Oregon Maritime Museum

Steamer Sunday!
Here's a sentimental look back with some random shots of people, places and cruises from years gone by...

Tanker Tuesday!
Here's a chilly memory for a warm summer day... Inbound on a remarkably glassy Columbia River, the S.S. LION OF CALIFORNIA makes her last trip to Portland under US-flag. --Jan 31, 1994
Sold to new owners and re-flagged, the classic ship sailed from Portland to Alang, India where she was scrapped later that year.

Remembering Centennial Mills...
As you may have seen on the news, one of the last remaining structures from Portland's maritime past was destroyed by a massive fire this afternoon. The most dominate building on site was the flour mill, built in 1910 as Crown Mills and later renamed as Centennial Mills. It operated until 2000.
Due to its dock on the Willamette, OMM at one time pursued relocating the museum and Steamer there when developers had plans to rehabilitate the complex into a commercial center.
Here is a look inside of the structure's interior from 2015.

Talk about coming up through the hawsepipe!
Long-time Steamer PORTLAND volunteer Kyle Nasman started working on the boat when he was young teenager. Since then he has earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering, worked on steam locomotives, helped rebuild the boiler on the SS JEREMIAH O'BRIEN, operated steam tractors, opened his own business, and stood watch on the Steamer's engineering platform- as well as heading up work her recent boiler repairs. Finding young people with the passion, knowledge and talent to operate steam equipment is a rare commodity these days.
Thank you Kyle for all your contributions through the years!

Happy 250th Birthday, America!!
Wishing you a safe and festive 4th of July celebration, from your friends at the Oregon Maritime Museum.
Willamette Tug & Barge moorage. --Dec 23, 1985

Turbine Tuesday!
A ship's propulsion system is out of sight below deck in spaces that few people get to see. Turbine plants, whether steam or gas, are increasingly rare these days other than in Naval vessels.
Here is a look at some turbine engines that have called at Portland through the years...

Project update: Thanks to lead man Kyle Nasman's expertise (and his youthful agility and size 😏) the last of the boiler's lower tubes have now been removed! After some additional prep work we'll be ready to install two rows of brand new tubes.

Tugboat Tuesday!
Willamette Tug's TT AMERICA assists the tanker SS KEYSTONER into berth at Willbridge. --Jan 20, 1987
Everything in this vibrant scene of maritime activity is now a memory: the tanker was scrapped in 1994, the tug was sold and moved to the east coast, and Riedel's yard and dredge equipment across the river is long gone.

Our tube replacement project continues as we first have to pull the tubes.

Tugboat Tuesday: 41 years ago... where in the world is this?
Would you believe... the tug RANGER was actually on the Clackamas River! It was sent up there to bring down the dredge Amazon from the gravel pit known as as Rich Valley- or what is now called Willamette Cove.
--March 23, 1985