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Category Archives: NW boats and boaters
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Nautical History, NW boats and boaters, Shipyards, Worth Reading
Tagged jacques cousteau, minesweeper, MV Grey Goose, RV Calypso, YMS
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Cruising, Nautical History, NW boats and boaters
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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. … Continue reading
Posted in Cruising, Nautical History, NW boats and boaters
Tagged Cathlamet, puget island, Skamokawa
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Nautical History, NW boats and boaters, Shipyards, Worth Reading
Tagged Ballard Locks, lake union, seattle ship canal
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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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Cruising, Multihulls, NW boats and boaters, Worth Reading
Tagged 21 foot tri, vakea class, vaquero
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Commercial craft, Nautical History, NW boats and boaters
Tagged fremont tug
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in Commercial craft, Nautical History, NW boats and boaters, Shipyards
Tagged black ball line, MV Coho
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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 … Continue reading
Posted in NW boats and boaters, Shipyards, Worth Reading
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