Maritime Metaphors: In memory of Tim Przygocki

(by Lisbit Bailey, Archivist and Pop Music Aficionado)

In Memory of Timothy Przygocki

7 October 1948 to 19 February 2014

Tim moved to San Francisco in 1972. Captivated by the historic full-rigged ship Balclutha, he made historic ship preservation his passion and career. He started as a volunteer for the San Francisco Maritime Museum and worked his way up to Historic Ship Rigger.

His unique skills lead to many interesting jobs which included serving on the crew of the replica ship Golden Hinde in 1979 when she sailed to Japan for the filming of the miniseries Shogun. Tim and other crew members acted as extras in the film.

Tim became a National Park Service employee when the Balclutha and the Maritime Museum were transferred to federal stewardship.

In his NPS uniform in the 1990s

In the mid-1990s, Tim started his second career at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park as the Safety and Hazardous Materials Manager. The many years he worked on the historic ships gave him a clear understanding of the complex and dangerous work involved in historic ship preservation. He was as passionate about taking care of his fellow employees and park visitors as he was about the ships.

Tim retired from the National Park Service in September 2010.

Tim and his 1979 Spider Veloce, in 2012

Tim is greatly missed by his family and his many friends near and far.

You can read his obituaries at the Mishawaka High School Class of 1968 site (MS Word format only), and until the end of March 2014 also in the San Francisco Chronicle and the SouthBend Tribune.

In honor of Tim’s life, I’ve selected a song to share here on Maritime Metaphors called Sailboats.  This beautiful and moving song was written by Adam R. Young who is Sky Sailing. It was released 27 July 2010. The album is titled An Airplane Carried Me to Bed.

Sailboats

Sailboats wish that they were stars

Floating softly in the sky

Among our dreams that bid goodbye

Moving through transparent space

Drifting through the stratosphere

And onward 'til they disappear

These continents from overhead

Look like tiny paper shapes

Intricately set in place

Below the misty mountain clouds

There's a lovely silver bay

Where sunset sailors often hideaway

Scuba diver in the loch

Speedboat driver on the dock

Sailplane pilot in the blue

Take me up there with you

The world looks brighter

From this high altitude

I was walking through the trees

(Sailboats wish that they were stars)

And I was swimming through the seas

('Cause they don't know who they are)

I was falling through the air

When it hit me right there

My eyes are tired, I don't even care

An airplane carried me to bed

Where I slept above the coast

And dreamt I had become a ghost

I sail above the frozen peaks

Deep in cold cathedral caves

Across the hills and far beyond the waves

Take the car on the run

Fly the jet to the sun

And bring the spacecraft in soon

While I play chess with the moon

I feel like sleeping

Through this cold afternoon

Once in 1964

(Sailboats wish that they were stars)

An actress ran on the shore

('Cause they don't know who they are)

And though you'll never return

I love you, Audrey Hepburn

Sometimes I can see your face in the crowd

There are sailboats throughout this brilliant sky

But you cannot pick them out if you can't fly

I'm glad the earth doesn't care if I go up there

If you want to just ask me and I'll take you along

In recognition of Tim’s early days with the organization that became San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, I’ve selected 6 items from the Park’s Museum Collection including 3 drawings, 2 paintings and 1 poster of the Park’s Historic Fleet circa 1970:

SAFR 526, painting, Golden Hynde off Point Reyes, California, being towed in calm waters, 1977

SAFR 19313, painting, Balclutha at San Francisco's  Fisherman's Wharf dock, seen broadside from starboard, partly obscured by Pier 43 1/2 gate building in foreground, circa 1965-1985

SAFR 15404, drawing, Alma, port stern quarter view of vessel under sail, 1972

SAFR 19345, drawing, Wapama, port broadside view of 1915 steam schooner WAPAMA during the 1970's 

SAFR 19732, painting, Eppleton Hall, bow port quarter view of tug in San Francisco Bay, with Golden Gate Bridge in far background. Painted entirely in blue, 1970’s

Photo Archives Spotlight: A River Tyne Paddle Tug Arrives in San Francisco

(By M. Crawford, Processing Archivist)

Two recently processed collections (cue Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge over Troubled Water) will take you back to March 24, 1970, and a British Invasion of the nautical kind. The George R. Lamuth photographs and the H. Alan Sims photographs of the Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat) are collections of 28 and 56 slides, respectively, documenting the approach, celebration, and new home of Eppleton Hall in San Francisco.

Fireboats and spectators welcome Eppleton Hall as she makes her way

Fisherman’s Wharf. Photo by George R. Lamuth. (P99-015, Item 7)

Click for Collection Guide

George R. Lamuth photographs of the Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), 1970 March-1989 September, P99-015 (SAFR 23143)

Click for Collection Guide

H. Alan Sims photographs of the Eppleton Hall (built 1914; tugboat), circa 1950s, 1970 March 24, P99-014 (SAFR 22590)

An epic journey it was!

As if this wasn't dramatic enough, add to the plot three 

children aboard for the journey, illness in Mexico, and some 

colorful disagreement about the way to run a ship, and you 

have yourself an adventure. Photographed by H. Alan Sims.

(P99-014, Item 4)

You will have to bring your own band, but you can still experience the crowds, camera crews, and first glances of this relic as she steams into San Francisco. The measures taken to pull the burned-out hull of this steam side-wheeler out of the mud and return her to full operation were tremendous--a labor of love, indeed--and her arrival from Newcastle, England, was a day of exuberance. H. Alan Sims, of the Sacramento Area, and George Lamuth, life-long San Franciscan, were there to capture it on film for all of us that couldn't be there and for all of us who choose to relive it.

Builder’s plate from the restoration of  Eppleton Hall.

William “Bill” Bartz, went to Newcastle with Karl Kortum 

and Scott Newhall to purchase the paddle tug. He stayed 

with her while she underwent her renovation in England, doing 

much of the work himself. Photographed by H. Alan Sims.

(P99-014, Item 38)

Peruse the collection guides on the Online Archive of California to explore more, or while you’re in the mood, make an appointment with our reference staff to see the collections in person. While you’re here, feel free to pull Captain Scott Newhall's book on the Eppleton Hall (Call No. G470 N4) off the public reference shelf, or request a look at the logbook of her journey to San Francisco (HDC 1137, SAFR 17686). There's more to be found; it's only a reference request away.