All aboard: Historic steamboat returns to its home waters

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 10, 2023

Climb aboard The Virginia V — a steamboat that serviced Vashon from 1922 to 1938 — when she returns to her home waters on Saturday, Aug. 19 for a cruise around Vashon and Maury Islands to support the Vashon Heritage Museum.

The cruise has been a late August mainstay fundraiser for the Museum for many years. This year, the cruise will be a bit longer, as the Virginia V will dip down into outer Quartermaster Harbor.

The cruise has a check-in time of 11 a.m., at the north end passenger ferry dock. The cruise will depart at 11:30 a.m. and will return by 4 p.m.

“We are always excited to bring the Virginia V back to the island,” said Elsa Croonquist, the Heritage Museum’s executive director. “The boat is a living history of mosquito fleet ferry travel, and to stand on the deck and feel the power of the ship underneath you and the wind in your hair — it will be a thrill for anyone who attends.”

The Virginia V, made from local old-growth fir, is one of two remaining vessels of its kind and is a National Historic Landmark.

The 2023 tour will include a special tour book, with maps and an account of the steamship’s history by historian Bruce Haulman, a hearty snack, a commemorative bag, a cash bar, and talks by local geology and natural history experts.

For more information and tickets, visit vashonheritagemuseum.org.