Welcome to Maritime Voices
Interviews with people from Port Townsend, WA and the Olympic Peninsula who have unique and interesting maritime related stories. We interview shipwrights, voyagers, sailmakers, fishers, designers, and more. If you are not familiar with the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the Olympic Peninsula is at the very northwest corner of the lower 48 states. Port Townsend has been a sailing hub since the 1850’s and is currently the home to a vibrant community of marine trades people and sailors.
All interviews and transcripts will be shared with the Jefferson County Historical Society for them to keep forever.
Latest interviews
Including transcripts
Bill Nance
Bill Nance is only the 2nd known person to ever sail alone around the world via the three great capes (1962-1965) from west to east. The book “The Circumnavigators” says he was “…one of the boldest and most competent, but least-known circumnavigators, on the tiny 25-foot Cardinal Vertue…”. In this conversation we mostly talk about that voyage, the adventures he had, and the people he met, but we also
Diana Talley
Diana believes that she may hold the world’s record for throwing up at sea after getting pregnant on a 106- day engineless non-stop voyage from Panama to Port Townsend, in a boat without standing headroom. She's been a shipwright, an offshore fisher, a racing sailboat captain, and is now a writer. Diana grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and on Lake Washington in Seattle. She also spent time in Sausalito,
Sean Rankins
Sean is a sail maker and the owner, with his wife Inger, of Northwest Sails & Canvas in Port Hadlock, Washington. He grew up in Southern California and started working for North Sails in San Diego in the late 70’s. He went on to open lofts and support big regattas all over the world, including a couple of Americas Cups. Durning the 80’s sail making got regularly interrupted by
