Blue Starr was laid up in 1970 by two brothers at the now-defunct Nanoose Bay Shipyards in Nanaimo. Both shipwrights building workboats, they strictly worked on Blue Starr after-hours, together, leading to a launch date 35 years later in 2005. She was designed by Bill Garden, who heard the brothers were building a Walloon hull, and requested the traditional Ketch design be modified to a Schooner. Garden felt the hull was more well-suited for a Schooner rig after 89 Ketches were built. She is Alaskan Yellow Cedar over steam-bent White Oak frames. Her captain and some of Port Townsend’s best at the Shop Cooperative in the Boat Haven are actively designing an entire new rig, featuring two freshly built birdsmouth Sitka Spruce sticks. These were made alongside (and with the same wood as) Schooner Pterodactyl’s, who will likely be anchored in front of town.

While the new rig will be beautiful, unfortunately sailing is not possible this year due to the condition of the current rig. Blue Starr is however, powered by a 101hp Detroit 3-53. Helpful, when sailing a schooner in the Northwest. She still gives trawlers a run for their money! Other systems of note are the hydraulic windlass powered off the Detroit, the recent complete rewiring, and the vast tankage (300 gallons of fresh water, 125 Gallons of diesel).

Blue Starr is a home, her Captain’s forever education, and a blossoming community vessel. Dreams of Pacific voyaging to Japan and beyond are discussed over hearty meals and tea. For now though, while day job work is full-time and the refit is ongoing, Blue Starr is considering getting into the day charter business to help pay the bills.