The Wawona Is Waiting: Part II by Capt. Harold D. Huycke
The new schooner Wawona was launched from the Bendixsen ways in April 1897, and immediately loaded lumber on Humboldt Bay for San Diego. Her first captain is reported to have been Oluf Isacksen, who remained in the ship for two years. Beginning in 1899, the celebrated Capt. Ralph "Matt" Peasley, a native of Jonesport, Maine, commanded this vessel, and remained there steadily with one voyage off as an exception, until 1906. Thereafter Capt. Conrad Scheel took command and remained until the ship was sold by Dolbeer and Carson in the fall of 1913. Captain Alexander "By The Wind" Beattie, a Scot, relieved Captain Peasley for a voyage sometime in 1901, also having served as mate for some time with Peasley. Wawona was built for the coasting lumber trade and for the most part remained there for some sixteen years. She made offshore voyages to Hawaii and to Santa Rosalia, Baja California, during this period, but most of the time Dolbeer and Carson kept her chartered to haul lumber, mostly from Grays Harbor, but also from Port Hadlock, the Stimson Mill in Seattle, Bellingham, Port Blakeley and Tacoma, for San Francisco, San Diego, Redondo, Newport Beach and San Pedro. A total of eighty six such voyages were made, carrying her steadily into the summer of 1913. Even by the late 1890s, at the time the Wawona was launched, the coasting lumber trade was inexorably being taken over by steam schooners. Sailing ships were built in a few yards until 1905 and then ceased. The last schooner built was the three-masted schooner Oregon, by E.H. Heuckendorff at Prosper, Oregon in 1905. None was built again till contracts were made by Norwegian, French and British buyers during World War I to replenish the war-time sinkings. Economy of operation was ever present in the practice of makMatt Peasley, at ease aboart the Fred I. Wood, served as inspiration/or the Capy Ricks stories (see pp. 46-47). Life aboard Pacific lumber schooners is remembered on pp. 18-19.
ing money for the shareowners of any ship. It was commonplace, in fact a customary practice for the master of the ship to own a few shares of his ship, and he was expected to at least buy out the shares of the man he replaced in command. Call it incentive; quite likely it was just that, so that the managing owner and other shareowners were confident that the captain, also a minor share owner, would not frivolously consume potential profits and dividends in wasteful practices. Captain Scheel doubtless had this in mind during one inbound passage to Tacoma. It was in April 1907 when the Wawona sailed into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, 20 days out of San Diego, and the Old Man found he had a fair wind all the way to Admiralty Inlet. Bypassing the hovering tugs, which were sniffing around Port Angeles waiting for an inbound tow, Captain Scheel kept sail on the ship and continued on down the Sound passing Port Townsend, Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island and on into Commencement Bay. Not too far now from his destination, a sawmill dock, Capt. Scheel felt the wind die away till Wawona was lying becalmed. He put a boat over the side, rowed ashore and hired a gasoline launch for $5.00 to tow him to his loading dock. What we consider to be astonishing costs of things-wages, freight rates, sails and the costs of the ships themselves-were commensurate with the times. The country was on the gold standard, and the eight hour day was not unheard of, but amongst the seafaring men it wasn't exactly widespread. In 1906 Tacoma's leading sailmaker and ship chandler was Mr. J.C. Todd, who had succeeded Barclay Ship Chandlery some years before. About 1908 Todd sold out to I.M. Larsen and Sons, who remained in business till the late 1950s, on "A" Street. Following are a few entries in Mr. Todd's account book which reveal the sail-making, sail-repairing and canvas work which came to his shop.
20 Sept. 1906. Five masted schooner Crescent, Repaired main sail, including new clew rope, $25.00, 22 yards of 110 canvas in clue, @ . 4()¢, equals $8. 80. 32 yards of #2 in weake (sic) or rigging @ .36/ equals $10.52. Drayage, $3.00. Paid $48.32. 18 October 1906. To County jail, six hammocks@ $2.90, total $17.40. 20 October 1906. To captain steamer Vashon, making of three boat covers: Paid $5.50. 31October1906. Schooner Lyman D. Foster, Captain Killman, 1 main sail repaired, 42 yards #2 duck, $15.12. New footrope and clew rope, 1 ring, $6.15. Labor in same, $25.00. Drayage, $2.00. Paid $48.27. 3 November 1906. Schooner Inca, Capt. Rasmussen, 1 new staysail, 193 yards #1, @ .58~, Paid $111.94. 20 November 1906. Studebaker Wagon Co., various, etc. $4.20. 17 December 1906. Schooner Wawona. lforesail repaired, 198yards#2@.36 $ 71.28 65 /bsnewleechropeandreefpoints@.lW / lb $ 12.45 1 clewringforreef $ 1.90 Labor including twine and leather, and drayage $2.50 $53.60 Total paid $139.23 8 February 1907. Schooner Maweema, Capt. Smith. Spanker repairs, 28 yards #2 @ .38, $10.65. New foot rope and (something) overhauled, including drayage, $3 7. 00. Total $47. 65. 25 February 1907. Captain Mathison, Anacortes, Schooner Fanny Dutard, loading at North Shore Mill. 2tarpaulins13 '-13" x 12 1-6 11, 10 '-6" x 10'-10", of#2/ 22" duck. Damaged. Cost, $20.20. We say that labor was cheap, and perhaps it was. But coasting seamen were paid about $50 a month, which was nearly twice the
SEA HISTORY, FALL 1981
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