Category Archives: Sailing Ships

Polar Research Schooner Tara Visits Astoria

It was back in July 2018 in the heart of the summer on the lower Columbia River when I spotted a big schooner-rigged sailing vessel at the East Mooring Basin in Astoria. From a distance, I could see it was … Continue reading

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Wrecks of the Oregon Coast–Emily Reed to New Carissa

The remains of the sailing ship Peter Iredale at the northwest tip of Oregon are well-known as the most visited wreck on the West Coast. But for hardcore shipwreck fans, the real achievement is to see one of the unpredictable … Continue reading

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The Cutty Sark Sails into the 21st Century

In 2008, the world’s only surviving clipper ship, the Cutty Sark, suffered a disastrous fire that came close to destroying the entire hull in its permanent drydock beside the River Thames in Greenwich. This news was especially shocking for me … Continue reading

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How the Taste for Tea Created the Tea Clippers

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. … Continue reading

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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 … Continue reading

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Is the Columbia Bar the Graveyard of the Pacific?

Whether you visit the mouth of the Columbia by boat or live here as I do, you can’t avoid the constant reminder that the Columbia Bar is the “Graveyard of the Pacific–the most treacherous stretch of water in the world,” … Continue reading

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Cannons from 1846 Wreck Spotted on North Oregon Coast

2014 discovery of Cannons Excites Town of Cannon  Beach The two half-ton cannons found on the Oregon coast have returned after a six-year restoration at the Center for Marine Archeology and Conservation at Texas A & M university. They were … Continue reading

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1992: The COVE System–COre/Veneer/Epoxy

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 … Continue reading

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“Tango Around the Horn” Book Review

Introduction My connection with author Larry Barber began in 1989, when he published his first book “Tango Round the Horn”  at the remarkable age of 88. The Tango was the last and the biggest sailing ship to ever carry lumber … Continue reading

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