The Last Voyage Schooner (C.A. Thayer 1950 ) at SF Maritime NHP

11 min Very rare footage-1957. The story of the last commercial sailing voyage on the Pacific Coast of North America as filmed by the captain of that same voyage Ed Sheilds. His first time holding a camera! I produced this film with Director Berry Minott in 1995 for SF Maritime NHP. Ed arrived in a station wagon from Washington with his wife, viewed the film once just cut and then narrated it all in one take!. Also we took him out to the Thayer and filmed him on board. Ranger Alumni remember narrating this footage in the forecastle of theThayer with a 16 mm projector! Condensed from 45 minutes of footage, with captions and music by Revell Carr, Ricky Rackin, and Tom Murphy. Assistance from Stephen Canright and and Ted Miles.

[Vydios]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. My grandpa worked for Capt. Shields as the galley cook onboard the C. A. Thayer.

[asakurad]

What a fantastic turn of good fortune that it was filmed. A treasure. Thank you for the upload.

[marknelson]

My grandfather sailed on this boat during this time.

[bustercrabbe]

Great oral history narrated from a primary source. Very informative 👏. Thank you for this video.

[perrysims]

I lived aboard the Thayer in 1961 as a night watchman as part of the California Maritime State Historical Monument. I had an electric hot plate on top of the giant wood burning range in the galley. I slept in a bunk in the forepeak.

[marysprifke]

Jack Shields was my grandfather George’s brother. The family lived in Seattle.
Mary Shields Sprifke.

[davidotness]

A wonderful trip to the past. Captain Shields wrote a number of classic photo books about the North Pacific that are getting hard to find today.
I'm surprised he didn't mention the fate of the Scotch Cap Lighthouse which was destroyed by a tsunami---the same one that struck Hilo Hawai'i in April of 1946, and which killed the entire lighthouse crew who were stationed there. I've been by it many times and you can still see the foundation and not much else. The lighthouse was 175 feet above sea level.

[robertschooner]

This is extremely amazing I am trying to work on content of very famous sailing schooners throughout the Americas and europe. And the history and the historical significance of those great ships known as the Schooner.

[brianevolved]

she was restored she sail's again

[pwikgrimm]

Would love to see it, but the video is not working. :(

[thekekronomicon]

Why was that the last time they went out on that boat?

[iMatti]

Thanks for posting and/or making the video. It’s definitely interesting information and cool to see.

[iMatti]

@5:26 ~ Thank God you clarified they’re not wearing skirts or else states like Tennessee will try to have your video taken down because kids may watch. Lol