The National Park Service recently approved the nomination of the schooner Suva for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Suva is a 100-year-old pilothouse schooner homeported in Coupeville, Washington.

Through its leadership in this effort, the Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation (WIMHF) is helping ensure that Suva remains a valued community resource while honoring and preserving local maritime heritage. With a strong emphasis on local history and regional resources, the nomination contributes to a broader initiative to celebrate, preserve, and share Washington State’s maritime heritage with residents and visitors alike.

Having sailed the waters of the Salish Sea for the past century, Suva holds historical significance on two fronts. First, she was designed by acclaimed Seattle naval architect Leslie Edward “Ted” Geary, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most influential yacht designers of the early 1900s, and was built in Hong Kong using old-growth Burmese teak. Second, Suva was commissioned by yachtsman Frank J. Pratt, Jr., a resident of Ebey’s Prairie whose family played a significant role in acquiring and preserving much of the land and structures that later became Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve.

To complete the nomination, WIMHF leveraged funding from the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Grant Program and contracted with Holly Taylor, Principal of Past Forward NW Cultural Services, to conduct the necessary historical research and prepare the comprehensive documentation required for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Maritime Washington Grant Program is generously supported by funding from the National Park Service and administered by the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. In its first year, the program awarded more than $240,000 in grants to local maritime heritage organizations. Designated by Congress in 2019, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area encompasses more than 3,000 miles of Washington State’s saltwater shoreline and supports coastal communities in preserving and interpreting their water-based histories and resources.

WIMHF uses the schooner Suva to promote maritime heritage and educate the public about local history and culture through public passenger sails, private charters, and dockside tours. The Foundation also partners with the Island County Historical Museum, which featured a special exhibit on Suva in conjunction with her centennial celebration this past year.  In further support of WIMHF’s educational mission, a variety of youth organizations participate in educational sails aboard Suva, including local and regional schools, Scout groups, YMCA camps, and Boys & Girls Clubs.

Suva is currently in winter moorage; weekly ticketed public cruises will resume in April, departing from the Coupeville Wharf. Feature image by Jim Douglas. 

www.schoonersuva.org | www.whidbeyislandmaritimeheritagefoundation.org