Low, low tides along the Oregon and Washington coasts expose shipwrecks and other

The Peter Iredale rusts in the sand near Ft. Stevens in Warrenton. Click image to see our shipwreck chart with locations of wrecks of the Oregon and Washington coasts

Tides will be lower than usual along the Oregon and Washington coasts for the next few days, as much as minus three feet, which will not only make for great clam digging, it will expose points of interest not often seen.

The wreck of the Bettie M, a Tuna seiner wrecked near Cape Disappointment in 1976, will be visible. 

The Admiral Benson sticks in the mud near the mouth of the Columbia River

During extreme low tides like this, it was recently possible to view the remains of the Admiral Benson as well as the Alice just north of Ocean Park.

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Commercial Fisherman Expo and Hotdog Highliners Competition

Sunday, Sept. 7th – in conjunction with Astoria’s Sunday Market, there will be a Commercial Fishing Expo and Hotdog Highliners Competition.
Don’t miss your chance to rub shoulders with the ilk of hard-working men and women that work the waters of the Pacific Graveyard, many of whom also fish the Bering Sea in the industry made famous by Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch.
Entrants must have registered by Sept. 3 in order to compete.
Competitions include the Dover Sole Relay Race, Forklift Coin-flip, and teams made up of three highliner “deckhands” successfully completing a series of tasks such as eating oysters, donning a survival suit, stacking crab pots and knot-tying in order to gain bragging rights and donated prizes.
In addition to these, there will be entertainment in the form of commercial fishing demonstrations, Sea Shanty songs by the Living Historians, fisher poets and
NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM will be there as a vendor in our usual spot as well as at the Fishing Expo.
Englund Marine, Polk-Riley Printing, Junes Ltd., J&H Boatworks, Jon’s Seafood and Pier 39 are some of the sponsors.
Links:
Fishing Contest Enlivens North Coast Oregon Town

USS Shark Cannons-History in Cannon Beach Wednesday

Can you find the Shark on this small section of our chart representing the Columbia River Bar area and some of the shipwrecks there?

On Wednesday, August 13, the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum will host a lecture by Greg Shine on the cannons discovered in Arch Cape in February 2008,/a>. Shine is the Chief Ranger and Historian at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the Northwest Cultural Resources Institute. This free, public program will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the History Center.
The cannons are believed to be from the wreck of a Navy ship named the USS Shark, which was surveying the Columbia River Bar when it struck a shoal and ultimately sunk in 1846.
For more information about the program, please call the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum at 503-436-9301.
As always, you can call the office (503-338-6056), or drop by Astoria’s Sunday Market to pick up a souvenir of your visit, our Dead Reckoning shipwreck chart, the newest and most complete listing of shipwrecks for this region, presented in a beautiful lithograph on high-quality paper, and the ultimate which is framed and has photographs of the wrecks and other historic memorabilia such as lighthouses.

Links:
Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard shipwreck chart at NW Limited…History in Vogue
Hear the stories of the USS Shark
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Arch Cape Cannons
Cannon Lecture on North Oregon Coast Beach Connection.net

Getaway to the beach

If you will be on the coast this weekend, look us up at the Grays Harbor Street Market in Aberdeen, Washington and, as always, at Astoria’s Sunday Market where you can find us across from the Elliot Hotel.
We’ll have Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard shipwreck charts available as lithographs, or taking orders for framed ones.
Also, Lewis & Clark maps and plenty of wow to be had.
Travel is expensive, but we’ll find you a souvenir that was worth the trip.

Everybody’s working for the weekend (to stay dry!)

The Astoria Sunday Market begins today, Sunday, May 11 (Mother’s Day)! It’s been hit-or-miss weather. If you went to see, hopefully you had an umbrella.
NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM was there (and will be there every Sunday), as in years past.
There’s even more new, great stuff to see and the ultimate answer in “what to get” for the (mom, dad, brother, sister, friend) that has everything!
We guarantee they don’t have anything like this!
For example:

14″ X 11″ this is number 18 in an exclusive American Motorcycle edition of 119 pieces, EVER.

If you can’t make it to the market, we are always available by calling 503-338-6056 or email Bill at bill@nwlimited.com
We ship, and we take plastic.

West coast fishery most deadly

An AP article published April 25, 2008 claims that the coasts of Oregon, Washington and California have claimed more lives even than Alaska waters, including the Bering Sea, where Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch is filmed. (Click to read the article)
“The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a report Thursday detailing the hazards of fishing off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The report said those three states combined for a fatality rate more than twice as high as the national commercial fishing average between the years of 2000 and 2006.”
One of the somber features of Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard includes a list of lost fishing vessels from the region. It is the most complete list of lost fishing vessels to date. The list was obtained from multiple local, long-time fishermen, their families, local publications and Coast Guard reports.

