stan Cummings.

The center's buildings, which opened doors in September, face Port Townsend Bay off Admiralty Inlet. The view is glorious even on a cloudy day.

The new facilities are a culmination of a decade of work, and will ultimately provide a year-round home under two adjacent roofs for the sailing, boat building, and marine-crafts education that the organization provides in a close relationship with its founding and sister nonprofit, the Wooden Boat Foundation.

So far, the center has opened its boat shops in the Chandler Maritime Education Building, and a boat house in the ground floor of the Heritage Building. A plaza, the First Federal Commons, covers the space from buildings to the bay, incorporating a giant compass rose composed of pavers and plaques for community and business supporters.

A second-floor deck facing the bay, open to the public around the clock, provides a clear view of boats heading in and out of the adjacent marina at Point Hudson, the ferry plying to and from Keystone on Whidbey Island, and all the shipping that winds its way to ports in Puget Sound.

For active use

Cummings, the director, said the two currently open spaces are designed for active use, not for "storing boats." The boat shops are full of hand and power tools for wooden-boat crafting, with three projects underway on a recent visit. The shops, managed by a master boat builder and boat-shop educator, will generally be open for the public to watch or ask questions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and on some weekends; call ahead to check. Visitors can walk through the shops or observe from an overhead gallery.

Anyone with a suitable boat project may rent space on a square-foot basis. For that fee, the center also offers tools and guidance, but "you have to work on it," Cummings said. Boat builders "have to be willing to interface with the public," too.

Several builders were painting, clamping and sawing boards recently on two boats: One was having its above-decks cabin built up, while another was being painted in advance of deck construction. A third boat — a tiny two-person craft that Cummings said had rounded Cape Horn — was ready for an overhaul.

Two builders I spoke to had attended the nearby Port Hadlock Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

The boat house is partly filled with racks of kayaks and shells for crew racing, with more to come. Boat use is monitored, to discourage use of the facility simply for storage.

Green building, too

The center may see visitors beyond those interested in making boats and sailing them. The facility was put together using the LEED Gold standards for sustainable and high-performance building. Reclaimed wood is found throughout the center, and the building's heating and cooling systems are aided through a saltwater heat pump that extends dozens of feet into Port Townsend Bay to take advantage of the year-round moderate temperature of the water.

The center doesn't stand alone but is part of a town effort to extend visitors' interest past the Elevated Ice Cream Company, a shop that often seemed like the end of downtown next to a small garden park. City Manager David Timmons said the town had committed before the center was built to create a new connection along Water Street, and worked out details with the nonprofit to ensure full-time public access to a large portion of the space.

The center is still in active construction in many parts, with completion of much of the remainder slated for May 1, the opening day for boating in Port Townsend. The Wooden Boat Foundation's H.W. McCurdy Library will move into a space inside the administrative offices, but be available to the public and cross-referenced with an existing maritime section in the city's public library.

The Wooden Boat Foundation's chandlery, a combination of gift shop and source of practical tackle for boat builders and enthusiasts, will move into a large space from its current Cupola House home a few blocks away. The Chandlery will become an entrance to the center facing Water Street, and have exhibits, a cafe (operated by local grocer Aldrich's Market), and room for people to spread out and talk about boats.

The Pilothouse is on its way, too. A small room on the southeast corner of the education building, with windows in three walls to observe Admiralty Inlet, the space will be outfitted like a modern ship's bridge. The Pilothouse will also feature live interactive displays about the boats and big ships passing by.

Freelancer Glenn Fleishman regularly writes about technology for The Seattle Times.