100 Years of Historic Fishing Vessel ‘Veteran
Why the Veteran?
F/V (Fishing Vessel) Veteran is 100 years old this year! Built at Gig Harbor’s Skansie Ship Building Co. in 1926 Veteran was donated to Gig Harbor BoatShop in 2017. It was a generous and an unusual donation. Why? Because Nick Fahey donated a mostly restored boat in great condition and he wanted to see her come home to Gig Harbor.
As you’ll see in the video Veteran has been treated well over the last several decades, first by Nick, who poured time and money into a boat he cherished, and in the last decade by talented group of BoatShop volunteers who have maintained Gig Harbor’s historic purse seiner beautifully.
It was Nick’s hope that the non-profit Gig Harbor BoatShop could broaden the Veteran funding pool from a single owner to a community of owners. He thought that giving the boat away to a non-profit was the most probable method of extending Veteran’s life.
Veteran fished local waters for 90 years and during the last decade has been hosting BoatShop passengers for Crew School, Commercial Fishing Up Close, Holiday Light Tours, trips to Blake Island, the Tacoma Narrows, Commencement Bay and more.
Now Veteran needs a community’s help. Veteran needs a new work deck, a new or rebuilt main engine and other associated components such as fuel tanks. The Caterpillar D13000 main engine is 86 years old and the work deck is the primary structural feature that didn’t get replaced on Nick’s watch. It’s up to the BoatShop now.
Help us keep this classic piece of Puget Sound maritime history operating for generations to come!
Gig Harbor BoatShop wants to keep Veteran working for another century! Anything helps! No donation is too small!