Sol Duc (steamship)
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Sol Duc was a steamship which was operated on northern Puget Sound
from 1912 to 1935, chiefly on a route connecting ports on the Olympic Peninsula
with Seattle. During the Second World War (1941-1945) Sol Duc served as a barracks ship.
in 1904, Joshua Green
, president of the Puget Sound Navigation Company
, owner of the Clallam and the dominant Puget Sound shipping concern, announced that the company would replace its wooden steamships with ones built of steel. As part of this effort, the steel steamers Sol Duc and Potlatch
. were built simultaneously in Seattle
by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company
. Sol Duc was specifically designed for the Seattle – Port Townsend
-Port Angeles
-Port Crescent route.
Sol Duc was the largest steamship built to that date for the Puget Sound Navigation Company. Although similar in appearance to Potlatch, at 1,085 gross tons, Sol Duc almost twice as large. Dimensions for Sol Duc were length 189 ft (57.61 m) beam of 31.5 ft (9.6 m) and depth of hold of 22.6 ft (6.89 m). Power was supplied by a triple-expansion compound steam engine
with cylinder diameters, from high pressure to low pressure, of 17 in (43.2 cm), 28 in (71.1 cm)and 47.5 in (120.7 cm), with piston strokes on all cylinders of 36 in (91.4 cm). Steam was generated by two oil-fired water-tube boilers at 225 pounds pressure, with the overall power plant generating 1500 hp.
to Victoria, British Columbia
. The vessel was unfortunately prone to roll excessively when encountering rough weather in the strait.
In the summer of 1928, Sol Duc was replaced on the Olympic route with the Iroquois which had been rebuilt as a ferry. Sol Duc and other steamships could transport automobiles, but only as freight. This meant that cars had to be partially dismantled, such as having the tires removed, so that they could fit into the hold.
In 1929, Sol Duc replaced Kulshan
on the Seattle-Bellingham run, only running as a night freight boat. Sol Duc stayed on this run until November 1935. A strike forced Puget Sound Navigation Co. to stop operating Sol Duc and other vessels. After the strike was over, the company took Sol Duc out of service.
One of the captains of Sol Duc was Harry Carter (1858-1930), who had also commanded State of Washington
and a number of other well-known vessels. Another captain of Sol Duc was J. Howard Payne (1889-1956), who in 1917 at the age of 24 was in command of the vessel on the Seattle-Port Angeles-Victoria route. Payne later became a member of the Washington State Legislature.
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Sol Duc was a steamship which was operated on northern Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
from 1912 to 1935, chiefly on a route connecting ports on the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
with Seattle. During the Second World War (1941-1945) Sol Duc served as a barracks ship.
Design and constructions
Following the loss of the nearly-new but wooden steamship ClallamClallam (steamboat)
The steamboat Clallam operated for about six months from July 1903 to January 1904 in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. She was sunk in a storm on what should have been an ordinary voyage to Victoria, British Columbia.-Construction:...
in 1904, Joshua Green
Joshua Green (seaman and banker)
Joshua Green was an American sternwheeler captain, businessman, and banker. He rose from being a seaman to being the dominant figure of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, then sold out his interests and became a banker...
, president of the Puget Sound Navigation Company
Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
, owner of the Clallam and the dominant Puget Sound shipping concern, announced that the company would replace its wooden steamships with ones built of steel. As part of this effort, the steel steamers Sol Duc and Potlatch
Potlatch (steamship)
Potlatch was a steamship which was operated on Hood Canal from 1912 to 1917, on Puget Sound from 1917 to 1937, although the vessel was little used after 1917.-Design and constructions:...
. were built simultaneously in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company
Seattle Construction and Drydock Company
The Seattle Construction and Drydock Company was a shipbuilding company based in Seattle, Washington. Formally established in 1911, the shipyard could trace its history back to 1882, when Robert Moran opened a marine repair shop at Yesler's Wharf...
. Sol Duc was specifically designed for the Seattle – Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
-Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
-Port Crescent route.
Sol Duc was the largest steamship built to that date for the Puget Sound Navigation Company. Although similar in appearance to Potlatch, at 1,085 gross tons, Sol Duc almost twice as large. Dimensions for Sol Duc were length 189 ft (57.61 m) beam of 31.5 ft (9.6 m) and depth of hold of 22.6 ft (6.89 m). Power was supplied by a triple-expansion compound steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
with cylinder diameters, from high pressure to low pressure, of 17 in (43.2 cm), 28 in (71.1 cm)and 47.5 in (120.7 cm), with piston strokes on all cylinders of 36 in (91.4 cm). Steam was generated by two oil-fired water-tube boilers at 225 pounds pressure, with the overall power plant generating 1500 hp.
Operation
In addition to the Seattle-Port Townsend-Port Angeles-Port Crescent route, Sol Duc also made runs across the Strait of Juan de FucaStrait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. The vessel was unfortunately prone to roll excessively when encountering rough weather in the strait.
In the summer of 1928, Sol Duc was replaced on the Olympic route with the Iroquois which had been rebuilt as a ferry. Sol Duc and other steamships could transport automobiles, but only as freight. This meant that cars had to be partially dismantled, such as having the tires removed, so that they could fit into the hold.
In 1929, Sol Duc replaced Kulshan
Kulshan (steamship)
Kulshan was a steamship which operated on Puget Sound from 1910 until 1929. When built, Kulshan was one of a newer type of inland steamships constructed entirely of steel, and was then considered to be a one of the finest vessels ever to operate on Puget Sound.-Design and construction:Kulshan was...
on the Seattle-Bellingham run, only running as a night freight boat. Sol Duc stayed on this run until November 1935. A strike forced Puget Sound Navigation Co. to stop operating Sol Duc and other vessels. After the strike was over, the company took Sol Duc out of service.
One of the captains of Sol Duc was Harry Carter (1858-1930), who had also commanded State of Washington
State of Washington (sternwheeler)
State of Washington was a sternwheel steamboat of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, later transferred to the Columbia River.-Career:State of Washington was built in 1889 by John J. Holland in Tacoma, Washington. From 1889 to 1902 the vessel was placed on the Seattle-Bellingham route. From 1902 to...
and a number of other well-known vessels. Another captain of Sol Duc was J. Howard Payne (1889-1956), who in 1917 at the age of 24 was in command of the vessel on the Seattle-Port Angeles-Victoria route. Payne later became a member of the Washington State Legislature.
Final years
Unlike Potlatch and other steel steamers, Sol Duc was not scrapped in the late 1930s. In 1942, Sol Duc was taken over by the U.S. Navy and for use as a barracks ship, and renamed YHB-8, meaning “self-propelled houseboat no. 8.” After World War II, Sol Duc was sold to Freeman & Gibson, a Seattle firm. The vessel was finally scrapped by Bethlehem SteelBethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
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