Author Archives: seamarsh

Cleveland Rockwell–NW Coast Surveyor & Artist

Cleveland Rockwell had a successful 19th-century career in the military and the federal Coastal Survey. Educated as a cartographer and mechanical engineer, Rockwell started his professional life with the U.S. Coastal Survey, collecting survey data and drawing maps. In 1861, … Continue reading

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In 1958, a 1700′ Tsunami Hit Lituya Bay, Alaska

When I moved to Astoria almost a decade ago, I began to enjoy the pleasures of living on the edge of the continent, like the short trip to the beach, and the ever-changing weather. But when I attended a community … Continue reading

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10 Reasons Not to Fly with a Full–Size Bike

The plan was simple: I would give my Bike Friday a year off from the wear-and-tear of another journey in Latin America and instead take an old mountain bike that I would donate to some worthy person when I flew … Continue reading

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Botterjacht Groote Beer’s Nazi Past All a Fraud

Back in the 1990’s, I wrote what I assumed would be the final American story about the Groote Beer, the 52′ Dutch botterjacht that had spent many years on the west coast, especially on the Columbia River in the 1950s–when … Continue reading

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Fred Wahl Opens New Yard on 38 Acre Island

Bolon Island Move “We’ve really outgrown the old boatyard. Having just one ways really slows us down,” stated Fred’s son Mike Wahl. “On the new property we will be able to haul a large number of boats and move them … Continue reading

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US Coast Guard 1934 Wooden MLB

Restoration of Wooden Lifeboat Is One Man’s Dream The Port of Astoria’s haul-out yard may not sound like a great place to find a boating story, but there is always a variety of working boats and yachts on the hard–and … Continue reading

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Death of the Antarctic Ship Hero

How a Notable  Vessel Met Its End on Willapa Bay Fifty years ago, the 125′ X 30′ expedition ship Hero was taking shape at the Harvey Gamage Boatyard in Maine. Designed by Potter & M’Arthur, Inc., naval architects of Boston, … Continue reading

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Ice Bird, Hero, Calypso at Palmer in 1972

Three remarkable craft made an unplanned rendezvous on the Antarctica Peninsula at Palmer Station in the summer of 1972.  The 125′ American research vessel Hero and the 154′ ex-WW II minesweeper Calypso were both traditional wooden vessels while the  32′ … Continue reading

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Shipping Sees New Use for Ammonia Tanker Barge

In 2015, Vigor, the Pacific Northwest’s biggest shipbuilder, launched the Harvest, the first liquefied ammonia barge built in the U.S. since 1982. It was built for the Mosaic Co. of Minnesota, a leading producer of concentrated phosphate and potash fertilizers, … Continue reading

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Caden Foss: 110′ Multi-Purpose Tier 4 Tug

The Pacific Northwest has been at the forefront of North American tug design since the 1980’s, and has brought many innovations to both ship-handling and long-haul tugs. Over the years, a handful of boats have attempted to combine both these … Continue reading

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