Strait Talk is truly one of a kind! She was built in 1947 by L.E. (Earl) Fowler at Friday Harbor, San Juan Island. She was built of reclaimed Port Orford cedar on oak frames. The Port Orford Cedar was originally collected from timber lost from log booms, found on the shores of the San Juan’s, and milled into planks.
It would seem the builder combined ideas and plans for different boats but it’s a bit unclear. The builder used her as a family cruiser where he, his wife, and two children cruised the San Juan’s, the Puget Sound, and Vancouver Island. His travels and the boat’s accomplishments are preserved in numerous letters to friends and family.
In 1958 she was sold to a marine surveyor in the San Francisco Bay Area where she still resided until the present owner found her and returned her home to the Pacific Northwest.
Around 1969 Tom Thompson took possession and renamed her ‘Chub’ after a fish with a belly that resembles her hull. Tom owned her for 30 years. Afterward, she changed hands many times in 12 year period. The most recent previous owner came into possession in 2012 and used her as a live aboard in the San Francisco Bay.
Strait Talk has been registered and active upon the water her entire life. She has been greatly cared for by numerous owners. Strait Talk is a magical little boat and her story is long and wonderful. She’s a great all-around vessel for fishing, socializing, and towing. She had been most recently repurposed to serve as a home base for a psychotherapy practice serving people in need in the Port Angeles area. She has pulled annually where the restoration process continues – hopefully preserving this little gen for another 75 years.