Here are some very specific things that NW Seaport needs to ensure the fleet and its volunteer crews keep the restorations moving forward!

See an item on this list you'd like to donate, but cannot acquire it yourself?  We gratefully accept cash donations online and we can chase it down. 

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Spotlight for tugboat Arthur Foss.
Status: Missing. Searching for replacement.
Cost: Est. $2,000-$8,000

At some point after 1980, the spotlight from Arthur Foss disappeared. The manufacturer and exact size are unknown. We are looking for something comparable to what you see in this photo from the late 1970s.

Incidentally, the people photographed are Kay Bullitt (a founder of NW Seaport and board member for over 30 years) and George Bayless (also a board member for many years in the 1980s).

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Bronze Cage Lights
Status: Need at least a dozen
Cost: $40-$200 each.

Several bronze cage lights aboard Arthur Foss and Swiftsure have disappeared or been damaged beyond repair. The ships need ones for mounting to a bulkhead as well as ones for mounting overhead. 

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Riveted Metal Lifeboats
Status: Need 2: 14 ft & 22 ft
Cost: Who knows?

Lightship 83 Swiftsure is missing her riveted metal lifeboat (roughly 22 ft). It should look just like this one on her sister ship, LV-79 Barnegat. 
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Arthur Foss is also missing her 14-foot riveted metal lifeboat.

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Mushroom Anchors
Status: Need 2
Cost: Unknown

Lightship 83 Swiftsure is missing its mushroom anchors, a defining part of being a Lightship. They were last seen in 1960.
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Both 5,000 lb and 7,000 lb anchors are historically accurate. This photo shows the bottom of the primary anchor stowed in the hawse. You can see one hung on the rail in the above photo of LV-79 Barnegat.  

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Pine Tar
Status: Needed
Cost: $70 per gallon

​Pine tar. The real stuff. Available in Port Townsend and a handful of other locations, but it's getting rare. It is used to treat the aged wood on the ships and waterproof the decks. This stuff is gold to these boats!

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Paint!
Status: Always needed
Cost: $20-$60 per gallon.

We are always "in a pinch" for paint to keep our volunteer crews working. Although the fleet requires only 8 colors, prices range from $20-$60 per gallon. This is a really easy item to help with and it sure makes a difference!

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Bell
Status: Need 1
Cost: unknown

The bell was removed from the Arthur Foss circa 2001. We would like to get a new bell and engrave it as it was prior to the 1980s. 

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Bunks for Lightship 83 Swiftsure
Status: Donated! 
Cost: $45 & $15

Two rack bunk frames of the type fitted on the Lightship during and after WWII have been located at Earthwise Architectural Salvage in Seattle. The ship has none surviving. One of the two bunk frames has its canvas. Purchase and deliver to the ship or make a cash donation and our crew will go get them! 

Thank you to Helen Carter and Jon Bates, each buying a bunk for the ship! NW Seaport staff dashed back to the store and picked up the WW II-era bunk frames. Back aboard the ship, they fit perfectly in their mounts! Thank you so much!
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Drill Press
Status: Donated!
Cost: $150 - $300 New, but used is just fine!

A bench-top drill press is needed in the Lightship's machine shop, both for historical accuracy and for maintaining the fleet. The ability to drill-cut bungs for covering the deck bolts is critical to preserving all of Northwest Seaport's ships. Brand and ratings have not been determined, but it needs to have some power. 

The historic photo, taken ca. 1949, shows an old drill press on the bench, just left of that fire axe.  

Thank you to Rich Campagna for donating your drill press! It's perfect! The crew is already boring out bungs and we can all rest easier knowing that base is covered and we have an essential too aboard.