ORGANIZING A Lord Nelson Victory Tug RENDEZVOUS
A. Considerations
• Consider: YOUR time, energy, local knowledge and cruising interests
• Organization: Decide whether it will be a low-key, no-host event or more organized. Remember the most important thing is getting together.
• Location: Decide whether it is time to have it in a different part of the Sound.
• Days, dates and length: Except for 2025, we have always planned the major part of the rendezvous on a weekend so those working can come. Would September be better for boaters spending the summer cruising north? If you decided to have a great speaker or tour, Tuggers from other parts of the country might want to come, so you need a good location for travel and hotels. Do you have someplace you have always wanted to go with a group? Is your local cruising area someplace you would like to share? Is it only accessible by boat? Does it matter?
• Finances: It is not something you should pay for. The Association provides some money for each rendezvous. Check with president and treasurer. We have sometimes asked each boat to pay $5-$25 to help with expenses when necessary.
• Cruise-outs: Can be impromptu or planned or none at all.
• Embellishments: Speakers, restaurant dinners, breakfasts, tours, nametags are up to the organizer or helpers. Depends on location and time.
• Advice and input: Don’t need to do it alone. Nice to run things past previous organizers (Barb Lawrence, Tom Blackwood, Nan Simpson, Tim Bates) or regular attendees. Can get volunteers here too.
B. Timeline
• Fall or ASAP get dates and location. They work hand in hand since a certain location may not be available when you want it, so flexibility is needed.
i. Call Harbormaster (or person who handles groups). Get available dates,
ii. Make it a good decision for you – best time and something that interests you.
iii. Good for the fleet – location that balances out where boats are located.
iv. Make dates and location decision. Usually 2-3 nights. Good time to talk with other Tuggers and a way to get people to volunteer to help.
v. Make reservations for about 12 boats (have been having 10-15 boats – 2-49’s, 2-41’s, 8-37’s)
• Fall: Information needed from Marina:
i. How do they want to handle reservations? A. Each boat owner calls in and makes his own reservation with credit card and marina assigns slips or B. Organizer takes reservations and assigns slips? Registration fee? EXAMPLE: Poulsbo charges a $5 fee for each boat reservation. Pay it and get reimbursed from our rendezvous funds.
ii. Reservations deadline for when they release the slips. Usually 2 weeks before the event.
iii. Ask about facilities – a party room or meeting barge, cost and any other fees (chairs, grills etc.)
iv. Ask about moorage fees and electric power and fees
v. Ask about check-in and check-out times
• Fall & Winter:
i. Notifications-get the information out to the fleet. Once you have dates and marina details you are ready. Other times and embellishments can be added.
1. Website: Work with Chief Tech Officer to put the rendezvous up on the site. It is in two parts – Schedule and Attendees. Schedule includes a summary of the event and important details and marina information. Attendees should be kept up to date by you or the boat owners so that we have a record of who came. NOTE: It is possible to see all previous years information. Just ask Tech Officer about that.
2. Tuggers: There will be 2-3 issues of Tuggers before your event – use them all. Put together an article and picture with the details for each issue. Doesn’t have to be long. You can change it up and add new details for other issues. Send to Tuggers Editor before Winter, Spring and Summer issues.
3. Emails:
a. Immediately send rendezvous information to the entire fleet. Sometimes people fly in and it is important for everyone to know.
b. Send reminders to the NW tuggers as more details become available. NW tuggers also include past owners and people who keep their boat here but live elsewhere. Get help with the list from Chief Tech Officer or other NW tuggers.
4. Blog: check with Chief Tech Officer. I am not sure if anyone is actually using it. It does not seem to have anything after 2023. But it would be good to post there since it is on the website.
5. LNVT Facebook: I think we have a Facebook page, but I am not a user, so I don’t know anything about it. Would be good to post there if we do have a page.
ii. Finish organizing the event. If no host, then tug talk is the only thing.
1. Location for Tug Talk. Often just on the dock. Nice if there is a party barge. Sometimes there are picnic tables on the dock or everyone brings their own chair.
2. Tours or speakers. Not necessary but it is nice if your location works for something like that and schedule allows.
3. Group dinner. Some years there have been restaurant dinners or other special dinners. Restaurants – think about walking distance, ordering off the menu or limited menu, no cost private room or section of restaurant.
