Snagboats

What the heck is a snagboat?  We're from the Midwest so we didn't have a clue.  A snagboat is a boat that clears the waterways of navigational hazards like floating logs, old boats and docks that had floated away.

Remember to click on the photo so it will enlarge to make reading easier.

First we went off to the history museum to get the lay of the land.... er, water.

The next two pictures are about a very interesting woman from the Anacortes area.

The route Betty Lowman Carey took in her travels.

Now we head out the door to see the actual W.T. Preston

Coming in the door the first thing we see is the steam-powered generator.

This and the next photo show the rudder control engine.

The blacksmith's shop.  One of many on the ship.

Of course they had to wash their clothes.

Water gauge.

 

OK I cheated and stuck the camera in the hole in order to get this photo of the tubes.

This is the hole in the boiler where I took the photo.  It's also the hole men went through to clean out the boiler.  There's no way either of us could fit through it.

This is the crane operator's perch.  How would you like to sit on that seat all day?

The crane operator's booth at the bottom of the crane.

There were two powerful searchlights on top of the snagboat.

This gull was using the top navigational light as a roost.

The Captain, First Mate and Chief Engineer had their own bathrooms but everyone else had to share a common one down the hallway.

The bathroom photo turned out so blurry I decided not to use it.  Just a shower, toiler and sink in a small room.

I didn't get a photo of the rest of the crews mess on the bottom deck but the food was delivered down to them via dumbwaiter.

The Officer's Mess was just off the kitchen.





Looking toward the bow from the officer's mess.



Wheel just forward of the paddlewheel.

Up on the third deck.

Nolan had to take a turn at the wheel.

Picture of the harbor with the smokestacks of the refinery in the background.