Once upon a time, a young couple – Karl and June Mehrer – moved their family from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington, settling their brood into a three-story ramshackle tudor house in Madison Park that at the time was considered a “white elephant”. From their perch overlooking Lake Washington, the four kids – Kathy, Mike, Tim and Becky – made that house their home.
Karl, active in the Sea Scouts, became the Captain of the 130-foot Schooner Adventuress and the family began a life dedicated to that ship and its sail training program centered on teen girls and boys. All the while Karl kept his “Karl’s Marine” boiler business afloat, and June kept life in the “Big House” rolling. In addition June was a passionate advocate for nature and our outdoor world, and between hiking and gardening was an early Sierra Club supporter and almost single-handedly saved the University of Washington Arboretum from having a freeway run through it.
Tim and Mike and a group of volunteer friends joined their dad in restoring and rebuilding the Adventuress so she could receive her Coast Guard certification and the boat’s program could expand to a new level. While Karl oversaw the ship, Erni Bennett oversaw the business side. Together the two were known to hundreds of youth as “Skipper and Mrs. B”, a partnership that sailed together for years to come.
Tim himself was the longtime First Mate before getting his own Captain’s License and shipping out as an officer aboard the tallship Sea Cloud over a period of three years.
At this point the Mehrer family and friends had acquired the 160-foot Schooner Zodiac with hopes of restoring her, and upon Tim’s return work began in earnest at Lake Union Drydock where the ship was moored for the next several years.
This was Lake Union before the rise of techno-companies, towering condo towers and traffic-choked roads. There was no wealthy benefactor funding the work, which progressed slowly as resources allowed. Getting Zodiac back a’sail still far
off, to keep spirits high there were parties at the Big House, parties on the boat, the crew anchoring out at Duck Dodge, Seafair, Tugboat races. Mike began his legendary “Tacky Tourists” daysails with the Rainbow flag proudly flying atop the mast. Once a year the gang took the boat up into the San Juan Islands for a crew cruise, getting a taste of what was yet to come.
Karl’s time aboard the Adventuress came to an end as the Zodiac’s time to take sail began. She received her Coast Guard certification and the Mehrers together slowly built a new program aboard their “new’ ship that is before you today, joined now by third generation Captain, Calen Mehrer.
Kathy and Becky, sadly now gone, shared a love of horses and spent their lives caring for their many animals throughout the years. Mike took after June with a love of gardening, and specializes in landscape design.
We honor them all for their contributions to the Mehrer Family legacy.
