Wawona
Encyclopedia
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
carrier and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
vessel
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
based in 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...
. The schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
was built in near Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
on Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
by Hans Ditlev Bendixsen
Hans Ditlev Bendixsen
Hans Ditlev Bendixsen was an American shipbuilder who was instrumental in the development of the merchant marine industry on the West Coast of the United States. His lumber schooners were built in or near Eureka, California in shipyards on Humboldt Bay for over 30 years...
, who was one of the most important West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
shipbuilders of the late 19th century. From 1897 to 1913, she carried lumber from Grays Harbor and Puget Sound port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. One of her captains
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
, Ralph E. "Matt" Peasley, inspired a series of popular novels.
Wawona was 165 feet long with a 35-foot beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
. Her mast
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
s, before being cut down, were 110 feet tall.
She was berth
Berth (moorings)
A berth is a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.-Locations in a port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be berthed, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.Most berths will be...
ed at South Lake Union Park
South Lake Union Park
Lake Union Park is a park located at the south end of Lake Union in Seattle, Washington in the South Lake Union neighborhood. The park is owned by the City of Seattle and operated by Seattle Parks and Recreation. The park property was gradually acquired by the City, and the final were...
in Seattle adjacent to the Center for Wooden Boats
Center for Wooden Boats
The Center for Wooden Boats is a museum dedicated to preserving and documenting the maritime history of the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. Unlike most other museums, at CWB the public is invited to touch the exhibits and explore maritime history first hand by rowing, paddling or...
. She was listed on the 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 Washington State Heritage Register
Washington State Heritage Register
The Washington Heritage Register is an official list of sites and properties found throughout Washington State, United States.The Washington Heritage Register is administered by the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, and it is governed by several state laws...
, and the vessel was an official city landmark. However, after efforts to restore the decaying ship failed, she was dismantled in March 2009.
Fishing
From 1914 until 1947, except during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wawona sailed to the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
with a crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
of 36 to fish for cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
. In 1935, her captain, Charles Foss, died at the wheel during a storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
in the Aleutian Islands.
Restoration and dismantling
In 1964, sixteen years after the vessel's retirement, a group of Seattle citizens formed Northwest SeaportNorthwest Seaport
The Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Center is a nonprofit organization in Seattle, Washington dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Puget Sound and Northwest Coast maritime heritage, expressed through educational programs and experiences available to the public...
and purchased Wawona as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
. The schooner was made available for public visits during her ongoing restoration
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
.
In 2006 her masts were removed for safety reasons.
In early 2009, it was announced that Wawona would be towed to a dry dock to be dismantled on March 2. That move, however, has been postponed for up to a month because there's no room at the drydock. (KOMO 1000 News Radio, Seattle) Some of the vessel's features will be preserved as museum pieces.
Wawona was hauled to the Lake Union Drydock on March 4th, 2009, and has since been dismantled.
See also
- Historic preservationHistoric preservationHistoric preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
- National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
- List of schooners
External links
- Northwest Seaport
- Maritime Heritage Network
- YouTube Video of Wawona Being Moved to Lake Union Drydock
- http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhphoto&action=browse&fileName=wa/wa0200/wa0212/photos/browse.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A288%3A.%2Ftemp%2F~pp_SrHC%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb%2Chec%2Ckrb&title2=Schooner+%26quot;Wawona%26quot;,+1018+Valley+Street,+Seattle,+King+County,+WA&displayType=1Photos of the ship from 1985]