I invented the term “COVE System” in the 1990’s to describe Schooner Creek Boatworks’ wood-composite boat construction method. COVE which stands for COre/Veneer/Epoxy. It a system that utilizes thin layers of wood for the inner and outer skins and a Divinycell structural foam core, all laminated with West System epoxy. Schooner Creek founder Steve Rander… Continue reading 1992: The COVE System–COre/Veneer/Epoxy
Author: seamarsh
2010: Woody Brown (1912-2008) — father of the modern catamaran
Although cruising catamarans have really taken off in the last 10 years, Hawaiians have always known about the benefits of the “double canoe.” Legendary surfer and former glider pilot Woody Brown was. inspired by outrigger canoes he saw in the South Pacific after World War II. Using aeronautical engineering and lightweight plywood construction. It was… Continue reading 2010: Woody Brown (1912-2008) — father of the modern catamaran
2011: “Around the Americas” Voyage Comes full Circle
It was the end of May 2010 when the 64-foot steel expedition yacht Ocean Watch set sail from Seattle on the 28,000-mile “Around the Americas” voyage–the first continuous circumnavigation of North and South American continents. One year and one week later, Captain Mark Schrader and his valiant crew returned to the Pacific Northwest when they… Continue reading 2011: “Around the Americas” Voyage Comes full Circle
A Sailor’s Guide to R.V. Atlantis and “Inner Space”
Last year I had the opportunity to tour the 274′ R.V. (research vessel) Atlantis and its famous submersible Alvin while it was docked in Astoria. Alvin is probably the best known craft of its type in the world, having appeared in numerous TV programs making ground-breaking discoveries—several of them off the Washington coast. Peering down… Continue reading A Sailor’s Guide to R.V. Atlantis and “Inner Space”
2011: Discovering the Secrets of B.C.’s Newcastle Island
Whether you visit Nanaimo BC. by sea or land, you should find time to visit Newcastle Island, the Provincial Marine Park that sits just a short distance from the city’s center. If you are berthed at the downtown marina or on foot, you can take advantage of the small passenger ferries that run from Maffeo-Sutton… Continue reading 2011: Discovering the Secrets of B.C.’s Newcastle Island
Mule Packer-the D.I.Y. Bike that Really Packs!
The Mule Packer bike is definitely the simplest method of building your own low-cost demountable travel bike using only common hand tools. It consists of a pair of demi-frames cut from two 1980’s mountain bikes, one larger than the other by 2-3″ that sleeve together with no added joints, hinges or other mechanisms. This is… Continue reading Mule Packer-the D.I.Y. Bike that Really Packs!
Remembering the Lightship Columbia
“The Coast Guard has signed the death warrant for the Columbia River lightship,” wrote Larry Barber at the end of 1979. Two congressmen had asked for “a reprieve,” he noted, after hearings in which fisherman and seafarers had voiced their objections. They urgently requested that the ship be “left on station alongside the new buoy… Continue reading Remembering the Lightship Columbia
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse–is 150 Years Old
Cape Disappointment is Washington’s Oldest Lighthouse There was a small ceremony this winter at Cape Disappointment Lighthouse that marked its 150 years of service to mariners. Cape D was the first light on the entire west coast, and all the other major lights in Washington shining their beacon to mariners for well over 100 years.… Continue reading Cape Disappointment Lighthouse–is 150 Years Old
Cascade Yachts: Building Boats for the Long Run
Portlanders Built Fiberglass Keelboats in 1956 The sport of sailing never got any respect in Portland. But that’s understandable. It’s 100 miles upriver from the Columbia Bar then another 10 to the home of the Willamette (River) Sailing Club. Dodging barges on a narrow waterway with the downtown skyline for a backdrop-it’s an unlikely place… Continue reading Cascade Yachts: Building Boats for the Long Run
Colin Archer and the Viking Tradition
How a 150-Year Old Pilot Boat Became the World’s #1 Offshore Design Pride in the Norse seafaring tradition is kept alive in the Pacific Northwest by immigrants from the Nordic countries and is visible in many forms. In Seattle for example, we have the statue of Leif Ericson, the Viking chief who led the attempt… Continue reading Colin Archer and the Viking Tradition