4. Cruise-out. Easiest way to handle this is to get someone else to do it unless you have something special in mind.
5. Name Tags. Nice but only necessary when there are many new people. The fleet has had a turnover recently.
• Spring & Summer:
i. Write articles for Tuggers
ii. Update: website, blog, Facebook
iii. Email and contact: NW Tuggers and those who usually attend or should attend. It is nice for new owners to get a personal invitation. Makes them feel part of the fleet.
iv. Touch base: with marina, restaurant, tours etc. to make sure everything is okay.
• Event Schedule: (historical schedule of events – not written in stone)
i. Day before: (often Thursday) some Tuggers come in early to get their boat washed and ready and to do shopping. Organizers often come early to be on hand as boats arrive.
ii. Day one: (often Friday) boats arrive. Potluck on the dock or party barge.
iii. Day two:
1. Coffee and breakfast treats on the dock
2. Tug Talk
3. Boat visits
4. Dinner as a group.
5. Awards- these are usually given at Tug Talk or Dinner and are currently handled by Tom Blackwood
iv. Day three:
1. Breakfast or treats on the dock
2. Boats leaving for home OR a cruise out
v. NOTE: This schedule does not allow time for speakers and tours. So, an additional day might be added.
• After the Rendezvous: Write up an article for Tuggers with pictures.
C. Past West Coast Rendezvous with activity notes for ideas
• 2003 Bell Harbor, Ivar’s dinner
• 2004 Bell Harbor, Anthony’s dinner
• 2005 Gig Harbor, Arabella’s Landing, restaurant private room
• 2006 Bell Harbor International, speakers: Tommie Chen, Loren Hart and Jim Backus, Cutter Bay House, cruise to Poulsbo and Port Orchard
• 2007 La Conner, American Tug factory tour, restaurant, cruise to Prevost on Stuart Island
• 2008 Lopez Island, events at Lopez Islander Resort, cruise to Blakely Island
• 2009 Bremerton, Tug Talk & Dinner at pizza place, cruise to Poulsbo and Kingston
• 2010 Tacoma, Woody’s restaurant, cruise to Gig Harbor
• 2011 Bell Harbor, dinner at Marriott, guests Tommie Chen and Lani Hart, cruise to Port Orchard
• 2012 Port Townsend, Wooden Boat Museum tour, Doc’s restaurant, cruise to Sequim and Mystery Bay
• 2013 Roche Harbor, speaker – boat book author, dinner at outdoor restaurant, cruise to Reid Harbor
• 2014 Olympia Harbor Days, Olympia Yacht Club dock and patio BBQ
• 2015 Port Orchard, Port Orchard Yacht Club patio cookout, cruise Poulsbo
• 2016 Cruising to Canada: Langley dinner at Windecker’s home, Cornet Bay, Reid Harbor, Sidney, Montague, Telegraph Harbour, Genoa Bay
• 2017 Cruising rendezvous: Kingston, Coupeville, La Conner, Deer Harbor, Spencer Spit
• 2018 Bremerton, Submarine Tour, Tug Talk on Turner Joy Museum Ship, dinner Anthony’s, cruise to Longbranch with winery tour and dinner at Hildahl’s home and Jerrell Cove and Tacoma
• 2019 Anacortes, pizza restaurant dinner private room, cruise to Rosario and Deer Harbor
• 2020 cancelled
• 2021 Anacortes, dinner at Blackwood/Bialko home
• 2022 Bell Harbor no host, moseying around cruise mid-Sound
• 2023 Langley, dinner at Windecker’s home, visit to Farmer’s Market
• 2024 Kingston, restaurant, Sunday market
• 2025 Friday Harbor, tug 40th birthday party with cake and favors and Sidney, BC, Tommie Chen’s family visited the boats
Macy Galbreath
Ex LADY 37VT08
360-531-1134
moc.liamg|trehtorycam#moc.liamg|trehtorycam
West Coast LORD NELSON VICTORY TUG Rendezvous 2025
This year’s West Coast Rendezvous is scheduled for two days in Friday Harbor, WA, in the
San Juan Islands, July 21 & 22 (Monday/Tuesday), then two days in Sidney, BC, July 23 &
24 (Wednesday/Thursday).
Friday Harbor is the largest town in the San Juans. It is located on San Juan Island, WA. It
is also one of the Washington State ferry landings in the islands. Anacortes, WA is the
mainland terminal for the Islands. Both Friday Harbor and Sidney have large marinas
along with numerous grocery, restaurant and accommodation options. Friday Harbor has a
great little Whale Museum that is a fun visit.
From Sidney you can bus down to the city of Victoria and spend some time in that beautiful city.
Highly recommend having High Tea at the Empress Hotel and visiting the Murchies Tea store that
has been there over 100 years.
