Launched in 1946, “Iron Feather” (originally “Gaylee”) was built by The Matthews Company in Port Clinton, Ohio. This “38” Deluxe Sedan cruiser was commissioned by Lee McCuddy, who ran a successful marine business and retail store on the Columbia River. He had her shipped to Portland, Oregon via the Union Pacific Railroad in the summer of ’46, and McCuddy owned her until his passing in 1968.
Privately owned and operated for over 75 years, she’s been lovingly maintained and has cruised much of the PNW, from the Columbia River to the Inside Passage.
We purchased her in the Fall of 2020, and not for the first time, she’s being restored in the Boat Haven boatyard by some of Port Townsend’s finest marine tradespeople.
Repowered with twin Perkins diesel engines, she’s a capable cruiser and a pleasure to sail. As her new caretakers, our family is looking forward to many years on the Puget Sound, the San Juans, and maybe someday if we’re lucky, another trip to Alaska.