History
1928 - 1994
Petrel was custom designed as a Pacific Northwest troller by Matt Tolonen at the Columbia Boatworks in Astoria, Oregon. As trollers often venture well off-shore (as opposed to the trawlers, seiners and gillnetters that typically drop nets in more protected waters), they have to be stout and capable of handling the bigger, heavier seas. Tolonen, a Finn, knew that the boats of his homeland were prized for their rugged seaworthiness, so he gave Petrel the heavy construction, distinctive sheer and double-ended hull of traditional Finnish workboats. Tolonen's design also displayed many of the more typical troller requirements of the era: displacement hull, tall trolling poles for pulling fishlines, spacious walk-around decks, etc. The combination of these traditional characteristics with the Finnish influence was a workboat ideally suited to the Pacific Northwest environment. It was also an instantly recognizable troller. As Sam Devlin, the well-known boat designer and builder, summed it up: "Trollers just look right."
Launched in 1928, Tolonen's design was assigned the name 'Petrel' in honor of the southern latitude seabirds, well known for spending the vast majority of their lives at sea travelling great distances chasing fish. Fittingly, Petrel earned her name doing the same, chugging up and down the Pacific coast, initially powered by a little 30hp Atlas Imperial, chasing fish from Oregon to Alaska for over 65-years! Just think of the stories she could tell...
1994 - 1999
In 1994, Petrel was bought by Scott Robinson, a retired cabinetmaker/ boatbuilder who undertook a comprehensive 5-year rebuild. Retaining her original keel, massive engine beds, and a few ribs, Petrel was otherwise transformed. With impressive craftsmanship and careful attention to preserving her original lines and feel, Robinson replaced about half her ribs and eighty percent of her planking - fastening the Port Orford cedar with bronze. He installed new Douglas fir main decks and purpleheart cap-rails, rub-rails and trim. A rebuilt Detroit Diesel 371, stainless tanks, new pilothouse, new mechanical systems, new electrics... Everything stout and proper.
Some of Robinson's finest work is seen in the interior. A distinctive panorama of mahogany windows, a chosen few with leather straps which lift and drop the sashes into copper-lined channels, to be wedged at any height - classic functionality! Ironbark flooring. Ingenious bespoke stainless latches. And of course, impeccably jointed Honduras Mahogany throughout the living areas.
Robinson spent a modern-day equivalent of $300,000US to transform Petrel into the beauty she is today. And considering she'd spent 65 years at sea, she well deserved it! Not only did Robinson preserve Petrel's practicality as an ocean-going vessel, he also managed to bring out her character again. And it hasn't gone unnoticed. Soundings Online complimented Petrel as: "a vessel so cute, so right, so honest, she's like that perfect little boat a kindergartener might draw from imagination." (Click link below to see entire Soundings Online article)
Since her rebuild, Petrel has won multiple awards, including twice being named Best Conversion at the Victoria Classic Boat Festival. One of Petrel's surveyors stated in 2013 that she was the finest ex-commercial troller conversion they had ever seen. Echoing that sentiment closely, the well known and respected yacht designer George Buehler pronounced: "Petrel is one of the most beautiful and best maintained conversions I've ever seen." Petrel has been featured in several magazines, including Wooden Boat (#169), Passage Maker and Oregon Coast Magazine.
2000 - Present
Whether it's her heritage, her craftsmanship, her capabilities or her charm, Petrel has a lot to be proud of. Yet she remains a modest boat, with an emphasis on essential systems that strike a balance between seaworthiness, aesthetics and comfort. For example, her opposing doors at the helm don't just look good, they enable confident solo-handling. Her trolling poles now pull paravanes to smooth the rolling motion in rough seas. Her systems are modern, yet not overdone. And of course, her wooden construction retains its historic advantages; warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, strong, flexible and naturally quiet... All resulting in a more relaxing cruise.
Having spent her first 90-years in the United States, Petrel relocated to Canada in 2018 and currently resides in the historic seaside village of Cowichan Bay in British Columbia. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes and abundant marine life, Petrel is still offering a gorgeous viewpoint to enjoy the wonders of the Pacific Northwest.
List of Previous Owners
1928-50 - Matt Sorvaag
(50% owned by Peter Hegg from 1930-44)
1950-61 - Lester Parker
1961-63 - Edward Calkins
1963-73 - Clyde Sohn
1973-74 - James & Elaine Imalah
1974-94 - Griffiths & Jeanne Vernon
1994-05 - Scott & Sharon Robinson (5-year keel-up rebuild)
2005-14 - Chris & Kathleen Grace
2014-18 - Tom & Myra Hudson
(50% owned by Frank Brennan & Maureen Halligan from 2014-15)
2018-20 - Grant & Melodie Blundell
2020-Present - Ian & Belinda James