Soundings (1/17/12)

Sergeant at Arms by Lynn Templeton

Fines for Stan, a Dannon football fine, Bob Tull and Ken Oplinger for their wonderful deep voices, trivia on "this day in history", Husky & Cougar fans!

Program

Anna introduced Deborah Dempsey, Columbia River Bar Pilot.

Debby grew up in CT in a very active boating community.  She graduated from the U. Vermont with a degree in chemistry.  After college she decided not to go to work for her father's pharmacy, and instead delivered boats along the East coast.  Then she managed to get into the Maine Maritime Academy (part of the first class that included women), graduating valedictorian in 1976.  After that, started working for a steamship company as an officer on vessels sailing around the world, usually carrying various bulk cargo.  She also worked on container ships and roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessels.  In 1994 she was recruited by the Columbia River Pilots' Association, and she joined.  Her job is to takes a special pilots' boat out to the freighters entering the Columbia Rive, board them (either by climbing a rope ladder on the side, or sometimes by helicopter), and then pilot the vessels over the bar.  Recently she has also piloted cruise ships in and out of Astoria, OR.  See the article in the Smithsonian magazine: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Running-the-Bar.html

Debby also runs the non-profit "Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center" here in Bellingham.  www.boatingcenter.org 

Respectfully submitted,