The boat, affectionately called The Oct, is named for Kathy Whitman, the Seattle Parks Aquatics Manager from 1992 to 2017. Kathy was the Greenlake rowing coach from 1970 to 1980.  The boat was one of the last Pocock wooden shells ever built (1976) and one of the first built for Green Lake crew. Originally an 8+, it was converted to an Octuple by Kathy’s husband DeWitt, boatman and member of the Ancient Mariners Rowing Club, whose members, along with the Pocock Rowing Center generously donated it to Rat Island Rowing In 2015.