View source for Virginia V

{{Short description|American commercial steamship}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=ital}}
|+''Virginia V''
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Steamboat Virginia V at Olympia, July 4, 1996.jpg|300px|alt=Port bow view of a steamer at her moorings.]]
|Ship caption=''Virginia V'', at Olympia, Washington, 4 July 1996
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States 
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United States|civil}}
|Ship name=Virginia V
|Ship nickname=''Virginia Vee''
|Ship owner=West Pass Transportation Company
|Ship operator=West Pass Transportation Company
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=West Pass Route
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=Anderson & Company
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=October 1921
|Ship launched=9 March 1922
|Ship completed=June 1922
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=11 June 1922
|Ship in service=11 June 1922
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=*Official Number: 222170
*Callsign: WDD9410
*{{MMSI|367311060}}
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=Operational [[Museum Ship]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=Passenger steamer
|Ship tonnage=99 Gross, 67 Net
|Ship displacement=Approximately 150 tons
|Ship length={{convert|125|ft|abbr=on}} on deck
|Ship beam={{convert|24|ft|m}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|8|ft|m}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=4
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power={{convert|400|hp|abbr=on}} triple-expansion [[Steam engine#Multiple expansion engines|steam engine]]
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed={{convert|16.2|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship capacity=
|Ship crew=7
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
|embed=yes
|name=''Virginia V'' (steamer)
|nrhp_type=nhl
| designated_other1 = Seattle Landmark 
| designated_other1_date = March 7, 1977<ref name="Seattle list">{{cite web|title=Landmarks and Designation|publisher=City of Seattle|url=http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/landmarks_listing.htm|access-date=2013-03-04}}</ref>
| designated_other1_number =
|image=Virginia V racing Sightseer 1948.jpg
|caption=''Virginia V'' leading ''Sightseer'', May 22, 1948.
|image_size=300
|location=860 Terry Avenue North, [[Seattle, WA]] 98109
|coordinates = {{coord|47|37|41.8|N|122|20|12.5|W|display=inline,title}}
|locmapin=Washington
|map_width=300
|area=
|built=1922
|architect=Anderson & Co., Matthew Anderson
|architecture=
|designated_nrhp_type=5 October 1992<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1392&ResourceType=Structure |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031025091309/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1392&ResourceType=Structure |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 25, 2003 |title=Virginia V (steamer) |access-date=2008-06-26 |work=National Historic Landmarks Program |publisher=[[National Park Service]]}}</ref>
|added=24 April 1973<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
|refnum=73001875 
}}
|}

The [[steamship]] '''''Virginia V''''' is the last operational example of a [[Puget Sound]] [[Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet|Mosquito Fleet]] steamer.  She was once part of a large fleet of small passenger and freight carrying ships that linked the islands and ports of Puget Sound in [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  She is a [[List of Seattle landmarks|Seattle landmark]] and a [[National Historic Landmark]].

Her original route was between the cities of [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] and [[Seattle]], along the West Pass (also known as [[Colvos Passage]]) between [[Vashon Island]] and the [[Kitsap Peninsula]].

Today the ship operates from Heritage Wharf at [[Lake Union Park]] in Seattle.

== History ==

=== West Pass Transportation Company ===

Around the turn of the 20th century outlying communities all over Puget Sound, particularly those on the many islands, were dependent on small boats and ships for delivering goods and basic transportation.  The primary shipping lane from Seattle to Tacoma was along the east side of Vashon Island.

Farmers and business people along Colvos Passage in Kitsap County and on the west side of Vashon Island were very dissatisfied with the unreliable boat service they received.  In 1910 Captain Nelse "Nels" Christensen and John Holm formed the West Pass Transportation Company and purchased their own boat to serve this part of the island.

The boat they bought was ''Virginia Merrill'', a {{convert|54|ft|m|adj=on}} long gasoline-powered tug.  She was renamed simply ''Virginia'' and converted for use as a small ferry.

=== The ''Virginia'' boats ===

''Virginia'' was replaced in 1912 with ''Virginia II'', a {{convert|77|ft|m|adj=on}} long ship propelled by a {{convert|110|hp|abbr=on}} Corliss gasoline engine.  In 1914 the West Pass Transportation Company purchased the {{convert|92|ft|m|adj=on}} steam ship ''Typhoon'' and renamed her ''Virginia III''. In 1918 they purchased the {{convert|98|ft|m|adj=on}} steam ship ''Tyrus'', and in 1920 they renamed her ''Virginia IV'' and put her on the West Pass route.

=== Construction ===
In 1921, Anderson & Company of [[Maplewood, Washington]], began construction of ''Virginia V''.  The ship was built of local old-growth fir.  She was launched 9 March 1922, and towed to downtown Seattle for the installation of her engine and steam plant.  In Seattle the engine was removed from ''Virginia IV'' and installed in ''Virginia V''. On 11 June 1922, ''Virginia V'' made her maiden voyage from [[Elliott Bay]] in Seattle to Tacoma down the West Pass.  She continued to make this voyage nearly every day until 1938.

