Mystic Sea Charters owner Monte Hughes has offered a “floating classroom” to the future students of the marine technical skills center scheduled to open in Anacortes in 2010.

The Mystic Sea, a 100-foot U.S. Coast Guard certified vessel, was offered to the Skagit County Technical Skills Center board for the appraised value of $500,000.

Along with the deal, Hughes would turn over the 18-year-old whale watching and charter business while staying on as ship’s master and trainer. It would also include office and educational space next to the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce on Commercial Avenue, and the Cap Sante Boat Haven dock slip across the street from the center’s future site.

The boat could provide hands-on training to the students while the business could serve as a possible revenue source for the school, Hughes explained.

The Mystic Sea has a 77-person capacity, seating 30 in the main salon and 40 in the back deck that can be used as a classroom.

Below the main deck is a galley, bunk space for four and engine room complete with two diesel engines and two generators. In the wheelhouse are an electronic chart plotter, radar system, VHF radios and loud-hail system — all would go with the boat if the school consortium buys it.

The school consortium is considering the offer. At the June 24 board meeting where Hughes made his proposal, Sedro-Woolley Superintendent Mark Venn said partnerships similar to the one Hughes suggested are what the consortium is looking for.

La Conner School District Superintendent Tim Bruce reminded the board the only money the consortium has is earmarked for construction, but it could search for additional funds elsewhere.

“It would be nice to find a grant or something so we could buy the boat,” Bruce said.

The Mystic Sea was built in New Orleans with government specs in 1969. It’s twice as heavy duty as most boats in the pleasure industry, Hughes said.

“It’s a tremendously sound, safe vessel,” he said. “With your center, it’s just a tremendous opportunity.”

The purchase would help students who want to go into the maritime industry as seaman, teaching them charting, navigation, plotting, about tides and currents, engineering and hull maintenance, Hughes said.

The hands-on training would coincide with classroom learning and apply to the 360 days of sea time required for maritime licenses, he said.

During the nine-month school year, the boat could be used at the dock and on occasional sea excursions. In the summer, it could be operated as the charter business with the students at the helm and the revenue applied to the school’s programs, Hughes suggested.

Hughes said his motivation in handing over the business for the value of the boat alone is to take advantage of the opportunity the long-awaited marine skills center presents. The center will help bring the younger generation into the employee-strapped maritime industry and give him the chance to teach, something he’s always wanted to do, he said.

While the board looks into the feasibility of purchasing the boat, the design of the marine skills center sited for the Port of Anacortes’ 6-acre parcel at Seafarers Way and Q Avenue moves forward.

Architect Bryan Young showed the board three preliminary schematics with varying layouts for the commercial development the port intends for the north end of the property, a main plaza, parking areas, bus entry, pedestrian access, storage building and lecture hall.

In all three designs, the lecture hall is given room to grow into a larger assembly room in response to an effort by a community group, DASH, to possibly build a community center.

There is a distinct separation between what the consortium is doing and what DASH hopes to accomplish, Young said. But there is no reason the two can not combine efforts, he said.

In the next few days, Young will start the city permitting process to obtain a conditional use permit for the marine commercial zoned parcel and request informal public hearings to bring all interested parties into the concept design process, he said.

The skills center consortium consists of six school district superintendents and Skagit Valley College President Gary Tollefson. Donneta Spath, former student services director of the Tumwater New Market Skills Center, was recently hired to oversee the Anacortes facility and Skagit Valley College skill center campus that will provide programs in nursing, culinary arts and banking.