C. A. Thayer: The Last of the Lumber Schooners 

My first job out of high school in 1961 was as a laborer and night watchman at the California Maritime State Historical Monument when the ships were still in the Alemeda Canal and before any part of the park was in San Francisco. I lived in the Thayer's fishermen's fok'sle, and cooked my meals in the galley. Firing up the sea suction and hosing off the freshwater dew in the morning in the fog could fill a young man with dreams and poetry.

I boarded the C.A.Thayer at dock in San Francisco. When I told the Ranger that I was a shipbuilder from Newport News Virginia, he took special pains to show me parts of the ship not normally seen. I got an appreciation for riveted construction, something that had ceased by the time I got involved, and the ample size of the below decks. A great experience for me and I appreciate the extra effort of the Ranger.

We went on this ship and slept overnight on it in 1978ish. I was in 4th grade. I never forgot that trip. Thanks for sharing!

I’m not an easily moved person, but I cried while watching the video. Thanks to all of you who worked on taking care of her and rebuilt her!

Excellent to see a surviving schooner with a sharp entry. So much of more recent designs have yacht style stems and these have no bite upon the water. Traditional ships with long keels swing long and slow whatever their size. That is their joy.

I toured her in May 1979. I was a SSgt in the USAF stationed at Grissom AFB, IN. I got to by getting an incentive flight aboard a KC-135 from Grissom to Travis AFB, CA. I took buses from the base3 to downtown SF and stayed at the Holliday Inn at Van Nyes and Market. I had read about this museum in Sea Classics magazine. This was my chance to see her and the rest of the museum. As I remember there was a film story about her below decks. To fun the movie they had to turn off the bulge pumps. There was a small steady stream of water flowing through the theater area. We were told not to worry about it. I am glad I did the trip back then. Today SF is more deteriorated than the C.A. Thayer was at her worst.

Back a couple of decades a school program was available for kids to spend a night on the Thayer. Great program. Had the kids experience what it was like to be a sailor during that time.

Честь и хвала, глубокое восхищение людям, которые сохраняют свою историю и поддерживают такую красоту

Thank you all that work... how beautiful she is...

Смотрю на такую огромную реставрацию и проделанные работы, плачу от того как мы отстали во всём. Низкий поклон всем участникам сего проекта.

I am from Seattle.....and have mourned the loss of the Wawona...but I am so very happy that parts of her live on in the Thayer....

I spent the night on the ca Thayer back in 1984, I was in the 4th grade. this video brought back memories and I also learned a few things I didn't know:). I specifically rememeber doing longshoreman duties and eating cod cakes:0 lol

Thanks for the hard work in restoration and preservation of our Maritime past. Beautiful job ! Can't wait to come visit the museum!

My grandfather sailed on the C.A. Thayer out of San Francisco---probably sometime between 1895 and 1912, when she was converted for fishing. He often sailed the coastwise trade, much of the time after steam schooners came into use.. Wish i could have heard his stories.

Absolutely lovely. Gorgeous lines.

When I saw the extent of the rot I was honestly surprised the damn thing still managed to float! That's crazy. Great work on the restoration and preserving history though.

Congratulations...i remember seeing Wawona being towed away without knowing there was another lady CA Thayer on the west coast undergoing a refit... great challenges lead to Great results...These ships are history

I worked on her in 1968 when sje was docked at the Hyde street pier with the last steam schooner the Wapama. In the evenings, the hippies would build fires on the beach and play their ever present drums as the sun would set behind the Golden Gate. Standing on her deck listening to the drumming was a truly serene experience. Then taking the cable cat home from work made it like living in the past. At that time the park was run by Harry Dring., who would usually answer most of my question. Damn, it's hard to believe that was more than half a century ago.

Really wonderful looking ship.The shear line is fabulous.

I spent the the night on her back in 1985? I think. I was in the fifth grade. I was a galley cook. Got sea sick. And I cried like a baby when it was over. It was so emotional for some reason.

Beatiful, beautiful work!

Beautiful ship ,thanks for sharing. Great history I like it

In the U.P. of Michigan, schooners were on lake superior until they were replaced by steel ships. The schooners had masts cut down and they became barges towed by steamers.

Thankfully there are still people who respect our past and want to save old ships.

She looks amazing now!

You can also see the last of the whaling ships in Old Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. I'd love to see Thayer. Nice video.

Not only old but very beautiful too.

There is another lumber schooner running regular cruises off Maine. The Victory Chimes. My wife and I spent a week on her in Aug of 2008. Very nice boat and good food,

Well Done!!

Old sailors were carpenters as well. What incredible determination they had to explore the ends of the earth. They are celebrated by many strong, quiet people of action.

She's Beautiful...wish we would have kept and restored some of the fishing schooners that were here in Newfoundland years ago.

Hope She sails for another couple of centuries . Congratulations !