=== Storm of 1934 ===
[[File:Virginia V storm damage.jpg|thumb|Heavy damage to ''Virginia V'' caused by October 1934 storm]]

On 21 October 1934, a severe Pacific storm swept through the Puget Sound.  ''Virginia V'' was attempting to dock at [[Olalla, Washington]], when the brunt of the storm hit.  The powerful winds pushed the ship against the dock as the waves pounded the ship into the pilings.  The result was the near destruction of the upper decks. The ship was re-built at the Lake Washington Shipyard at Houghton, near modern-day [[Kirkland, Washington]].  She was returned to service on 5 December 1934.

=== Camp Sealth and the Camp Fire Girls ===

Each summer from 1922 to 1970 (with a few interruptions around World War II) ''Virginia V'' carried girls to and from Seattle to [[Camp Sealth]] on Vashon Island for the [[Camp Fire Girls]].  Thousands of women in the Northwest recall a ride on ''Virginia Vee'' (as she was affectionately called) as the beginning of a camping adventure.

=== Columbia River service and bankruptcy ===
The West Pass Transportation Company went out of business in 1942.  ''Virginia V'', which had been operating for a while on the [[Seattle]]-[[Fort Worden]] run, was transferred to the [[Columbia River]], where for a brief time she was placed on the [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]-[[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]] run, thus becoming the last scheduled passenger vessel running on both Puget Sound and the Columbia River.  Her Columbia River career was unsuccessful.  Her owners were unable to pay her crew and she was libeled (legally seized for debts owed) and sold at [[Vancouver, Washington]] by the [[U.S. Marshal]]s to pay her owner's debts.<ref>Newell, Gordon R., ed. ''H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest'', pp. 508–509, Superior Publishing, Seattle, Washington 1966</ref> ''Virginia V'' was purchased by O.H. "Doc" Freeman and Joe Boles of Seattle.  They resold the vessel to Jack Katz and Captain Howell Parker less than a year later.

=== Captain Howell Parker and ''The Great Steamboat Race'' ===

Captain Parker operated ''Virginia V'' carrying war workers between [[Poulsbo, Washington]], and the Keyport Naval Torpedo Station with his wife Mary as steward and purser.  After the end of World War II, the Parkers continued to operate her as an excursion vessel all around Puget Sound.  In 1948 the [[Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society]] (PSMHS) was formed to preserve the Northwest's marine history.  As a publicity event, the PSMHS sponsored a race between ''Virginia V'' and a similar ship, ''Grayline Sightseer'' (formerly ''Vashona'') to be held on National Maritime Day.  The Great Steamboat Race began on May 22 at 2PM.  At the end of a {{convert|5|mi|km|adj=on}} course that ran across the Seattle waterfront, ''Virginia V'' won the race by a small margin.

=== Puget Sound Excursion Lines ===
[[File:Steamboat Virginia V on Puget Sound, June 1983.jpg|thumb|right|''Virginia V'', on Puget Sound, about June, 1983]]

In 1954 ''Virginia V'' was sold to Captain Phillip Luther of Puget Sound Excursion Lines.  Captain Luther sold her to Charles McMahon in 1956.  McMahon extensively refurbished ''Virginia V'', and then continued to operate her as a commercial excursion vessel around Puget Sound.  In 1958 James F. "Cy" Devenny purchased controlling interest in Puget Sound Excursion Company and took over operation of ''Virginia V'' along with several other small vessels.  Among these was the [[McNeil Island]] federal prison tender ''J.E. Overlade'' (ex ''Arcadia''), built in 1928, herself one of the last survivors of the Mosquito Fleet.  Devenny renamed her ''Virginia VI'' to match her more famous running mate.<ref>McCurdy, p. 509</ref>

=== Northwest Steamship Company ===
In 1968 a group of steamboat enthusiasts formed the Northwest Steamship Company, and raised the funds to buy ''Virginia V'' from Puget Sound Excursion Company. The ship was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places|National Registry of Historic Sites]] in 1973,  but despite her recognition as historically significant, it was increasingly difficult for her owners to maintain her as a commercial venture.

=== Steamer ''Virginia V'' Foundation ===

In 1976 the non-profit Steamer Virginia V Foundation was formed to preserve ''Virginia V''.  The Foundation acquired her on 30 September 1980, for $127,000.

=== Major restoration 1995–2001 ===
[[File:Virginia V 01.jpg|thumb|right|''Virginia V'', September 2007]]

In 2002, the Foundation was able to put ''Virginia V'' back in service after a six-year, $6.5 million stem-to-stern restoration project. It included a rebuild of the steam engine, construction of a new boiler and rebuild of the superstructure using traditional tongue and groove fir planking.  The Foundation was honored in 2001 with the [[Washington State Historical Society]]'s "David Douglas Award" for the restoration work completed to-date.

