Wapama is the last surviving example of some 225 steam schooners that served the lumber trade and other coastal services along the Pacific Coast of the United States. Built in 1915 for Charles R. McCormick's steamship company, she remained in the West Coast fleet until 1947.
She is a 204 foot wooden schooner, 40 feet across with 2 masts. She has a 825 hp triple expansion steam engine and could carry 1 million board feet of lumber. She also carried as many as 45 first-class passengers, 22 more in steerage, and about 19 crew members.
Unfortunately, the long shallow hulls of the steam schooners made for a weak structure, prone to sag at the bow and stern. As age and decay sapped the strength of Wapama's massive timbers, this "hogging" process became so bad that she could not remain afloat. Currently, she has been has been pulled out of the water onto a barge and has severe dry rot which has threatened the structural integrity of the hull.
Wapama was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1984.
| Length | 204' |
| Beam | 40' |
| Depth | 14' |
| Gross tonnage | 951 |
| Net Tonnage | 584 |
| Date of Construction | 1915 |
| Propulsion | Steam triple expansion engine |
| Horsepower | 825 |
| Designer | Hames H. Price |
| Builder | St. Helens Ship Building Company |
| Previous Names | Wapama (1915-1938) Tongass (1938-1955) |
Additional Information:
HAER Survey CA-67 (PDF)
Ships Plans (PDF)
Steam Schooner Wapama (LOC)