My mother's second husband Fred Robblee took me aboard the Thayer to show the sort of ship his Dad skippered before switching to steam. Fred would not have even been born in 1911 if his dad and mother had not survived the Lumber Barkentine Eviston being run aground on an uncharted reef north of Australia, part of a late 1907 voyage carrying lumber to Haiphong and intending to return with Australian coal. In your library is a copy I donated of a short account I wrote incorporating his Captain's log and and newspaper articles of the time. I titled it "Lloyds of London Rings their Great Bell Twice" a reference to the firm's practice of ringing the Lutine Bell to signify the loss of a ship, and that they would ring it again, should the ship be found again in reasonable repair. They were stranded on the reef for 75 days. Mrs. Robblee was pregnant and had to deliver a stillborn baby during the calamity probably aided the Captain and crew to find a way off, and to safety. I was struck by the fact that for steamships to be economic in commerce, far flung coal depots were maintained by ships that did not need to use the fuel. Never-the-less, the Eviston, a wooden product of a Coos Bay OR shipyard, could not have got to safety but for the Lumber industry 'donkey' steam engine they had aboard which kept the pumps going despite massive harm from the grounding to her keel. Thanks to those of you who took the time to preserve one of the few original large commercial wooden ships still on display in Maritime museums not a replica. Eviston, had 20 more years of service in the far east, a typical life for hard worked ships, but she would never have been sailed back across the Pacific in her poor condition upon being sold.

Gorgeous

Humboldt Bay in front of Eureka lumber ships dumped rock ballast (forming today's Ballast Island) before loading redwood lumber. The entire bay used to be lined with ancient redwood giants, all gone now. The last local redwood "shade trees" in local's back yards were taxed for value of board feet of lumber to force the sale and recovery often over a million board feet from a single tree.

Amazing

The Stephen Tabor in Maine is a 70' timber schooner built in 1868, as I recall, it is still sailing. I sailed on her around 1990.

Brilliant they saved this beauty.

Its a very friendly ship...appealing.

*'...an unusual expression of great craft.* Indeed. Perhaps just behind sailing these vessels or any, building them has been the ultimate craft, in my opinion, for literally thousands of years. There have been people sailing, about as long ago as people making swords. That's pretty old.

Thanks

Is there a historical connection between the New England Schooners and San Francisco Schooners other than replicating the architecture?

good job folks

Why any ppl choose a thumbs down baffles me

wait.... 10:22 what's that behind her then? looks like a greater wooden relic of the past with huge cross-beam wooden masts for rigging sails.

What became of her old masts?

Merveilleux

Gut it for cabins, a galley, births, a head, and a fine diesel drive.

❤❤❤

Must of been in elementary school. when our class was lucky enough to spent a night. we were giving tasked mine was the night port side watch looking out for trouble. need to make it back to the city to meet up with her.

Was there lumber schooners in Scotland ?

Good 👍👍

A beautiful boat and worth saving and in doing so preserved part of the past but watching this I couldn't help but feel a sadness for how destructive our past was. Seeing this boat first particapate in the destruction of the California RedWood forests then convert to the demise of the Alaskan fish stocks was sad to see. The past of mankind is both a beautiful and ugly part of our heritage.

Gorgious ship glad to see her in this time even built as work horse they the tall ships are gorgious i like their lines beter then a race regata winner

Does it ever go out and sail?

I was just watching a bit on story TV. About this ship. Shouldn't it be considered a veteran because it served in the military?? I don't know just a thought.

Please restore it🇺🇸😊

Restore it‼️

I'm watching the History Channel right now. "Save our history." I'm a old school sailor, builder and restorations. I think the C A Thayer is done. Her rot is all consuming. With what I just saw of her, this hull and deck are done. Every piece of wood needs to be replaced. We all know it. It's time to build a new hull and deck. Salvage all her iron works, masts, hardware and anything else that can be saved/transfered to the new hull. Say good by to that old hull and be done with it. Quicker, easyer and soo much cheaper. You will have a seaworthy vessel that will last three times as long. What are you going to do, replace every bad board with a new board? Yeah right... build a new damn hull and go sailing.

I'd love to see it but not going anywhere near SF.

Hey Courtney, thought you rigged movie ships, not starred in their videos?

Totally rebuilt? But same ship? Like my grandfathers axe. New head, new handle, same axe!

sadly there is a 108 year old wooden sailboat being restored in washington state. it's name is tally ho . .the winner of the first fastnet race. it's owner and savior has been painstakingly restoring it for several years outside port angeles washington. unfortunately the county is attempting to stop the restoration. callum county washington . if you know someone who can help stop the mindless county morons from their mindless attempt to stop the work . the owner has a youtube channel and could use some help

Anyone here remember mr goltzer from ponderosa?

....the way is backwards... (and faster...) .../I*

MONTBLANC HAIR CREW © aurélioMACŪLIN

What a shame San Francisco has turned into. At least they had enough common sense to save this beautiful boat.

It is not the last of the lumber schooners. Misleading clickbait, fail and thumbs down.