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12/21/03 - ECS - We are proud to present here the new model of the "Oregon Clipper" Western Shore, built by Master model shipwright Steve Priske.

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Western Shore #2 photographed at Shore Acres, Cape Argo, Oregon. The original ship would have passed the lookout point when each time she sailed into or out of Coos Bay.

Don,

Given that I had never heard of the clipper ship Western Shore, I did not expect to find much history of her. However, there was indeed quite a bit written about the 'Shore' but it seems this history has been hidden away in Oregon and Washington libraries for the past century. Here's what a contemporary newspaper had to say about the Western Shore on her launching in 1874.

Western Shore #1, commissioned by Michael Simpson, the grandson of the original ship's builder.

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"The largest sailing vessel yet constructed on the Pacific Coast was launched at Coos Bay in 1874, and was a production in every way worthy of the State that claimed her. She was christened Western Shore, was one hundred and eighty-six feet long, with a twenty-two feet hold, and registered 1,188 tons. She cost $80,000, A. M. Simpson owning one-half, T. B. Knowles and Capt. J. W. McAllep one-eighth each, and San Francisco parties the other fourth. No sailing vessel ever set afloat on the West Coast made such a remarkable record for speed. In 1875, she left San Francisco a few minutes behind the steamer Oriflame and arrived in Astoria two and one-half hours ahead, making the trip in a trifle over two days. A year later she established another record by sailing from Portland to Liverpool in one hundred and one days, and the next year made the trip to the same port from San Francisco in one hundred and ten." ~ Tacoma Library.

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Every detail of the Western Shore has been recreated in this scratch built model.

It took approximately 1,200 hours to complete this very unique model.

The complete model of the Western Shore measures over four feet long and is mounted to a beautiful Myrtle base.

Aren't those photos great. I was sweating the whole time that a monster wave was going to crash over the rocks and take me and the 'Shore' to sea!

You all might find the story of how I came to build this inrcedible ship model of the clipper ship Western Shore very interesting.

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The Western Shore was launched in 1874 in North Bend, on Oregon's Coos Bay. She wrecked on duxbury Reef, off San Francisco, in 1878. Here she is photographed just south of the entrance to the Coos Bay, a sight her crew would have frequently seen from the sea.

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Maritime News Page

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Snow Squall

2/21/04 ~ Ship Model Page Five

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One of the unique features of the Simpson fleet was the placement of the ship's name on the stern quarters, not near the bow.

Another unique feature of the Western Shore was that her fore mast (100 feet trunk to deck) - see here - was almost the same height as the main mast (102 feet trunk to deck).

I was inspired by the nautical book Pacific Legacy (see book review section). I moved here to Coos Bay a few years back, on the hunch there might be some history from the era of sail worth exploring. After two years of knocking on doors of local museums, art galleries, and historical societies, I had found nothing about Tall Ships built on Oregon's Coos Bay. Disappointed, I was about to pack things up and head back to Southern California this past summer, when a newspaper story caught my eye.

On the back of a Centennial Celebratory issue of a paper heralding the 100th anniversary of the city of North Bend, Oregon, was a small story touting the only clipper ship build on the West Coast, the Western Shore. Now, like you and all lovers of Tall Ships, this astounded me as the many historical books in my collection mention nothing about a West Coast clipper ship. However, after contacting the authors of the newspaper article, I was put in contact with Mr. Michael Simpson, the grandson of Asa Meade Simpson, the builder of the Western Shore. Following a meeting with Mr. Simpson, I was commissioned to build a model of this venerable vessel.

Michael Simpson provided me with the 'original' shipyard blueprints* of the Western Shore, a full-rigged ship launched in 1874 from North Bend, Oregon. (* The plans provided me had been drawn on onion skin and kept in the family vault for the past 100 plus years). Additionally, Mr. Simpson had a huge family painting with more detail of a ship than any painting I've ever studied before - which makes me think the painting was commissioned by her builder when she was launched.

Steve Priske and Michael Simpson.

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Now, having built many clipper ships in my career as a model shipwright (see model pages), I was a bit skeptical as to whether the Western Shore was indeed a clipper hulled ship or just looked like one, and would actually be closer to a full rigged packet ship. However, after shaping the hull (plank on frame constructed), I came to see (and feel) this was indeed a sleek though stout shaped hull, that would indeed meet the definition of a 'medium' clipper typical of similar ships launched on the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, in many ways the Western Shore was built to out do her East Coast and British counterparts.

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Directory

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Tall Ships of the Coos Bay

Tall Ships of the Coos Bay

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Tall Ships Photo Gallery

Tall Ships Photo Gallery

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The medium clipper Western Shore was unique in the world of 19th Century full-rigged ships for a couple of reasons. First, although built near the end of the era of the clipper ships, when ships like the Cutty Sark were composite hulled, the 'Shore' was 100% wood framed. Second, the Western Shore was very heavily sparred, all three masts sported six yards and the matching yards on the fore and main masts were exactly the same in size. These features, along with sleek entry lines, gave the Western Shore terrific sailing qualities, resulting in record-setting passages from the U. S. West Coast to England.

It took me about 1,200 hours to scratch build this first model of the Western Shore, which I built in 1/86 scale. The completed model is mounted on a unique Myrtle wood base and covered by a dust case with overall measurements of 4 feet long by 2.5 feet tall. The hull is true plank on bulkhead, the decks are individually planked and the ship has been painted to match the colors reflected in the painting provided my by Mr. Simpson. I've posted 100 photos of the building of the Western Shore on my online portfolio.

Steve's model pages are on the following Web sites and the URLs of the links have been slash / updated to take you right to them.

www.internetmodeler.com - Steve's page.

www.modelwarships.com - Steve's page.

www.tallship.co.uk - Steve's page.

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The proud owners of Western Shore #2, Dick and Judy Wagner, of North Bend, Oregon. The Wagners recently authored a wonderful historic book titled: The Uncommon Life of Louis Jerome Simpson.L.J. Simpson was the eldest son pf Captain Asa Meade Simpson, the builder/owner of the Western Shore.

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The pictures of the Western Shore were photographed at Shore Acres State Park.

Welcome. . .

www.shoreacres.net

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The History of the "Oregon Clipper"

Western Shore

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