Iver the tug fell victim to the strong storms that ripped through Ballard over the weekend, and her owners, Bill Soderberg and Julie Tallino, along with the local maritime community, are working to raise funds to help save the 72-foot tug. Soderberg and Tallino were living aboard Iver, so the funds will go to restore not only their beloved tug, but also their home.
Since Iver sank on Monday, the tugboat community has rallied to help save her. A crane helped lift Iver off the bottom of the canal, but as soon as they got her above water, she would start sinking again. It was decided that they should haul her out on the dry-dock in Fisherman’s Terminal, where they attempted to learn why she sank in the first place. According to the owner’s friend Kelley Goad, there was a plank that had popped out, likely due to the pressure of the water inside the hull. Iver will remain in dry-dock until they can establish what caused her to sink so repairs can begin to get her back on the water.
Northwest Seaport is putting on a fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. aboard the tug Arthur Foss in Lake Union Park. It’s happening at the end of the Classic Workboat Show, which is all day on Saturday at Lake Union Park. They’ll be serving beer, the proceeds from which will go to Soderberg and Tallino to help them clean up and rebuild their home.
An online fundraiser has also been set up to save Iver. “Bad things happen to good people. That saying has never been more true,” it states on the homepage.
From the fundraising website:
Bill and Julie’s beloved tugboat, Tug Iver, sunk overnight, likely due to the storm and strong winds last night. This was their home, and they have lost everything they own, along with countless hours of hard work. The bills are stacking up as fast as the Iver went down. Just today, they estimate it will cost around $50,000 to have the fuel cleaned up, divers working all day, and contracting to get her hauled out of the water. This is just for day one, and doesn’t include any of the personal belongings they lost.
To learn more about Iver the tug, visit this website Soderberg set up to show the restoration process.
Photo credit Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times
