Historic Ships of the Pacific Northwest
Aug 24, 2026, 9:00 AM
Northwest Travel Life
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life.
As I sat on the tall ship Lady Washington during Olympia Harbor Days, I thought of two obvious reasons I’d never make it as a sailor. First, my impatience. We were dead in the water for lack of wind, and I was getting antsy. Sailors of the 1700s might have spent weeks this way. Second, the uncountable number of ropes the crew kept straight. I can’t even untangle my headphones.
These were just a couple of things I learned about ships—and myself—while visiting and researching some of the Northwest’s most fascinating vessels. Whether you take advantage of events like Olympia Harbor Days, where many interesting boats are all in one place, or seek them out individually, each ship is a gateway into the history of our region and the livelihoods of our people. Here are some of the best ones to visit.
Virginia V
The steamship Virginia V—that’s a Roman numeral 5, not a letter—was built in 1922 and is the last operational vessel of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. The fleet got its name because so many little boats were transporting people and goods that they looked like mosquitoes swarming the wharf. The ship’s many duties included ferrying thousands of Seattle Camp Fire Girls to summer camp on Vashon Island from the 1920s to 1970.
Viriginia V is now moored at Lake Union in Seattle. Public cruises happen between August and October, and the ship is also available for private charter. During Olympia Habor Days, I enjoyed cruising on Virginia V, watching the steam apparatus on the bottom deck and listening to the funny squeaks of her engine. It was also the best place in the harbor from which to view vintage tugboat races.
Sinopah
Glacier Park Boat Company has a collection of historic wooden boats, including Sinopah, built in 1926. Originally named Little Chief, its job was to shuttle railway customers to their lodging. Glacier Park Boat Company bought the 45-foot boat in the 1940s, rechristened it Sinopah and moved it to Two Medicine Lake. It has wowed visitors with mountain views every summer since. Sinopah means “kit fox” in the Blackfeet language and was the name of the daughter of Lone Walker, a powerful Blackfeet chief. The boat Sinopah made it onto the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Comanche
The World War II attack Tug Comanche is cruising Puget Sound and appears at various events. When I boarded the tug, Chief Engineer Dale Bookwalter showed me around. After running a tugboat company in Georgia, Bookwalter “retired” in the Northwest. That is, until he stumbled upon the Comanche and realized he could provide some much-needed help.
“This type of a boat takes a very specific skill set to work on,” he told me. “I mean, it’s 1940s technology. This is the only World War II attack tug underway under its original World War II engine room.”
Bookwalter shared the tug’s adventures with me, including helping to rescue the USS Pennsylvania after it was torpedoed in Okinawa, earning battle stars, and later doing drug interdiction as a Coast Guard cutter. “A lot of men served and died on this ship,” Bookwalter told me.
The vessel’s volunteer crew is still rescuing boats and having adventures. But will it ever participate in the vintage tugboat races?
“We’d love to race the Comanche, but there’s nothing in our class,” Bookwalter said. That’s the drawback of being the biggest, baddest tug in Puget Sound.
St.Roch
Built in 1928, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner St. Roch logged tens of thousands of miles in the Arctic. This tough little ship acted as a patrol, transport and supply vessel, and was the first ship to circumnavigate North America. Now it sits on land inside the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Visitors can admire the Douglas fir planks and outer shell of Australian eucalyptus known as “iron bark” that helped the St. Roch withstand the icy Arctic.
Lady Washington
In addition to being the official state ship of Washington, Lady Washington has a film career.
You might have seen her in The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl or on Star Trek: Generations. People are passionate about this reproduction of an 18th century tall ship.
During my mostly stationary tour, deckhand Ellis Stramer gave our group a history lesson about the original Lady Washington, which was once part of an operation that harvested otters in the Northwest and traded them for tea in China.
“Those dear, sweet animals that hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift apart, apparently make really nice hats and coats,” he told us.
Like otters, the ship’s crew sleep in close quarters. Crew member Evellynne Ford compared the tall ship crew lifestyle to that of ski bums. “Free spirits, travelers. There’s this mental illness that the sailor is born with that makes you just have to go to sea.” Patience comes along with that condition, Ford said. “Because you’re always at the mercy of the elements, right? The wind, the tide, the temperature. And so we’re people who are very used to just sitting around and experiencing nature as it happens.” Lady Washington is based in Grays Harbor Historic Seaport, Aberdeen, Washington.
Portland
I’m ashamed to say I lived in Portland for more than 20 years before finally setting foot on the steamship of the same name. Unfortunately, I’m not alone. Oregon Maritime Museum president Brad Duval told me about visitors from France, England, the Netherlands and Australia as he gave me a personal ship tour.
“They think it’s the greatest thing in the world,” he said. “Most people from Portland don’t really know what it’s about.” But ship enthusiasts appreciate the last ship-assist steam-powered paddle wheel tugboat built in the US.
Built in 1947, Portland worked mainly on the Willamette River, which divides its namesake city’s east and west sides.
The 1800-horsepower boat has seven rudders. “So it can turn almost on a dime,” Duval told me. “It’s very maneuverable.” Portland did ship assists and even rescues.
Once a ship got stuck on a sandbar and Portland backed up to it, using its powerful paddle wheel to flick out the sand and dig the stuck ship out. But eventually smaller, more powerful tugs that could start with the flip of a switch—rather than taking three hours to build up steam—replaced her.
It’s well worth a visit to see the complex steam workings, which were modeled on old train technology. For a really special experience, join one of the ship’s four annual summer voyages.
Lightship Columbia
From 1951-1979, the lightship Columbia served as a floating lighthouse marking the mouth of the Columbia River. The ship anchored five miles out to sea, where it surged and rolled in the waves. As its website describes it, “Life on board consisted of long periods of monotony punctuated by fierce storms, particularly in the winter.” During calm times, the crew could enjoy a library and workout room. Eventually a large navigation buoy replaced the 17-man crew. Visitors can tour this unusual piece of maritime history in Astoria, Oregon.
crmm.org/lightship-columbia.html
Longer cruises on historic Northwest ships
A quick trip aboard isn’t enough for you? These companies offer multiday cruises on historic ships.
Mothership Adventures will take you to places like Desolation Sound and the Great Bear Rainforest aboard the M.S. Columbia III. Launched in 1956, the ship served as a floating hospital in isolated coastal communities.
Maple Leaf Adventures operates them M.V. Swell, a converted 88-foot tugboat with six guest cabins, which offers cruises in British Columbia.
Alaska Charters operates the restored 1931 yacht M.V. Discovery, 87 feet of vintage elegance that cruises Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage between Alaska and Seattle.
