MV Westward
Encyclopedia
MV Westward is an 86 feet (26.2 m) motor yacht
, "arguably Seattle’s most famous motor yacht," originally constructed in 1924 by Ted Geary for inventor Campbell Church, Sr., and currently owned by Hugh Reilly. Its home port is Seattle, Washington
and it is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
.
The Westward was modeled after a salmon cannery tender
and constructed—around a 1923 Atlas-Imperial
diesel engine
—at the Martinolich Shipyard on Maury Island
near Seattle. It was designed to travel the Inside Passage
along the British Columbia
coast to Alaska
. Its construction marked a turning point in Geary's career: previously he had built workboats; from this time he built yachts.
In its early years, expeditions on the Westward were hunting expeditions, with "a Norwegian whale gun shooting harpoon
s fitted with time fuse bombs, a 10-horse
gasoline winch
with thirty-six hundred feet [1097 meters] of quarter-inch [0.6 cm] plow steel cable as a fishing line, and all of the accessories for 'scrapping it out' with fifty-ton [about 45 metric tonnes] whales". These expeditions were led by Church's son Campbell Church, Jr., who founded The Alaska Coast Hunting and Cruising Company. The Churches ended up owning numerous notable motor yachts. Besides the Westward were the Nooya, Deerleap, Caroline, Alarwee, Acania, Onawa, Malibu, Cadrew, Electra, Olympus, and Taconite. Campbell Jr. made extensive films of his journeys.
Among the many people who have traveled aboard the Westward are A. C. Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set
, George Eastman
(of Eastman Kodak
), banker Paul Mellon
, George Pabst of Pabst Brewing Company
, investor E.F. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post
, Walt Disney
, John Wayne
, Phil Harris
, Fibber McGee & Molly and Amos & Andy.
During World War II, the Westward was pressed into military service. Don Gumpertz bought the Westward in 1967 and circumnavigated the globe in it in the 1970s. Current owner Hugh Reilly, once the owner of a fleet of fishing trawlers in the Alaska seafood industry (coincidentally named Westward Trawlers), bought the Westward in 1993. From 1997 to 2004 he returned it to its roots as a vessel for Alaska tourism (minus the blood sports). He then put the boat through a major refitting before taking it on a two-year tour of the Pacific, from which he returned in early September 2008. After a brief visit to Puget Sound
, he plans next to take it down the West Coast to Mexico and then in May 2009 to cross to head for the South Pacific
.
The Westward is still powered by its original 1923 Atlas-Imperial diesel engine.
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
, "arguably Seattle’s most famous motor yacht," originally constructed in 1924 by Ted Geary for inventor Campbell Church, Sr., and currently owned by Hugh Reilly. Its home port is Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and it is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Westward was modeled after a salmon cannery tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
and constructed—around a 1923 Atlas-Imperial
Atlas-Imperial
Atlas-Imperial was an American manufacturer of diesel engines based in Oakland, California.The company was created in 1916 when two early gasoline engine companies combined to manufacture diesel engines, following the expiration of Rudolph Diesel's patents....
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
—at the Martinolich Shipyard on Maury Island
Maury Island
Maury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...
near Seattle. It was designed to travel the Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
along the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
coast to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Its construction marked a turning point in Geary's career: previously he had built workboats; from this time he built yachts.
In its early years, expeditions on the Westward were hunting expeditions, with "a Norwegian whale gun shooting harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
s fitted with time fuse bombs, a 10-horse
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
gasoline winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
with thirty-six hundred feet [1097 meters] of quarter-inch [0.6 cm] plow steel cable as a fishing line, and all of the accessories for 'scrapping it out' with fifty-ton [about 45 metric tonnes] whales". These expeditions were led by Church's son Campbell Church, Jr., who founded The Alaska Coast Hunting and Cruising Company. The Churches ended up owning numerous notable motor yachts. Besides the Westward were the Nooya, Deerleap, Caroline, Alarwee, Acania, Onawa, Malibu, Cadrew, Electra, Olympus, and Taconite. Campbell Jr. made extensive films of his journeys.
Among the many people who have traveled aboard the Westward are A. C. Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set
Erector Set
Erector Set is the trade name of a toy construction set that is popular in the United States.It consists of collections of small metal beams with regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, and mechanical parts such as pulleys, gears, and small electric motors.The brand name is currently used for...
, George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
(of Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
), banker Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
, George Pabst of Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
, investor E.F. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post
Marjorie Merriweather Post
-External links:******...
, Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, Phil Harris
Phil Harris
Harris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic...
, Fibber McGee & Molly and Amos & Andy.
During World War II, the Westward was pressed into military service. Don Gumpertz bought the Westward in 1967 and circumnavigated the globe in it in the 1970s. Current owner Hugh Reilly, once the owner of a fleet of fishing trawlers in the Alaska seafood industry (coincidentally named Westward Trawlers), bought the Westward in 1993. From 1997 to 2004 he returned it to its roots as a vessel for Alaska tourism (minus the blood sports). He then put the boat through a major refitting before taking it on a two-year tour of the Pacific, from which he returned in early September 2008. After a brief visit to Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, he plans next to take it down the West Coast to Mexico and then in May 2009 to cross to head for the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
The Westward is still powered by its original 1923 Atlas-Imperial diesel engine.