Olaf Engvig’s upcoming Zoom program will cover development of the lumber trade and lumber schooners on the West Coast between 1880 and 1945.
“The Ships That Built the West,” a presentation by Olaf Engvig at 7 p.m. March 17, will be offered by the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way.
This webinar program about the role of the development of the lumber trade and lumber schooners on the West Coast between 1880 and 1945 is free, but registration is required, and donations are welcome.
Mr. Engvig will sell and sign his books from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19. To register for the Zoom event, go to www.sbmm.org/santa-barbara-event.
In his book, “The Ships that Built the West: The Scandinavian Navy,” Mr. Engvig shares maritime stories of the Scandinavian captains, seamen and ships that helped to build the West Coast, such as the steam schooner Wapama, once the main vessel on display at the San Francisco Maritime Museum.
The book and presentation also include Mr. Engvig’s 36-year restoration, completed in 2015, of the Vaerdalen, a Norwegian hybrid ship with a sail and a small steam engine that drives the propeller.
Before the California gold rush in 1849, San Francisco had a population of less than 10,000, but by 1870, the population had grown to 150,000. Housing and other industries grew at a similar pace, and the need for lumber increased up and down the Pacific coast.
Without adequate roads and railroads, the needed lumber was largely transported by sea, and the growing trade attracted investment in ships and deep-sea sailors looking for more local work, many of whom were Scandinavian. At one time, there were 300 lumber carriers known collectively as the Scandinavian Navy.
With the Great Depression of 1929, a contracting economy and growing road and rail transportation systems, the lumber schooner fleet gradually disappeared.
Long fascinated by these ships and writing about their importance, Mr. Engvig was determined to save and restore the derelict Vaerdalen, now the last existing lumber schooner in the world.
Mr. Engvig, a former sea captain, has a graduate degree in maritime history from the University of Oslo and is an expert on Scandinavian ships and their building materials (wood, iron, and steel). He also has a CMAS 1st class scuba diving certificate and a master mariner’s license.
Born in Rissa, Norway, Mr. Engvig now lives in Southern California with his family. He was named Scandinavian-American of the Year in 2015 and is the recipient of two Norwegian royal medals for his work with preserving maritime heritage.
He is the author of numerous other maritime books and articles, including “Legends in Sail,” an illustrated book detailing the history of legendary ships, and he is internationally known for his work saving and restoring historic vessels.
This event is sponsored by Marie L. Morrisroe.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
“The Ships That Built the West,” a presentation by Olaf Engvig at 7 p.m. March 17, will be offered by the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara. For more information on the Zoom event, call 805-962-8404 or visit sbmm.org.
'Ships That Built the West' topic for Santa Barbara Maritime Museum talk - Santa Barbara News-Press
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