Where Is Moby Duck?

If you watched the Torchlight Parade last year, you may have noticed something missing; the Seafair Pirate's own flagship the "MOBY DUCK."

We broke a trunion pin in the rear spring support. Thus, disabling the duck a few hours before Torchlight. Pat Patterson (Capt. Kid 1996-97) in the true spirit of the Seafair Pirates said, "The show WILL go on.

Improvising, he used Bill Ogden's (Capt. Kid 1997-98) red pick-up truck. A little out of character, but we made the parade.

Little did Capt. Patterson realize, how many times through his year as Captain, he would be forced to call upon Bill and his red pick-up. A short way into the year, "Moby Duck's" engine started rolling out clouds of smoke. The Seafair Pirates are a non-prof it all volunteer group. We receive no outside funding at all. Fundraisers such as this magazine do little to cover our yearly expenses. So, we found ourselves with a major dilemma with a dying Duck and no funds available. The earlier trunion pin repair had cleaned us out.

A little history on the "Moby Duck". It is an early 1940's military amphibious landing craft. They were called DUKW's: hence, the name we gave it, "Moby Duck". It actually served in the Pacific. It had a six cylinder engine. Somewhere along the way, the six was "86ed" and a 440 cubic inch V8-engine was modified to replace it. Now this engine was dying.

Enter Mike Pingatore, of Pignatore Painting Co. in Burien. Without having met the Pirates, he had made plans to solve our problem, at no expense to us. Mike had arranged with N.W. Cummins Diesel to remove and replace the engine at their Renton facility. Foster's Machine Shop in White Center stepped in to do the machine work. Jerry "the King" Ruth volunteered the labor of making sure the engine was rebuilt properly. NAPA Auto Parts, after much negotiation. donated the parts needed to rebuild the engine.

It was decided the engine compartment held too much heat around the engine. In stepped Doug Thorley Headers of California with a set of headers. Walt's Radiator & Muffler offered the rest of the exhaust system which will go a long way toward dissipating the engine heat.

Although the engine work, as of this writing is not complete, it should be finished soon. Our apologies to Capt. Pat for not having a "Duck" for much of his year.

Our most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been so generous to the Pirates. As Pirates, most people think that we only come out at Seafair. We. in fact, do our thing about ten months of the year. We ask nothing in return but to make you happy. Your encouragement is the fuel that keeps us going. The generosity we are & have received is overwhelming. Thank you. God Bless.

Gary Williamson


HOME	Adventures With Seafair Pirates	PORTS O'CALL	PICTURE ALBUM	CANDIDATES APPLY HERE	GUEST BOOK	NEWS, LINKS, SPONSORS	PLUNDER Gift Shop

Where is Moby Duck?