Volunteer for Seventy48

Follow the race

Volunteer for SEVENTY48 and be part of the few people running this race that actually “know stuff.”

We are looking for folks excited to support racers who are as likely to be fleeing the law by sea as seeking to challenge themselves. Just completing this event is enough for anyone to worry about, so we need support teams in Tacoma to help send them off and in Port Townsend to make their finish line a supportive and hugely celebrative event. By volunteering, you get to have all the feelings of success and skip all the pain. We don’t know if it’s better than racing, but it’s definitely smarter.

TWO PATHWAYS FOR SEVENTY48 VOLUNTEERING:

Feet on the ground

Sign up for a shift to help out at the start in Tacoma or be part of the finish line team that supports the racers when they arrive in Port Townsend. Bring your booming announcer voice, your photography skills or your cup-of-noodles mastery to warm the weary racers.

Learn more

SAFETY AND MEDIA SUPPORT

These roles have certain skill requirements and so an application is the first step! These volunteers perform safety inspections on race boats, drive support vessels, and/or contribute photo and video skills to our efforts to get the stories of the racers out to the world!

Learn more

Step 1

Upon signing up for a shift, you will be linked to our volunteer application. If you have previously volunteered with Northwest Maritime, please use the same email address you initially signed up with to link to your existing volunteer account.

To make changes to your email, phone, or address record, start by completing a new application and we’ll make the changes for you.

Step 2

Shifts go live in April and will be listed on the Northwest Maritime website! Read below to find out about the different roles – there will be many shifts for you to choose from.

Visit early to select your preferred roles and shift times. Visit this page frequently because cancellations often re-open roles and shifts.

Step 3

Gear up for SEVENTY48 and Sign up for a shift to help out at the start in Tacoma or apply to be part of the Safety and media support. Below is a simple volunteer application you’ll need to fill out once shifts are live. After that, you can select jobs and shifts that float your particular boat.

Feet on the ground

Our adventure races are a dynamic beast, growing and changing year to year. Help us keep our race course well-marked, staffed, and clean for all the racers by helping out at the start and finish lines in Tacoma and Port Townsend. Volunteer positions can include set-up, sales, wayfinding, and breakdown. For 36 hours straight, we staff a clubhouse for racers and occasionally drag them out of their boats when they are too tired or cramped up to stand.

Application is closed for 2024

SAFETY SUPPORT

Positions for racer safety support are skill-specific. We aren't looking for master mariners in every position, but we need people who can think on their feet, work well within a structured safety system, have the ability to work hard and sometimes long hours, and understand that this work is what keeps race teams safe during this focused challenge!

Join the team of safety folks inspecting vessels! You'll get to meet the teams and help ensure our high safety standards and safety education. All SEVENTY48 teams must satisfy Coast Guard requirements for these race waters. SEVENTY48 vessel inspections are largely performed online in the weeks before the race, allowing racers to focus on the ordeal at hand on race day! Inspectors contact teams directly to set up inspection times.

REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge of vessel safety gear required: PFDs, flares, horns, and VHF radios, etc. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should have some experience with safety gear. Inspections for SEVENTY48 are almost entirely done through video conferencing (Zoom, Facebook video chat, etc...), so having the ability to use a video conferencing application is also pretty helpful.

AVAILABILITY

Available to race teams for inspections in the month preceding the race. There are no standard shifts for Safety Inspectors, though they need to be available to meet for training sometime in April.

We need 2-4 people to train teams in the operation and use of the location device that we require all teams to carry, the Gen 3 GPS tracker. Volunteers will be trained and supplied with support materials in the use of the GPS tracker.

REQUIREMENTS

Good communication skills, ability to stand for a while, and some comfort around the use of technology that has more than two buttons (but no more than 5!).

AVAILABILITY

Need to be available to meet for training in May. Shifts are 4 hours long on SEVENTY48 race start day.

Ready to give it all by supporting the races with yourself and your vessel? Do you have a boat? Want to put it to the best and highest use and be part of the race's Incident Command System (ICS)? We are looking for vessels as small as 12’ RIBs to as large as whatever you got! Every year, a team of vessels becomes the eyes, ears, and hands for our 48 hours of race observation—based on FEMA’s ICS system for crisis management—from Tacoma to Port Townsend. We offer training in some lifesaving techniques and can even supply some crew.

REQUIREMENTS

A sound vessel and the ability to operate in all conditions suitable for your vessel type. Good VHF skills and the willingness and ability to work in a team with a strong hierarchical structure. Bringing your own crew is a plus, after all, you know them already.

AVAILABILITY

It all happens over the 48 hours of the race, and you can participate in part or all of the event. We seek to deploy boats and crews throughout the race course, so you could be positioned between the two cities. Where do you want to go? Captains must be available for at least one planning meeting about 3 weeks prior to the race start. It’s a bonus if captains and crew are available for lifesaving training on their vessels prior to race start. Need to be available to meet for training sometime in May.

Applications Closed for 2024

PAPARAZZI CREW

We are looking for camera folk, social media jockeys, and folks willing to take some short videos for social media and our website. If you don't have a boat, we'll supply one. And if you want to work overnight, we'll set you up. We know we are asking for a lot, and we are willing to shower you with appreciation, photo or video credit, and help make your efforts as simple as possible.

We take every opportunity to snap race images. We have media crews in Tacoma before and during race start, in Port Townsend for the finishes, and on the water in between those locations. It’s near impossible to describe all the potential scenarios, but if you think you are up for some adventure, want to lend us your talent, and are willing to volunteer—please let us know.

REQUIREMENTS

You should know your way around your camera and be able to upload to the cloud without a lot of hand-holding. We aren’t really looking for “hobbyists,” but people studied in the art and striving to take better photos every time they go out. And just so you know, while we love you, we are looking for good photographers for the environment we race in. Because of that, we have to really vet our candidates. If you think you will be offended by our pickiness, please don’t apply to this, and let’s find something else we can do together that guarantees fun!

AVAILABILITY

A flexible May and June would be the most helpful for us, but again, let’s talk.

We take every opportunity to grab video footage of the race. We have media crews in Tacoma before and during race start, in Port Townsend for the finishes, and on the water in between those locations. It’s near impossible to describe all the potential scenarios, but if you think you are up for some adventure, want to lend us your talent, and are willing to volunteer—please let us know.

REQUIREMENTS

You should know your way around your camera and be able to upload to the cloud without a lot of handholding. We aren’t really looking for “hobbyists,” but people studied in the art and striving to take better footage every time they go out. And just so you know, while we love you, we are looking for good videographers for the environment we race in. Because of that, we have to really vet our candidates. If you think you will be offended by our pickiness, please don’t apply to this, and let’s find something else we can do together that guarantees fun!

AVAILABILITY

The beginning of June would be the most helpful for us, but again, let’s talk.

If this is your forte, we’d love to chat. Social media is increasingly important to any business or venture. We need to share the stories of the race with the right tags, frequency, and tone. Depending on the scenario—travel could be involved, there is also the potential of getting on the water, or just sitting on your yoga ball at home. Seriously, we have so many options.

REQUIREMENTS

We are looking for folks that can leverage their unique social media skills into a pivotal volunteer position.

AVAILABILITY

A flexible June would be the most helpful for us.

Applications Closed for 2024

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