TBT#: Wawona’s Last Story
In our latest Throwback Thursday, we revisit the wooden Wawona, which was once a fixture on the Lake Union waterfront... From the April 2009 issue of 48° North by Gary Frankel "For a few brief moments, that old hulk turned…
Letters to the Editor for May
Letters to the Editor is a regular feature in our print magazine. This month, it's available right here at 48north.com. Trivia Date Correction G'day, Joe, On the same day 48° North April 2020 popped into my inbox, I happened…
Rally Reflections, Part Two: The Real Business of Living
The big bay of the Crown Jewel. Exploring the Crown Jewel Sucia Island is both well known and well loved, and is commonly referred to as the "Crown Jewel of the San Juan Islands". It is a favorite among savvy cruisers and…
The history of ferry names on Puget Sound
M.V. KLICKITAT approaching port of Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands archipelago, WA. February 4, 1962. Original photo by Fred Milkie, from the archives of the Saltwater People Log© What's the best name for a new ferry? The…
Tug of the month: RELIANCE
Tug Reliance 2015 Photo courtesy of LG Evans Maritime Images RELIANCE was built in 1909 in Bay Center on the eastern shore of Shoalwater Bay (now, Willapa Harbor). She was built for the E.E. Case Logging Company, and was a…
Tugs of the Month: Mini Jane B and Chauny C
The energy and determination of Dr. Robert Peck know no bounds. When we left his story in Volume I of “Tugs at the Capital City” (2018), he had just completed work on his third mini or scale tug, the JANE B. Here is her…
Tug of the Month: ELF
Special thanks to the late John W. Hough, maritime historian for his research and insights. The steam tug ELF was built in 1902 for Olson Towing Company by the highly-respected Tacoma shipyard Crawford and Reid. She towed…
Video: Graveyard of the Pacific
Very interesting short documentary here by Oregon Public Broadcasting about the Graveyard of the Pacific...
Built at Ballard, Lost at Barrow
Schooner TRANSIT. Launched 1891, Salmon Bay, opposite Ballard, WA.Builder T. H. Petersen is front row, 2nd from the right, Mrs. Petersen is at the left. The schooner was built for E.P. Nissen, a merchant from San Francisco,…
Tug of the Month | RELIABLE
Reliable Racing at Olympia Harbor Days 2012 (photo by Tom Blackwood) RELIABLE was built in 1945 as ST (Small Tug) 908 for the US Army by Burger Boat of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Army Transportation Corps during World War II…