Sailing Education

Practice Boating Knots at The Seattle Boat Show, FREE for All Ages; Northwest Women in Boating’s “Knot A Boat”

By Marilyn Michael and Margaret Pommert

Introduction:

Have you ever learned to tie a boating knot in a classroom or at home, only to suffer amnesia when you try to tie it on an actual boat? Lots of us have! Including Vivian Strolis, who owns and skippers a large powerboat! So, she conceived and led a collaborative effort among a large group of local maritime organizations to create, “Knot A Boat”.

Knot a Boat is a display boat with real railings for you to practice tying fenders to real deck cleats and Samson Posts to cleat dock lines to, and friendly volunteers and instructional flyers to encourage you. It’s totally free! It’s great for families, newbies, and even “Old Salts”. Volunteers at the booth love to teach basic boating knots, but also love it when an old salt comes and teaches a new one!

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You’ll find Knot A Boat at booth West 56 at the Seattle Boat Show this year (2019). That’s on the lower level, near the Information Booth and Food Court. It’s also outside the Women’s restroom, so a nice way for husbands and friends to pass the time while a woman is “indisposed”.

We hope you’ll come and visit us and practice some knots! Perhaps you might also be inspired by the story of how one women’s vision, and the generous collaboration from local maritime businesses, schools, and individuals created something for our entire boating community…

What IS Knot A Boat?

It’s an 8’ by 8’ bow of a fiberglass boat outfitted as a knot-tying training station. It offers a realistic, three- dimensional opportunity to learn and practice tying the many knots that we as boaters need to or should use to make our boating lives safer and easier, but…which we are often out of practice with…or perhaps never learned.

Where did the IDEA for Knot A Boat come from?

It came from the creative imagination of the co-director/creator of Northwest Women in Boating, Vivian Strolis. She wanted a hands-on three-dimensional way of making knot tying stick. A focus of Northwest Women in Boating is helping improve boating skills for greater safety, and this was a unique way of supporting that. Plus, there was an enthusiastic community of boat-loving gals to adopt the idea!

Where did Knot A Boat itself come from?

It came from ‘the depths of the Puget Sound’. Yep, creative Vivian asked herself, “Where can we get a boat and someone to cut the end off for us?” It turned out that the Derelict Vessel Removal Program was the perfect source. These are the folks who drag up derelict, sunken boats from the depths, and gather other abandoned boats from around the sound. They were so thrilled that someone actually wanted to take one of the boats off their hands, or at least part of one, that they did the actual cutting off of the bow to Vivian’s specifications!

How did it go from derelict to ship-shape?

Through the kind generosity of dozens of maritime businesses and folks around Seattle, Knot A Boat emerged as the attractive teaching station that it is today. It was a community endeavor embraced by all. Here is a list of those who made, and continue to make, Knot A Boat possible:

Government organizations:

• WA State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) –
• Derelict Vessel Removal Program – Melissa Ferris/Jerry Farmer

Marine businesses and trade organizations:

• Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) – George Harris, President – Mentor
• Peter Schrappen NMTA – Primary Contact
• Northwest Marine Trade Association – Provided Seattle Boat Show Booth
• CSR Marine – Scott Anderson, President – fiberglass work, boat show tickets for booth volunteers
• Fisheries Supply – Samson Pole, boat show tickets for booth volunteers
• Pacific Fiberglass – Doug Lambeth. President – painted Knot A Boat, boat show tickets for booth volunteers
• Captain’s Nautical – boat show tickets for booth volunteers
• Sure Rite Design – Nancy Anderson – painted name of boat
• Prism Graphics – Stephanie Aird, Head of Sales – striping on boat
• Railmakers North West – Mark Reeves and Guy Reeves – straightened railings
• Gary Madsen – Harbour Village Marine Operations Director – transportation
• Roland Strolis – Harbour Village Marina Director – transportation/hardware
• Waypoint Marine – Buck Fowler – storage
• Bill Wiginton – Pelington Properties – lumber
• Dunato’s – Patricia Segulja, General Manager – teak restoration
• West Marine – lines for Knots
• Joe Cruikshank – Framing for under Knot A Boat
• BoatUS – sponsor

Colleges:

• Seattle Central Woodworking School – interior cabinetry
• Seattle Maritime Academy – Sarah Scherer, Erik Davis – on-going management and use

Northwest Women in Boating Members:

• Lynne Reister – NWWB Member – Lode Star Marine – marine surveyor
• Kathy Felker – CleverKathy Designs Embroidery – NWWB burgee
• Elsie Hulsizer – NWWB member – Knot signage
• Marsha Cutting – member NWWB – lumber
• Vivian Strolis – NWWB Co-chair – Project Manager
• Marilyn Michael – NWWB Co-chair – Support
• Sandy Kawamura & Lance Pascubillo – carpet for booth
• Anastasia Reed – carpet for booth

Why is Knot A Boat Featured at the Seattle Boat Show?

Knot tying is an element of safety onboard that is often overlooked by boaters. From the beginning, the Northwest Marine Trade Association embraced Knot A Boat as a unique feature at the Seattle Boat Show. The Booth is non-commercial, and fun for both those volunteering and the boat show attendees stopping by. They can relax, engage in conversation and practice the actual tying of all kinds of knots, using the instructional boards or the expertise of volunteers. It is an interesting way to promote a feature of safety on board.

What did Knot A Boat offer to Northwest Women in Boating?

Boating has long been seen as a predominantly male dominated activity. Yet there are so many talented women doing amazing things on the water! There are so many women eager to become more knowledgeable and “in charge” out on the water. There are many women wanting to take a more active role in the boat they own with a partner.  Women who embrace Northwest Women in Boating are proactive about improving, and even sharing, their boating skills. Knot A Boat gave women an effective teaching tool to improve their skills. Very importantly, though it offered an opportunity to put women ‘out front’ as actively involved with promoting and teaching boating skills and safety on board. Knot A Boat, in a way, became a visible statement to other women and the larger boating community of women taking charge and saying, “We are capable of learning and mastering the skills of boating.”

What’s Knot A Boat’s Future?

Knot A Boat arriving at new home at Seattle Maritime Academy. (Left to right: Northwest Women in Boating member Juli Tallino, Vivian Strolis, Seattle Maritime Academy Director/Associate Dean Sarah Scherer)

Vivian continued as caretaker of Knot A Boat, but it needed a permanent home between Seattle Boat Shows. With the help of Director/Associate Dean Sarah Scherer and others, it was donated to the Seattle Maritime Academy in Ballard, where it resides proudly in their lobby as an educational display. They use it as an inter-active educational display for visiting groups of High Schoolers, and others, interested in the maritime programs offered by Seattle Maritime Academy. It’s also used for knot tying classes for recreational boaters, part of a variety of classes offered to the local boating community. 

Knot A Boat fits in perfectly in Seattle Maritime Academy’s Lobby

Northwest Women in Boating still features Knot A Boat at the Seattle Boat Show, staffed by volunteers.

We also have this display at the booth, with more pictures and story of Knot A Boat’s history.

Look for us!

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Marilyn Michael is co-director of Northwest Women in Boating. To learn about this no-dues organization for women involved with boating go to www.nwwb.wordpress.com.

Margaret Pommert is Northwest Women in Boating’s Knot A Boat booth organizer for the Seattle Boat Show.