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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
Posted in Cruising, Nautical History, NW boats and boaters, Worth Reading
Tagged Lituya Bay, mega tsunami
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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
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
Posted in Cruising, NW boats and boaters, Sailors & Yachts, Worth 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
Posted in Commercial craft, Commercial Fishing, Shipyards, Worth Reading
Tagged Ruby Marine
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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
Posted in Nautical History, NW boats and boaters, Worth Reading
Tagged MLB 36, MLB 36391
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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
Posted in Cruising, Ocean Racing & Records, Sailors & Yachts, Worth Reading
Tagged David Lewis, jacques cousteau
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Harbo & Samuelson “Hitch-Rowed” the Atlantic
First Atlantic Row: Harbo and Samuelson in 1896 The bizarre and risky activity of “ocean drifting by rowboat” has its origin in 1896 when two Norwegian fishermen departed Manhattan in an attempt to row the North Atlantic. Their boat was … Continue reading
Astoria Yard’s WW II YMS Minesweepers
AMCCO Shipyard’s Minesweeper (YMS) Production Remembered The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor last December gives us a chance to review the incredible history of the “war at home” in Astoria—a time when thousands of ordinary women performed … Continue reading
Posted in Commercial craft, Nautical History, Shipyards, Worth Reading
Tagged AMCCO YMS, minesweeper, YMS
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In Praise of My Own “Retro” Bikes
The frames of all my bikes were designed 20+ years ago, so qualify as “retro.” Several of them are based on the early mountain bike, so here is a brief introduction to that design,followed by four of my “variations on … Continue reading
Posted in Cycling, Worth Reading
Tagged convert old mountain bike, retro mountain bike
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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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