When it comes to West Coast sailboat construction, images of California’s fiberglass hey-day or the deep, cold waters of Puget Sound come to mind. But near the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers—tucked away on Portland, Oregon’s Hayden Island, on quiet Canoe Bay—sits a boatyard many have heard of but few ever visit.
Schooner Creek Boat Works is a boat-builder, a full-service yard and a boat dealer that non-boating locals may not know about. But thanks to new ownership and a team that includes a French commercial fisherman, the company is thriving. In addition to being a pillar of the regional boating community as a go-to yard, Schooner Creek is a leading builder of large sailing
