For over a century, the Olympia harbor tugboat
Sand Man
has worked on Puget Sound waters.
Built in Tacoma in 1910,
towed such commodities as sand, gravel, oysters, logs, and more to and from Budd Inlet. The tugboat was owned by three commercial companies and one private owner. In 1997, the Sand Man Foundation formed, took ownership, and placed
on multiple historic registries. Through fundraising efforts, the deteriorating
was miraculously saved and rebuilt after three sinkings. Over the years, the vessel participated in many Olympia Harbor Days activities and vintage tugboat races and was the festival’s first logo boat in 1983.
, a workhorse and survivor, is known as “Olympia’s Tugboat.” This is the story of
, the little tug that could and did.
Lisa Nickel grew up boating on Puget Sound in her family’s own tugboat. She holds a master’s degree in creative arts and learning. After retiring from a 30-year teaching career, she is now the author of multiple magazine articles. She received the 2022 Algona Great Blue Heron Award for her dedication to her teaching career, partnership in science education, and charter lead educator of the Algona Blue Heron Community Gardens. Maritime historian Chuck Fowler’s previous publications include Arcadia Publishing’s
Tall Ships on Puget Sound
,
Tugboats on Puget Sound
, and
Patrol and Rescue Boats on Puget Sound
, as well as
Exploring Maritime Washington
, published by The History Press.