We have a tent reserved on the docks at Sidney that will seat 40 people for a bring something to BBQ
and Pot Luck. Tommy Chen built all the tugs and designed the three 41’s, and passed away in 2023.
We are inviting Tommy Chen’s family to join us at the Rendezvous, to give them an opportunity to view the tugs.
The ferry between Sidney and the San Juans has not been running for a few years, but we should be able
to find rides for those who don’t attend with a boat between the two countries.
Let’s show our neighbors to the north that we still love them. Today $1 US buys $1.39 in Canada…
Marina reservations (let them know you are with the LNVT group):
Friday Harbor - https://www.portfridayharbor.org/maritime/friday-harbor-marina/visitor-rates-
reservations
Sidney - https://www.portsidney.com/reservations
Please add your name to the attendees tab after making your reservations.
Contact Mike Dunn at gro.tvnl|tnediserp#gro.tvnl|tnediserp with any questions.
Monday July 21
Port of Friday Harbor
Meet at the Port of Friday Harbor Monday, July 21. Check in time is no earlier than 1300. The Port should have our boats in the same area of the marina except for Polar Mist which needs a larger slip. We have reserved the party barge which is located on Breakwater “A”. It is a long walk to get there but a short dingy ride.
1600 Optional dingy tour of the waterfront from the University of Washington Marine Laboratory to Shipyard Cove about a half mile away.
1730 - 1800 pot luck happy hour at the party barge
Supper on your own
Tuesday July 22
Port of Friday Harbor
0900 (or earlier) Coffee and cinnamon rolls on the floats or party barge.
1000. Tug talk #1- What is new on your tug since last year?
1130 Explore the Town of Friday Harbor. Lunch on your own.
1530 Open boat tours
1730 Happy hour and pot luck supper followed by a birthday party for tugs 40 years or older (and younger too)
Optional songs of the sea.
July 23 Wednesday
Leave Friday Harbor and cruise to Sidney B.C.
0830 Coffee and shared breakfast
1030 Current changes to a flood in San Juan Channel. Leave Friday Harbor at your discretion. It takes about three hours to get to Sidney at 7 knots.
On arrival check in with Customs Canada. Obtain slip assignment.
Mike Dunn reserved Port Sidney’s tent which accommodates 40 people and has a BBQ. 1730 - Thursday evening plan on a BBQ potluck. Bring something to grill and something to share. (There is a grocery store near the marina to pick up supplies).
July 24 Thursday
Port Sidney
0900 - Coffee and breakfast nibble sharing.
1000 - Tug talk #2. Where have you gone and what have you done with your tug? Share your cruising stories.
Noon and the afternoon - Explore Sidney. Victoria is only a bus ride away.
1730 - Happy hour and serendipity events (open for ideas)
July 25 Friday
Leaving Port Sidney
Breakfast and send off.
Tom Blackwood has cruise plans and is open to others joining him in the Gulf and San Juan Islands.
NOTES: Friday Harbor is the county seat for San Juan County. About 2,000 people live in Friday Harbor and 8,000 on San Juan Island. The Port of Friday Harbor was established in 1950 to support the fishing industry and to promote visiting boaters. Today construction and tourism are the top two industries on the island. A bus has a circle route around the island stopping at all the most popular spots. The town is very walkable. (All of the Town of Friday Harbor could fit into Northgate or South Center.)
Debbie Steplock wife of Lou was an amazing member of our organization. Her untimely death left us with fond memories and a recipe for an incredible Chicken Tortilla soup that she introduced at our Telegraph Harbor, BC rendezvous. Debbie was kind enough to write out her recipe for Mike Dunn along with recipes for other dishes. Part of our supper in Sidney will be Dinner with Debbie. Janis Bialko (Thistle Dew VT37/46)is making a batch of that Chicken Tortilla soup at our Sidney stop. Thanks to Janis for stepping up.
There will be some new owners and previous owners so there are two tug talks to tap into their experiences and tug-knowledge. Remember we are more than owners but also caretakers of these amazing vessels. Tommy Chen, the builder of our tugs passed away a couple of years ago. His family lives in the Sidney BC area. When Mike Dunn attended Tommy’s Memorial he found his family never had been around our tugs. Mike promised Tommy’s son David Agahchen that the next time Mike’s tug, Wally, was in Victoria or Sidney He would get in touch and invite the family to see Wally and the other amazing boats built under Tommy’s guidance. Wally, a VT 41 was designed by Tommy.