Saturday, October 3, 2026
Volunteering to serve in the Port of Olympia’s Harbor Patrol is a rewarding endeavor, where teamwork and camaraderie are always in action.
“What we do is important,” said Lyndy Slyker, a recent volunteer crew member, “and the camaraderie with the other crew members is great.”
Her comment reminded Rich LaRosa, a volunteer commander with almost two decades of service with the Harbor Patrol, of a recent incident in which a boat became trapped under a dock near the Marine Terminal.
“We worked in the dark with port officials at the terminal to free it,” LaRosa said. “It was a collaborative effort with port officials and the Harbor Patrol, which serves everyone well.”
The Port of Olympia is comprised of the Olympia Airport, the Marine Terminal, a real estate office and the Swantown Marina, where the Harbor Patrol is located.
Formed in 1970, the Port of Olympia Harbor Patrol (POHP) is a service of the Port of Olympia. Currently comprised of 22 community volunteers who serve without compensation, the patrol’s officers and crew members annually account for more than 800 hours of on-the-water patrols and 750 hours of training.
The Harbor Patrol provides services to all sizes of watercraft to include power vessels, sail boats and kayakers. It also works with the Olympia Fire and Police departments, Thurston County emergency agencies and, if needed, the U.S. Coast Guard in providing security, Marine safety and the protection of life and property.
Some of the Olympia Summer Events the Harbor Patrol will be involved with are as follows: Summer Nights at the Port (June 20, June 27 and July 11); the Shoestring Circus (June 27 to July 6); the Olympia Dragon Boat Festival (July 12); the South Sound Block Party (Aug. 22 and 23); Olympia Harbor Days – Maritime Festival & Tugboat Races (Aug. 29 to Aug. 31); and Movies at the Marina (Aug. 30 and Sept. 6)
“Our volunteers are service minded, friendly and professional,” continued Damien Egan, Harbor Patrol Senior Manager, “and we are always welcome volunteers.”
He explained that a volunteer should have a “people first” mindset.
“Volunteers should have an interest in working with crew members,” Egan said. “Experience is not necessary; volunteers learn the skills they need to know as the go through the process. But what is vital to the service we provide is the ability to adapt to different crew members and learn from each other.”
What the members of the Harbor Patrol learn is valuable in how it provides safety education, search and rescue, and harbor security for the Port of Olympia and Thurston County.
During monthly meetings, crew members learn about the various aspects of seamanship and how to respond to various situations. When on the water, they put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom. Below is the curriculum.
January – Hypothermia
February – Rules of the Road
March – Aids to Navigation & Light Codes
April – Pumps, Fire Suppression & Generators
May – Side Tow & Long Tow
June – First Aid, CPR and AED Course
July – Outboard, Anchoring and Dinghy Use
August – Picnic BBQ & Potluck
September – Radios & Coast Guard Protocols
October – Night Operations, Search & Rescue & Radar
November – Charting & Navigation
December – Holiday Potluck
January – Night Operations, Aids to Navigation & Light Codes
February – Rules of the Road
March – Chart Plotter & Radar
April – Pumps & Generator
May – Side & Long Towing
June – Side & Long Towing
July – Outboard Maneuvers & Anchor
August – Dinghy Use – Launch, Paddle & Retrieve
September – Radios – Practice VHF & UHF
October – Local Knowledge & Marlinspike (working with lines & ropes)
November – Night Operations
December – Night Operations
“This is a collaborative effort, a value added service to the boating community and the support a number of community events and patrol every weekend of the year,” concluded Taber Lee, Communications & Marketing Senior Manager for the Port of Olympia “I am very proud of the service they provide.”
To learn more about the Port of Olympia Harbor Patrol or on how to volunteer, click here.
2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Snevets
When will the harbor patrol boat be back on the water? I thought I saw it on the hard at the Boatworks.
Monday, May 26, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
Nice that Harbor Patrol cannot enforce registration. Perhaps they will try to at Swantown. But NO Longer can they Harrass Boaters at Westbay or ANY other Marina. They did that for about 10 years with NO Legal Grounds Handing out "Illegal false citations" till they got Stopped. TRUE HISTORY!
Monday, May 26, 2025 Report this