The Belle of Them All
Like legends passed down from generation to generation, every boat has a story, if only the right people stick around to tell it or a detailed ship’s log is preserved. Even then, the tale will often twist with time. There are inevitable gaps, which turn to hyperbole, with facts getting bent like planks across a ship’s frame. Most of this account comes third-or even fourth-hand. But as far as we know, this is the story of Josephine.
am Devlin, a Northwest designer and boatbuilder covered frequently in these pages over the decades, knew I wanted to get closer to , his 84-year-old salmon troller, which he acquired in 1999. He called, Sam’s personal cruising boat, is a mainstay at such festivals, where Sam sits on deck and weaves yarns of all kinds. Sam is the nearest thing I know to a boat philosopher, and he makes time for everyone who lends him an ear.
