Saturday, September 9, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates its annual Festival of the Sea, at Hyde Street Pier on SF's Fisherman's Wharf, 10am-5pm. We're known as "America's floating national park." There'll be Living History shipboard demonstrations, a boatbuilding competition, maritime library book sale, theatre, kids crafts, storytelling, iron forging demos plus other events, and sea music performed by Bay Area musicians on two stages. Information: 415-447-5000.

At 8pm we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the park's monthly chantey sing! The sing will be held aboard the historic ferryboat Eureka (normally it's held aboard a sailing ship, but the ferry can accomodate the larger than usual numbers anticipated). The sings began in the late 70's, intermittently, and then became a regulasr park sponsored propgram in 1981. Ranger Dave Nettell was present at the creation and ran the sings until 1989. The other rangers hosting it: Celeste Bernardo (1989-92), Revell Carr (1992-96, who will be here from SoCal, performing during the day as well) and myself (1996-present). Rangers Gary Keep (1980's, also performing in the Dogwatch Nautical Band) and Kathy Daskal (2002-present) assist. The heart and soul of the sings, though, are the hundreds of participants who have kept and continue to keep alive the singing traditions of sailors, stevedores, and fishermen. The chantey sing is free, but reservations required. To reserve space at thr sing, please call 415-561-7171, or email peter_kasin@nps.gov.

Volunteers are needed for variety of tasks, including instrument check (half hour shifts), gate greeters, cook assistants (for the evening volunteer/performer/staff meal), and various other logistical tasks as needed. If you'd like to volunteer, please call Terry Dorman, volunteer coordinator, at 415-556-1613, or email terry_dorman@nps.gov.

Here's the performance schedule:

Mid-Pier Stage
12:00 The Chantey Sing Rangers
1:00 Live Oakes Theatre
2:00 Dogwatch Nautical Band
3:00 Holdstock and Macleod
4:00 Finale (all hands)

Children's Stage
10:30 Don Clark and Michele Delattre
11:00 Robert Rodriquez (NYC), storytelling
11:30 Sons of the Buccaneers
12:00 Nathalie Reginster
12:30 Skip Henderson and The Starboard Watch
1:00 Salty Walt
1:30 Robert Rodriquez, storytelling
2:00 Peter Kasin and Richard Adrianowicz
2:30 Kathryn Daskal
3:00 Revell Carr
3:30 Malcolm Rigby and Riggy Rackin

Eureka
3:00 Live Oakes Theatre
8:00 Chantey Sing

Balclutha
Living History Demos, w/ chanteys
10:15 Pumps
10:30 Capstan
11:00 Sail Raise

Mudcatters Radriano, Riggy,Lancslad, Musique174, Rev, and Salty Walt, and myself are among the performers, and Melani and BillR are among the volunteers. Hope to see other Mudcatters there. Let's meet by the Md-Pier stage at 5pm for a group Mudcat photo, eh?

Chanteyranger