06/08/2026
Foss Maritime was founded in 1889 by Thea Foss, with a single rowboat on the Tacoma waterfront. Born on June 8, 1857, in Eidsberg, Norway, Thea built her business by putting boats to work in the waterways around her, renting them to fishermen, ferrying customers, and delivering supplies.
More than a century later, June 8 became recognized as World Ocean Day, a reminder that the waters people work on, travel through, and depend on every day need to be protected.
For Foss, that connection has been there from the beginning: from Thea’s first rowboat to today’s fleet. Our work depends on the water, and with that comes a responsibility to operate carefully and protect the places we work.
