Nevermore began her journey as a dream some 50 years ago of then young Ralph Eastland, of Quadra Island, BC. Seeking to build a ship in which to raise his family, Ralph walked into the forests of Vancouver Island and felled the trees that were to become the timbers of his dream boat, Over the next 7 years, from 1975-1981, Ralph carefully studied and brought to life the line drawings of a Chesapeake style fishing schooner, designed by the esteemed marine architect Howard Chapelle. Meticulously crafted of the finest of Pacific NW woods, each perfectly suited for their function, Nevermore is constructed of Western red cedar planks, Pacific yew frames, Sitka spuce spars, Alaskan yellow cedar beams and Douglas fir decks. The boat was launched in 1981 after which time the Eastland family of Ralph, Debbie and their two daughters Theresa and Ariel lived aboard for many years. Seeking a larger home for their growing family, Ralph and Debbie decided to put the boat up for sale at which time the current owner, Billy Wolf, stepped forward to become the new steward of the vessel. Nevermore arrived in Port Townsend in 1993 and ever since has been maintained and improved upon by the outstandingly skillful traditional craftspeople that make this town the unique place that it truly is. With the assistance of scores of fine maritime artisans, Captain Wolf has fastidiously cared for this dream ship, both preserving the legacy that the Eastlands’ created, including an entirely bright finished red cedar hull, while continually endeavoring to improve upon the boat’s seaworthiness. Under Captain Wolf’s watch, Nevermore spends her summers sailing the wild coastlines of the northeast Pacific, with expeditions along the BC coast, north to SE Alaska as far as Glacier Bay, and to the outer reaches of Haida Gwai. Nevermore returns to the Wooden Boat festival this year once again as a shining living example of the saying, “It takes a community to raise a schooner.”
