Born in the State of Washington in 1946, Doug Leen is a lover of nature. A veteran of the Vietnam War, during which he built airstrips with the US Navy for two years, he has owned a number of boats, including two wooden tugs, the first of which – Winamac – sank during a parade held on 23 May, 1991 at ‘FraserFest’ in Vancouver, after being hit by Harken 6. “I bought, restored and drove the Winamac for a year and a half before she sank”, says Leen. “I raced her twice, perhaps three times. I recall taking a third place in Olympia once, and a fifth place in Seattle. Tug racing is still popular and is sort of tongue-in-cheek; it’s not about racing as all the boats are limited by their hull displacements and, to a lesser degree, horsepower. It’s more about testosterone and fun.”
Leen, who spends most of the year on Kupreanof Island, near Petersburg (Alaska), currently owns 15 craft, many of which have been found abandoned in a state of rot, and were finely restored by him. Among these are six canoes, two specimens of Norwegian faerings, two skiffs built by Davis Boat, a dory from Saint Lazaria and an aluminium Feathercraft that was also found in derelict condition. Two of the above craft, a 14ft (4.3m) double-ender built by Davis and the dory, were respectively named Onkel Ole and Sven, after Doug Leen’s great uncles who had immigrated from Norway.
Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av Classic Boat.
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Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av Classic Boat.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Need For Speed
Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today
ROW YOUR BOAT
There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?
Traditional Tool
JOINER’S NAME STAMP
Classic misuse of a word
Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward
SCUD MISSILE
Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez
BOSUN'S BAG
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.
