Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Wapama’s Engine
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, October 7, 2023
1. Wapama’s Engine Marker
This engine is the largest artifact rescued from the Wapama before her demolition in 2013. Wapama was the last of some 225 steam schooners that transported lumber from the Pacific Northwest to California ports. Inside the visitor center across the street are extensive exhibits and films. There you can see a model of the ship and the Wapama’s cast-iron propeller, as well as learn more about California’s lumber trade.
Basic Facts
Built: about 1915
Builder: Main Iron Works
Two oil-fired, water tube boilers powering a single propeller
800 ihp
Speed: 10 knots
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
Location. 37° 48.479′ N, 122° 25.255′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Fisherman's Wharf. Marker is on Hyde Street near Jefferson Street, on the left when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted to a metal frame in front of the steam engine. The marker and engine are just
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lewis Bay Ark (a few steps from this marker); Petaluma’s Sternwheel (a few steps from this marker); Steam Donkey Engine (a few steps from this marker); The South End Rowing Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Sanitation at Sea (within shouting distance of this marker); The Dolphin Swimming and Boating Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Why Here? (within shouting distance of this marker); Propellers from Klamath (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
More about this marker. Inset Images:
Wapama plans, with detail of the triple-expansion steam engine )main image); Wapama, undated (above).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Previous marker: Triple-Expansion Steam Engine
Also see . . . Wapama (Steam Schooner). National Park Service
"Built with Douglas fir, Wapama departed from current shipbuilding practices. The ship was not reinforced with diagonal straps of iron to(Submitted on October 8, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)strengthen the hull, but was instead solidly built of wood with approximately three times the number of timber fastenings that an iron-reinforced vessel would have. The uniqueness of Wapama’s construction illustrates the human factor in ship design. Instead of following the standard design approved by the American Bureau of Shipping, the shipwrights who built the Wapama relied on their years of experience and intuition about what would work to construct the vessel. It is perhaps due to the shipwrights' skill with marrying old and new shipbuilding traditions that the Wapama survived her contemporaries."Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, October 7, 20232. Wapama’s Engine (under protective cover) and Marker
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, October 7, 2023
3. Wapama’s Engine
Photographed By National Park Service
4. Wapama
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