=== Present day ===
Since 2002 the ''Virginia V'' has been providing public excursions, private charters, and visits to local maritime festivals throughout Puget Sound.

==Engine and boiler==
[[File:Virginia V steam engine 02.jpg|thumb|Triple-expansion steam engine of the ''Virginia V'']]
[[File:Virginia V (ship, 1922) engine room 18 - lubricator.jpg|thumb|Drip lubricator]]

The triple-expansion, double-acting, reciprocating [[Steam engine#Multiple expansion engines|steam engine]] is the original, installed in 1922 when it was taken from ''Virginia IV'' (formerly ''Tyrus'').  The parts were cast in 1904 at the Heffernan Engine Works in downtown Seattle as one of two identical engines built for the Army.  The first engine was assembled and installed in the US Army Quartermaster Steamer ''Evan Thomas''.   ''Virginia V''{{'}}s engine was assembled and installed in ''Tyrus'' in 1907.

*Indicated Horsepower: {{convert|400|hp}}
*Maximum RPM: Approximately 200
*Cylinder Bore (Diameter): {{convert|10.5|in}}, {{convert|16.75|in}}, and {{convert|28.5|in}} (HP, IP, and LP respectively)
*Stroke: {{convert|18|in}}

The original Stoddert oil-fired, [[water-tube boiler]] was replaced in 2000 with a new [[Babcock & Wilcox]] oil-fired water-tube boiler of similar configuration.

''Virginia V'' always used oil as her fuel.  The ship originally burned heavy [[bunker fuel]].  She was converted to burn #2 [[Diesel fuel]] in 2002.

In recent years, the engine has developed a noise, referred to as "The Squeak". While the cause of this noise is not definitively known, it is presumed to come from the low pressure valve. There are no physical indications of scuffing, galling, or damage to components indicating a metal-to-metal contact. The squeak is more pronounced as the engine warms up, and goes away as the engine speed increases. The problem has so vexed the engineers that they have started a tongue-in-cheek fund, whereby visitors are required to donate $1 to the repair fund if they wish to talk to an engineer about it. (This fund may also be diverted to a beer fund, at the discretion of the engineer.)
*Working Pressure: {{convert|200|psi}}
*Capacity: {{convert|10000|lb|abbr=on}} per hour of steam
*Fuel: #2 Diesel Oil
*Fuel Consumption: Approximately {{convert|20|–|50|USgal|L|sigfig=1}} per hour

== See also ==
*[[Historic preservation]]
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington (state)]]
*[[List of U.S. National Historic Landmark ships, shipwrecks, and shipyards]]
*[[List of Puget Sound steamboats]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

*M.S. Kline, ''Steamboat Virginia V'' (Documentary Book Publishers Corp., 1985)
*Roland Carey, ''The Sound of Steamers'' (Alderbrook Publishing Co., 1965)
*Roland Carey, ''The Sound And The Mountain'' (Alderbrook Publishing Co., 1970)
*Gordon R. Newell, ''Ships of the Inland Sea'' (Binford & Mort, Publishers, 1960)	
*Jim Faber, ''Steamer’s Wake'' (Enetai Press, 1985)
*{{cite web|url={{NHLS url|id=73001875}}|title=Maritime Heritage of the United States NHL Theme Study—Large Vessels / ''Virginia V''|format=pdf|author-link=James P. Delgado|last=Delgado|first=James P.|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|date=1 April 1992|access-date=2016-02-26}}
**{{cite web|url={{NHLS url|id=73001875|photos=y}}|title=Accompanying Photos|format=pdf|last=Clifford|first=Candice|year=1991|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|access-date=2016-02-26}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Virginia V (ship, 1922)}}

===Historic images from on-line collections of the University of Washington===
*[http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=730&CISOMODE=thumb ''Virginia V'']
*[http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmaritime&CISOPTR=60&CISOBOX=1&REC=1 Captains Harry Wilson of ''Sightseer'' and Howell Parker of ''Virginia V'' preparing for the great steamboat race of 1948]
*[http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmaritime&CISOPTR=97&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 May Parker and Capt. Howell Parker on his birthday]

===Websites===
*{{HAER |survey=WA-168 |id=wa0715 |title=Virginia V, Historic Ships Wharf at Lake Union Park, Seattle, King County, WA |photos=34 |color=1 |data=5 |cap=4}}
*[http://www.virginiav.org The Steamship Virginia V Web Site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19990430001954/http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/nhl/virginia.htm The National Park Service’s Maritime Heritage Program Virginia V Page]
*[http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2073 HistoryLink Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History]

{{Mosquito Fleet|state = collapsed}}
{{Puget Sound propellers}}
{{South Lake Union, Seattle}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Washington}}

[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Museums in Seattle]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Seattle]]
[[Category:Propeller-driven steamboats of Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Steamboats of the Columbia River]]
[[Category:Steamboats of Oregon]]
[[Category:Steamboats of Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Steamships]]
[[Category:South Lake Union, Seattle]]
[[Category:1922 ships]]