Revelations & Expectations

I'm incredibly excited about this project. The vision has changed a bit from it's initial concept, and I think for the better.

The first iteration of the project was to create a self-guided tour, using small mini-computers and speakers, and that quickly got priced out.

The second iteration, was to keep the self-guided tour, but use QR-codes to connect to a custom website where one would have access to archival photos, an audio diary, and a written piece about whatever the visitor was in front of. I still think this is a good idea, but it's WAY too big for this project. That project was also based on the idea of physical zones for each piece, and after spending some more time in the space, it doesn't make as much sense to do it that way for a couple of reasons: First, the entire first floor is all open. There aren't really any hard-defined lines between locations. And secondly, in talking to the amazing staff on the Preston, what's really interesting are the people and the jobs they did.

The Path Forward

So, what are we actually doing? Well, I'm creating a mini-series podcast based on the crew of of the W. T. Preston (well, and the Skagit, Skagit II, and Swinomish, which were all the same, sort of, boat, just different iterations, listen to the podcast for more details). I've broken the episodes up by job on the crew:

• Captain
• 1st Mate / 2nd Mate
• Cook
• Engineer
• Deckhand / Fireman

I think this will end up being much more engaging, as you'll get to hear from the people who cruised up and down the Puget Sound pulling out stumps, cars, and even a plane from the rivers. Seriously, this boat was weirdly really cool and full of surprisingly captivating stories.

What I Actually Did on the Boat

Well, since it was my first day on the boat, I spent a chunk of my time getting situated in my office, which is the captain's office, on the top of the boat, directly behind the pilot. It's got an amazing view of Cap Sante Marina and downtown Anacortes.

I also spent some time talking with staff about ideas and getting their advice on the project.

Lastly, I began the writing process and wrote a draft of Episode 0, an episode dedicated to introducing the concept.

Last Thoughts

I'm excited to be starting on this project, and I'm hoping it leads to more interesting residencies in the future. I'm also digging the process of taking local history and converting it into short form audio stories, so maybe this will be a new beginning for me.

My hours on the boat will be: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM for the month of August, so please feel free to swing by and say "hello", though you'll need to either coax me out of my crows nest or pay the entry fee to do so. I'd say pay the fee, it's a really cool exhibit!