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New Paddlers’ Dock at Ancich Park makes a splash

The opening of a new paddlers’ dock at Ancich Waterfront Park was a dream come true for the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Club and others who like to spend time on the water.

It was also a bit of a history lesson.

The dock — including storage space the club’s boats — is the culmination of a decades-long effort.

The club was founded in 2002 by Gig Harbor resident Alan Anderson. It is home to the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team, which won numerous trophies all over the world — including Olympic gold medals.

A flotilla of kayaks, canoes and other vessels turned out to celebrate the new paddlers dock at Ancich Park. Jennicca Taylor

A dock for everyone

Club members searched for years for a permanent home and a suitable dock for launching their boats. Now they have both — a place to store their boats in the nearby building and easy access to the water.

“This facility — the dock and the building — is about the whole community,” Anderson said at the event. “And we’re thrilled to be in such a rich, historic neighborhood.”

Anderson recalled the day he visited late mayor Gretchen Wilbert in 2002. He told her about his desire to start a canoeing club for the town’s young people.

“She was really positive and enthusiastic about the idea and next thing I knew City Administrator Mark Hoppen was driving me around town and we were looking for places where kids could store their boats and get into the water,” Anderson said.

The search continued for 20 years before ending with a  ceremony at the new dock on Saturday, April 2.

A new place to launch

Although it’s home to the kayak club, the new dock and storage building are for use by the whole community.

Stand-up paddleboarder Jerry Figuerres and his miniature Australian shepherd Kalani are a familiar site out on the water. He has followed the progress of the facility for years.

Jerry Figuerres and his dog, Kalani, are often seen paddleboarding in the harbor. Jeni Woock

“It’s really going to be a good thing for Gig Harbor, especially in the summer when we have so many visitors,” Figuerres said.

Figuerres typically launches his stand-up paddleboard from Skansie Park or Eddon Boat Park. Now he’ll be using the new dock as soon as work on the Harborview roundabout is finished, he said.

Figuerres tries to get out on his paddleboard with Kalani several times a week.

“I love being out on the water with my dogs. It’s so meditative, and I see so much wildlife – seals, crabs, jellyfish,”
he said. “There used to be an octopus that lived under the dock by the Tides (Tavern) that I often saw, and once I even had a whale come up beside my board. I think it was probably a minke whale. It just rose up very gently and looked at me and Kalani with its big eye, and quietly went back under. It was magical — but there’s always something wonderful.”

Decades in the making

Josh Sherwin, special projects coordinator for the Downtown Waterfront Alliance, watched the dock take shape over the past several months. “The divers, the barge, it was very exciting,” he said. “And Saturday was such a beautiful day with so much excitement in the air and out on the water.”

Former mayor Kit Kuhn called the dock “a win for everybody in the community.” It involved five years of hard negotiating, he said.

“It took many years of meetings and compromise to make everyone feel OK — the kayakers, the (commercial) fishermen, the citizens. And for the kayakers to have a long enough lease with fair terms that’s good for the city and for the internationally recognized club,” Kuhn said.

“But it’s proof of good things that can happen when everyone works together.”

A history lesson

Of all the speakers at Saturday’s ceremony, Mary Ellen Gilmour and her family have the deepest roots. Gilmour’s great-grandfather, Nicholas Castelan, emigrated from Croatia in 1886 and purchased the land that eventually became Ancich Park in 1901.

He built a small house for him and his bride, Ella Markovich, where the viewing platform is now located.

The little house became known as “the Honeymoon Cottage.” Nearly every family member lived in it after marrying, before building their own homes, Gilmour said. Newlywed friends and neighbors also lived there.

Mary Ellen Gilmour talks about her family’s more than century-long history at Ancich Park. Jeni Woock

Over the years, Castelans married Jerkoviches and other Croatian immigrant families, most of whom were commercial fishermen. The families are still among the town’s commercial fishermen.

“This extraordinary spot located at a center point in Gig Harbor has also been the center point for our family for over 120 years,” Gilmour said. “It has not only remained our commercial fishing home, but at the heart of our family and a significant part of the history of Gig Harbor.

“Today, our family is here to graciously share part of the tideland waters with other families in Gig Harbor and we look forward to having them used as a center point for the community. We sincerely wish to thank everyone who was instrumental in making this project become a reality.”

Community members gathered for the grand opening of the new paddlers dock at Ancich Park on Saturday. Josh Sherwin