A detail photo of the lost fishing vessels list, printed on handmade paper using an antique letter press by Oblation Papers in Portland, Oregon.
The result is a respectful, enduring memorial to the lives lost in the commercial fishing industry of the Oregon and Washington coasts.
The list is featured on the premium framed chart by NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM as shown below:

503-338-6056 or bill@nwlimited.com to find out more

Carronades from USS Shark to be displayed

in Manzanita tomorrow, April 29, 2008 at Nehalem Bay State Park.
The small cannons are normally kept submerged in water and secured until restoration, but the Oregon Parks Dept. is draining the water and inviting visitors to come and view them from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm.
Here are a few photos from NW Limited’s trip to see them at the last public viewing in March:

The surface feels much like concrete encasing the carronade due to pressure and reaction of the elements surrounding the carronades for 162 years.
They were buried in approximately 20′ of sand prior to the Winter of 2007-2008 storms’ erosion.

You can see the mounting apparatus on the bottom of the cannon in this picture on the right.

The pieces in the bottom of the tub are a chain and possibly other bits of the USS Shark Navy schooner, which was wrecked on the Columbia River Bar.
The carronades even have their own blog: Cannon Blog
The USS Shark is one of the hundreds of Oregon and Washington, Columbia River shipwrecks featured on our Dead Reckoning of the Pacific Graveyard shipwreck chart.
Three versions of the chart are currently available (click the following link to see more):

At the Crab and Wine Fest in Astoria

All said and done!
Several pieces have found new homes, other shoppers went home with the only regret they’ll ever experience with NW Limited, and that’s NOT BUYING!

View from Friday evening’s festivities:

The shipwreck chart was admired by many.
Every single piece is handmade with pride right here in Clatsop County, Oregon, USA.
Did you miss your chance to take home the ultimate locally-made souvenir of your trip to Astoria?
We ship, and we take plastic, just in case you did miss something, or want to reserve a future build. 503-338-6056 or bill@nwlimited.com

Treasure hunting free-for-all

Do you know where there is a hidden treasure?

Might want to keep it on the hush-hush or you could find yourself in court!

Looks like treasure hunters in Florida are exactly there, when they retrieved over $500 million worth of silver coins believed to be from the Spanish galleon “Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas” which was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off of Portugal in 1804. 
Spain also wants their share (which may be all of it, thank you) of the loot, but the company that found it would like to at least keep the location of the find secret.  They fear there will then be a treasure hunting free-for-all, and these intrepid divers will make off with the rest of the treasure.
May 9th, 2008 is the deadline for Spain’s claim in the 17 tons of goodies.
Do we know where a Spanish galleon or two rest off the coast of Oregon or Washington?  Wrecks dating from the 17th-century have been noted, and another wreck hundreds of years older have been speculated. 
We’re not telling…

Or are we?
To get a treasure map, call Bill 503-338-6056 or email him: bill@nwlimited.com

Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay

March 7, 2008 marked Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay’s 100-year Anniversary!
On this date in 1908, Barview Lifesaving Station was established on the then-largest unprotected section of Oregon coastline. 
Capt. Robert Farley was the Keeper, beginning Mar. 7, 1908 and served in that capacity until May of 1934.
The original station was located one and a half miles north of Garibaldi.  Sold to a private party in 1942, another was then built. 
In 1981,  Station Tillamook Bay was inaugurated along with a boathouse and haul-out facility.
Historic photographs, movies, and the station’s scrap book were displayed as part of the celebration.  A search-and-rescue demonstration was planned as well as tours of boats, station and equipment. 
NW Limited was there to honor this prestigious occasion!  
Here are a few pictures:

A memorial to the 11 lives lost on the Taki Tooo and other boats and lives lost on the Tillamook Bar (seen in the distance behind the memorial itself on the horizon)

The bell from the wreck of the Glenesslin, one of the most famous shipwrecks along this stretch of coastline.

SAR demonstration, which is tricky in any kind of weather…just imagine the wind blowing 70 knots and swells of 30 ft. It happens! These are the guys to call!

Just one of the many pages of memorabilia representing events these men and women have responded to. If you click the image above, it should bring up a readable image.
The personal notes from the loved ones of the lost lives are heartbreaking, but represent the very real risk in light of life amidst the elements of the Oregon coast.

NW Limited’s “Dead Reckoning” chart was one of the stars of this presentation of Oregon coast and Coast Guard history, and received much admiration for the sheer volume of history presented in such a beautiful manner.
(Click on the above photo to be taken to a slide show with more photos from the event.)
The United States Coast Guard provides our country with priceless dedication to patrolling our waterways, performing above and beyond the call of duty to ensure safety of boaters, the public, also security of country.
We at NW Limited…History in Vogue^TM thank you for that, and for including us in your special day.

Links:
The United States Coast Guard History in the Columbia River Area
U.S. Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay to Celebrate 100-year anniversary March 7 (Daily Astorian)
USCG Station Tillamook Bay Area Familiarization Photo Gallery