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
Category: NW boats and boaters
Salmon Tender Duke–Oldest Boat on the Columbia River
After 112 Years Afloat, the Duke Retires to Museum in Astoria The older a wooden boat gets, the more work it takes to keep it seaworthy. That’s a lesson that many boatmen learned the hard way. On the lower Columbia River where there are still a handful of owners maintaining and using traditional wooden gillnetters.… Continue reading Salmon Tender Duke–Oldest Boat on the Columbia River
Gabriola Island—B.C.’s “Isle of the Arts”
Last fall, I described the pleasure of kayaking and hiking around Newcastle Island Provincial Park, within sight of Nanaimo B.C. The next day of my visit, my goal was Gabriola Island, the big island on the north end of the Gulf Island chain. While most American cruisers make a stop in Nanaimo on their way… Continue reading Gabriola Island—B.C.’s “Isle of the Arts”
Cruising Puget’s Island and Beyond
The names of the first European explorers are “writ large” all across the charts of the northwest. Spanish, English, Russians, Americans, and a few Frenchmen are immortalized in place names. The most prolific of these navigators was Captain George Vancouver. He managed to gratify all his sponsors and friends in high places, but with true… Continue reading Cruising Puget’s Island and Beyond
100 Years of History for Seattle’s Ship Canal and Locks
The Lake Washington Ship Canal and the locks that connect Lake Union to Puget Sound is such an integral part of the city that it’s practically impossible to imagine life without them. Whether you are boating, paddling or just strolling along the water’s edge, you can appreciate that Seattle’s navigable inland waterways are an engineering… Continue reading 100 Years of History for Seattle’s Ship Canal and Locks
Sailing and Climbing the “Three Peaks” of Washington
How do you explain the attraction of the Pacific Northwest to a visitor? You might focus on the political, the cultural – or even the meteorological climate. Or you might begin with the geography – the physical shape of the mountains and the coast, and describe the ways that sea and shore meet and create… Continue reading Sailing and Climbing the “Three Peaks” of Washington
Vakea 19 Reborn–My 42 Years in D.I.Y. Trimaran Design
The boat in the title began life as 19′ schooner VAKEA in 1981. It was built from a rough sketch in 20 weeks, and first featured in Multihulls magazine the next year. I added a new, longer bow in 1983 raising the length to 21’/6.5m and changed to a sloop rig. I renamed the boat… Continue reading Vakea 19 Reborn–My 42 Years in D.I.Y. Trimaran Design
2015: Fremont Tug’ 100 Years Service on Lake Union
1915 was a big year on Lake Union. The Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Chittenden Locks were about to connect the lakes and northern Seattle with Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Activity on and around the lake had increased in anticipation of the opening of the waterway: the Fishermen’s Terminal was open for… Continue reading 2015: Fremont Tug’ 100 Years Service on Lake Union
2011: Black Ball’s Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry Coho Turns 50
In 55 Years, MV Coho Has “Never Missed a Day!” As I write this, it’s May and the boating season is well under way in the Pacific Northwest. For the most active sailboat racers, that means they are preparing for the Swiftsure Race—the biggest event in the yachting calendar. Planning began early in the year,… Continue reading 2011: Black Ball’s Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry Coho Turns 50
1994: Small is Beautiful at Nexus Marine P.Marsh
After a few years, I think all of us develop a system for viewing the Seattle Boat Show. When I finally reach the main floor, my plan involves dodging between glittering runabouts and towering cruisers to find what Nexus Marine has on display. I’ve never been disappointed because year after year Nancy Sosnove and David… Continue reading 1994: Small is Beautiful at Nexus Marine P.Marsh