Tea reached Europe from China around 1560 on Portuguese and Dutch ships, but it was a latecomer to England. In London, coffee was the drink of choice among businessmen and Edward Lloyd’s coffee house became the center of shipping insurance. The most English of drinks only gained popularity when Charles II was restored to the… Continue reading How the Taste for Tea Created the Tea Clippers
Author: seamarsh
2017: Old Astoria Pilot Boat Arrow 2 Returns
The pilot boat Arrow 2 disappeared from the Astoria waterfront in 2012 and has been greatly missed by the seamen who admired its unique traditional hull shape and general low-tech appearance. There was much speculation about its final disposition: would it become a reserve boat for Foss, be converted into a pleasure boat, or rust… Continue reading 2017: Old Astoria Pilot Boat Arrow 2 Returns
Astoria Yard’s WW II YMS Minesweepers
AMCCO Shipyard’s Minesweeper (YMS) Production Remembered The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor last December gives us a chance to review the incredible history of the “war at home” in Astoria—a time when thousands of ordinary women performed extraordinary feats in many traditionally male-dominated jobs. Every aspect of their daily life was affected… Continue reading Astoria Yard’s WW II YMS Minesweepers
In Praise of My Own “Retro” Bikes
The frames of all my bikes were designed 20+ years ago, so qualify as “retro.” Several of them are based on the early mountain bike, so here is a brief introduction to that design,followed by four of my “variations on a theme. (Scroll down to see my folding, touring and road bikes.) Re-Fitting 1980’s Mountain… Continue reading In Praise of My Own “Retro” Bikes
The Flettner Rotor Makes a Comeback!
The new hybrid ship designs were pioneered in Scandinavia where ecological hydro-power has long been the standard for utilities. The public demand for more clean power use has led to the introduction of hybrid propulsion in several new ferries and short-haul cargo vessels. So I expected this to be the “gold standard” for green shipping… Continue reading The Flettner Rotor Makes a Comeback!
Arthur Piver: Pioneer Trimaran Designer-Sailor
Arthur Piver (1910–1968) was a World War II pilot, and a legendary sailor, author, and boat builder who lived in Mill Valley on San Francisco Bay. In the late 1950s, Piver (rhymes with “diver”) owned a print shop, and designed and built a series of simple three-hulled, plywood yachts in his spare time, starting with… Continue reading Arthur Piver: Pioneer Trimaran Designer-Sailor
2015: Western Towboat Builds Seventh Titan-Class Tug
When Western Towboat of Seattle started building its first Titan ASD long-haul tug at their base on the Seattle Ship Canal in 1995, owners Ric and Bob Shrewsbury were simply responding to the growth of barge service to SE Alaska. They could hardly have imagined that this demand for more powerful tugs would continue unabated… Continue reading 2015: Western Towboat Builds Seventh Titan-Class Tug
WW II Minesweeper Tradition Lives on in Seattle Yard
Wooden Hulls Still Restored at Pacific Fishermen Yard Almost every kind of boat imaginable has traveled up and down the Seattle Ship Canal and through the locks over the last 100 years, but few of the thousands of crew or passengers who enjoy that spectacle are aware of another part of local maritime history. It… Continue reading WW II Minesweeper Tradition Lives on in Seattle Yard
2016: 25 Years Since Gerard d’Aboville’s Trans-Pacific Row
How Astoria Made the National News–in France! It was 25 years ago at the end of November 1991 that a French adventurer arrived off the Columbia River after an incredible voyage from Japan. He was 46-year old Gerard d’Aboville and he had achieved one of the rapidly diminishing number of “firsts” left to claim in… Continue reading 2016: 25 Years Since Gerard d’Aboville’s Trans-Pacific Row
2015: Coastal Transportation Sets a New STANDARD
Coastal Transportation Pioneers TTS sideport loading system in USA After more than 30 years of weekly liner service to Western Alaska with a fleet of five or six small fish tender vessels specifically designed for service between Seattle and the ports of Western Alaska, Coastal Transportation’s president Peter Strong decided that the time was right… Continue reading 2015: Coastal Transportation Sets a New STANDARD