It used to be easy, the only woe I had was keeping up with all the orders. It was a crazy time in Newport RI. The US had just lost the America's Cup to the Aussies. Our shop was right on Thames Street and from day one people came in and life got interesting. We hung in for nearly fourteen years. It was a good life.
Fast forward to Seattle WA. I've lived here now for almost 9 years. A couple of years ago I decided to jump back into the flag making business. It kept me well for many years and it was time to give it another go. Only it didn't go. It limped.
Seattle is different than Newport in ways. Back home was small. We had the island mentality, had to drive to Providence or Boston for a dose of big city life. Here we've got city life at our door.
We both do share the love of water, the salty air but as far as flags are concerned Newport and Seattle are miles apart. There is no tradition out here and it took being interviewed on our local NPR station to finally realize this.
Not only do homes not fly the American flag like they do back East, boaters around here don't fly flags. I've never seen such naked marina's and flag-less boats in my life. Must be the weather.
Tradition can be stodgy, written off. But the sight of colors flying from boats does my heart good. The history of vessels flying flags is enormous and so fascinating. That is, to those of us.....who are interested.
Letting Your Flag Fly
The boats at Shilshole Bay Marina provide a clear view of the water through their unadorned masts. So clear in fact, that a passerby can't tell anything about the travels those boats make. In ports in other areas of the country, a marina like that would be an explosion of colorful flags, documenting the journeys of the vessels. Carol Anderson had a bustling flag making business for boaters back in Newport, Rhode Island. But, since starting Seattle Flag Makers last year, most of Carol's business has come from out of state including one very tall order from the US military. Carol tells Megan Sukys what she loves about the art of flags.
Listen to the full interview on: KUOW's Sound Focus
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