South Sound Maritime Heritage Association

This year, the nonprofit South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) celebrated the 52nd year of its popular Olympia Harbor Days tugboat-themed festival and races over Labor Day weekend.  We are now also focused on completing a lasting legacy tribute to the history and service of these venerable workboats. This project is nearing completion near the city’s downtown waterfront, but we need your help to finish the job.

After the accidental sinking of the historic tugboat Parthia in 2017, the SSMHA and several dedicated businesses and individuals came together to rescue, salvage and restore this icon of the Olympia working waterfront and Harbor Days.  She worked in our local Budd Inlet harbor for across four decades, from the 1930’s through the 1960’s, for Delta V. Smyth Tugs and Barges and the Foss Launch and Tug Company.  Later owners brought her back to Olympia 26 times to participate in Harbor Days festivals, where she often won her tugboat race class.   In the best interest of preserving her for future generations, it was decided she should rest on land where our community and visitors alike can enjoy her year-round. Of course, the pandemic delayed our efforts, but we are now making a major push to complete the project funding in the next few months. We hope to finish the construction soon so we can all celebrate Parthia’s 120th birthday in 2026.

The Parthia will be publicly exhibited by the entrance to the popular Olympia Farmers Market and near the Port of Olympia Marine Terminal.  The concrete foundation has been poured and is ready and waiting.

We have an urgent need to complete this construction to protect Parthia from ongoing rainfall damage.  The tug needs to be moved to the site before the protective Pavilion can be built around it.   The final construction costs must be raised before that can happen.  Funds will be used for construction of the Pavilion over the tug, surrounding site improvements, and production of educational display panels surrounding the tug.