Douglas Fir News

Following a £1million conservation, the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, Fife, is set to welcome visitors back onboard the iconic ‘Fifie’ Reaper, the last of the great First Class Scottish Herring Luggers and a rare survivor from the golden age of sail.One of the few vessels in the UK’s National Historic Fleet kept in seagoing condition, the two-masted, 70-ft., 50-tonne Reaper will open to the public on August 4 at her pontoon on Anstruther Harbour, once Scotland’s busiest fishing port.The refurbishmen project…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced that the Columbia (ESG Hull 981) a steel hull exact replica of the historic Gloucester Fishing Schooner, has completed her sailing trials. The sailing trials were held on September 18, 2014 directly offshore of the beaches of Panama City, Florida. Ninety-one years earlier, the original Columbia was officially measured on October 27, 1923 just before her race with the Bluenose by Raymond J. Milgate, a marine surveyor of Halifax, N.S. The original Columbia was a 141’ classic wooden hull Gloucester Fishing Schooner built at the historic A.D.

A US$5-million historic sailing brigantine currently under construction in Sausalito has officially entered the process of earning Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) project certification. The certification will indicate that the brigantine will be constructed from timber produced with responsible forestry practices. The nonprofit group behind the project, Educational Tall Ship for San Francisco Bay, selected Emeryville-based SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading FSC certifier worldwide…

Leader Creek Fisheries has expanded their operation to include large vessel storage out of Bristol Bay in Naknek, Alaska and has devised a one of a kind system to save time and money in the dry docking process. All the vessels in this region must be placed out of the water for winter and winter is a very long season that far North. If the vessels could not be pulled from the water, they would need to be either beached or driven to other locations for the haul out process. It could take up to 10 days to reach the best haul out location in Seattle.

NOA Marine, Inc. recently built and delivered 56 ft. pirate ship Royal Conquest to Buccaneer Adventure Cruises of St. Petersburg, Fla. The three-masted motor vessel was designed by naval architect Daniel J. Avoures to resemble a 17th century pirate ship, and is certified to carry 46 passengers on protected routes and 38 passengers on partially protected waters. Royal Conquest was designed to Lloyd's rules for wood and composite construction and is constructed of double-planked epoxy saturated plywood over Douglas fir and White Oak framing. The entire hull was sheathed with fiberglass epoxy laminate. The superstructure and bulwarks are planked with white cedar. The vessel's rigging sails are for appearance only.