The Eleventh Hour....

The City of Seattle has now threatened to seize and demolish the historic schooner Wawona this fall if its owners do not show 'clear and convincing' proof that they can relocate and restore the vessel by 7 July 2006. Excatly what constintutes 'clear and convincing' proof is not sepcified nor is the reason for the city's requirement that the organization have the ability to restore the vessel when the issue at hand is the vessel's location, not its condition or future.

This is a grim hour....

The schooner Wawona (1897-2006?) sailing with a full load of lumber. She later became a Bering Sea codfisher and even served in the Army for a while bringing spruce from Alaska to the Boeing aircraft factories during WW II. She is truly an icon of the Northwest's key, formative industries. Now she sits in a sad state of decay at the south end of Lake Union on Seattle's north side. She is in bad shape, but she is not unrepairable. It is for her and the other historic vessels moored beside her that I am here in Sweden learning how to build a museum.

All those who value our maritime heritage

and wish to proclaim your support for the ship, please contact;

Mayor Greg Nickels

Seattle City Hall, 7th Floor

600 Fourth Avenue,

P.O. Box 94749,

Seattle, WA 98124-4749