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Famed Washington glass artist Dale Chihuly stopped by Shilshole Marina Wednesday to present hand-blown glass "Floats" and "Seaform" sculptures to the crew of the research vessel, the Ocean Watch, which will launch May 31 in the Around the Americas cruse.

The 13-month sailing voyage will draw attention to the condition of the oceans around North and South America. The ocean environment project is tied into the Pacific Science Center, the Applied Physics Lab of the University of Washington and Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit encouraging boaters to be better stewards of the ocean. The boat will make 31 stops during its voyage to reach more people in port cities of North and South America.

For each of the 13 months at sea a Chihuly float will be dropped into the water near various ports. The floats will help demonstrate ocean tide movements and currents. The “Around the Americas Floats” will be inscribed with “If found, please contact www.aroundtheamericas.org."

Finders will keep the floats and receive a personal note from Dale Chihuly for finding the object. The voyage’s Web site will feature a story of the recovery each time a float is found.

"I have known Dale for many years through Pilchuck Glass School where I'm on the board," said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO of the Pacific Science Center.
Chihuly co-founded the school, near Stanwood.

"David Rockefeller, one of the co-sponsors, was out here with Dale and me and we came up with this idea of using his well-known Niijima fishing float designs and labeling each with a unique identifier number," said Seidl. "We will track the floats' movements. When you throw something away in the ocean, it doesnt go away, it goes away from you."

Captain Mark Schrader said he was pleased that Chihuly was lending his name and his modern versions of a message in a bottle to the project to spread awareness of ocean pollution. "What we can't see (in the ocean) is doing us more harm than what we can see," Schrader said.