Title:
Halibut Steamer "Zapora", circa 1912-1920
Photographer:
David Nicoll
Description:
In 1905, SS Zapora was launched in Tacoma. At the time she was one of the largest purpose-built fishing vessels on the West Coast. From her first season to her demise she was a regular sight at the docks in Ketchikan.
In one of her first trips she delivered a record 260,000 lbs of halibut for the International Fishing Company. Zapora, like other steamers, had a distinct advantage over the sailing vessels that she competed with in the early 1900s. Steamers were not dependent on winds, tides, and currents the same way sailing schooners were.
Zapora was converted to diesel power in 1929 and began a short career as a passenger and freighter vessel for the Alaska Transportation Company. She ran aground in a snowstorm near Admiralty Island in 1937. Battered by waves and wind she was never refloated. Her diesel engine was salvaged and used in the Foss Tugboat Company's Patricia Foss.
In one of her first trips she delivered a record 260,000 lbs of halibut for the International Fishing Company. Zapora, like other steamers, had a distinct advantage over the sailing vessels that she competed with in the early 1900s. Steamers were not dependent on winds, tides, and currents the same way sailing schooners were.
Zapora was converted to diesel power in 1929 and began a short career as a passenger and freighter vessel for the Alaska Transportation Company. She ran aground in a snowstorm near Admiralty Island in 1937. Battered by waves and wind she was never refloated. Her diesel engine was salvaged and used in the Foss Tugboat Company's Patricia Foss.
Collection:
Ketchikan Museums: Tongass Historical Society Collection, THS 70.7.25.27
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Zapora
Zapora