Kodiak in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
A Community (Re)Built This Boat
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 26, 2026
1. A Community (Re)Built This Boat Marker
“The Thelma C is the point of contact between the stories of Kodiak’s salmon fishing past and the people of the present.”
When the Thelma C’s last owner, Mark Thomas, donated the boat to the Kodiak Maritime Museum in 2005, the museum understood the historical significance of the boat and determined to make it the centerpiece of an exhibit about Kodiak’s commercial salmon fishing industry.
The Thelma C was built in the waning day of West Coast wooden fishing boat construction, and is the last known examples of the dozens of 1962 boats designed by William Garden and built at Commercial Marine in the 1960s. The construction of the boat is also part of the story of the 1964 Great Alaskan earthquake.
To prepare the Thelma C for exhibition, the museum moved the boat to a site at Kodiak College in late 2011 and constructed a temporary building over the boat. In January 2012, shipwright Brian Johnson, master carpenter Don Corwin, and a band of community volunteers began the work of rebuilding the boat to it original 1965 configuration. Brian Johnson knew
this page online
The team spent five months replacing deteriorating planks and ribs, caulking the hull, and rebuilding the mast and wheelhouse. Hull and deck planks, originally fashioned in 1965 from Alaskan yellow cedar, were replaced with fine-grained, 500-year-old Douglas fir from the Olympic Peninsula. New oak ribs were steamed in a specially constructed box to make them pliable, and then pounded in as “sister ribs,” beside the aging original ribs, between the interior hull stringers and the exterior planks. The wheelhouse was rebuilt with Douglas fir framing and new plywood sheathing. The base of the mast was also replaced with new Douglas fir, using an ancient technique known as “bird’s beak,” replacement construction. With the proper care, the boat will last many more years.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is January 2012.
Location. 57° 47.176′ N, 152° 24.411′ W. Marker is in Kodiak, Alaska, in Kodiak Island Borough. It is on Mission Road south of W Marine
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 26, 2026
2. A Community (Re)Built This Boat Marker
The marker can be seen here on the left.
Regionally, this marker is in the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Region and on Kodiak Island. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: This Boat was Built For Salmon (here, next to this marker); This Boat Was Built For Kodiak (here, next to this marker); Kodiak’s Native Fishermen (here, next to this marker); Construction of the Thelma C (a few steps from this marker); An Earthquake Built This Boat (a few steps from this marker); Revolutionary War Patriots (within shouting distance of this marker); Good Friday Quake (within shouting distance of this marker); Erskine House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 26, 2026
3. The Thelma C
More about this marker. The background image of the marker shows St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. This image was uncovered during renovation of the Thelma C. The image was given to Brian Johnson, third owner of the Thelma C, in the 1990s. Two photographs at the bottom of the marker show “Volunteers Erik Munk and Marty Owen planning the new mast.” And “Brian Johnson fitting a new plank.”
Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
