Preserving the rich fishing heritage of the harbor
The 65-foot purse seiner, Shenandoah, was donated to the Museum in 2000. The fishing vessel was owned by Tony Janovich, who donated it to the Museum shortly after his retirement. Tony spent 58 years in the commercial fishing industry.
The Shenandoah is on display in the Jim and Carolyn Milgard Maritime Gallery and is being restored onsite by shipwright Nate Slater and community volunteers. Restoration will be a public process and Museum visitors will have the opportunity to interact directly with the restoration crew as they work on the vessel to learn more about classic wooden boat-building techniques. Beginning October 9, 2012, museum visitors will be able to go aboard the Shenandoah on scheduled guided tours. After restoration, visitors will be able to explore the deck and pilothouse of the Shenandoah.
Shenandoah's history
The Shenandoah was built in 1925 at the Skansie Ship Building Company in Gig Harbor. She was built for Pasco Dorotich, a pioneer Gig Harbor fishing boat owner and skipper. The vessel was originally powered by a 65 hp Atlas Imperial diesel engine.
The Shenandoah was operated almost exclusively at the Salmon Banks in the San Juan Islands. She also made several trips to Alaska. Pasco's son, John, took over operations in the 1930s.
Tony Janovich purchased the Shenandoah from the Dorotich estate in 1967 and operated the vessel successfully for the next 32 years, until his retirement. Tony made many improvements and additions during his ownership. A new, larger pilothouse was fitted to the deck at Art Glein's Gig Harbor shipyard in 1948. Longtime local shipwright Hugh Denny did much of the work on the project. New bulwarks were added by Henry Moller, at what was once the Skansie shipyard, a few years later.
The Shenandoah is one of only two Skansie-built purse seiners remaining in Gig Harbor. She will serve as a tribute to the boat builders and fishermen of the region for decades to come.
Virtual Maritime Gallery
Click on the following links to view additional information about our gallery, demonstrations of the restoration process and wooden boat-building techniques
Welcome to the Maritime Gallery
Shenandoah Restoration Project
Shenandoah's Puretic Power Block
Atlas Imperial Diesel Engine
Thunderbird Hull #1
Bunging the countersink demonstration
Copper riveting on a lap demonstration
Corking process demonstration
How to raise the sail on the Kaitlyn sailing skiff
Making fast to a cleat demonstration
For information on how the project is going, click here
Have a Facebook? "Like" the Shenandoah Restoration Page at www.facebook.com/HHMShenandoah to get updates from the shipwright, photographs, and videos.Volunteers Needed!
The Shenandoah will be restored by master shipwright Nate Slater with the help of community volunteers. If you would like to volunteer to help restore this historic fishing vessel, please contact Nate at shenandoah@harborhistorymuseum.org or drop by the Museum on Saturdays from 10am-1pm to sign up and get started!
Shipwright, Nate Slater
Gift of Ned Krilich
Shenandoah today