Blanche W
(1924 to 2019)
Passages: Often referred to as the biggest little boat on the Pacific Coast, the motor vessel Blanch W was an excursion boat extraordinaire that faithfully carried over a million passengers in the waters around Catalina Island during her 91 years of service. Although Blanche W offered many tours, she was especially known for showing voyagers that fish really can fly.
Commissioned in 1924, Blanche W.’s open boat design was perfect for short sightseeing tours around the island. She was built in Wilmington, California, under the watchful eye of William Wrigley Jr., and she bears the name of his granddaughter.
Blanche W’s decommissioning took place in 2015, after determining that she was no longer financially viable. In boating terms that means it would cost less to buy a new boat than restore this island legend. Following hoopla and accolades, Blanche W quietly made her last passage from Avalon, around the back side of the island, to Cat Harbor, where she spent her last seasons tied to a mooring.
Blanche W sustained major damage to her old wooden beams while hauling her out of the water at Wells Beach, a small maintenance yard inside Cat Harbor. She rested peacefully on shore awaiting her fate. While there were rumors that the Catalina Island Company or the Catalina Conservancy might raise funds to restore her, this was not to be.
Sadly, trusted sources confirmed that in the spring of 2019, Blanche W. was unceremoniously dismantled and her remains are reportedly in a mainland landfill. Another Catalina icon is lost forever.
Memories: My first trip on Blanche W. was one of those life-forming experiences that for a boy of eight in the 1950s set a course that would last a lifetime. Growing up, my dad reminisced about flying over Catalina while serving as a B-25 bomber test pilot for North American Aviation during the war and it sounded exciting.
My first introduction to Catalina was a father and son trip. Not only would we fly over the island (my first airplane ride), but our small Grumman seaplane landed in the water. As if the flight wasn’t exciting enough, there was more on the day’s agenda. We visited the Bird Farm, fished off the Avalon green pier, ate fish and chips (bought not caught) and boarded the Blanche W. for points unknown.
Blanche W pulled away from the dock a few minutes after we sat down on her wooden bench seats. The speaker crackled and the patter set the stage for our adventure:
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, with your attention I’ll give you a few highlights about this trip. The main objective is to follow this large light around, and very shortly, you will see a few flying fish. The search light is from a WWI battleship and is 45-million candle power. It’s so powerful that on a clear night the beam of light can travel 20 miles.
The boat you are on is the Blanche W, and her design helps you observe the flying fish. She is low and flat and doesn’t have a top to obstruct the view of the searchlight. She is 60 feet long, accommodates 100 passengers, and has two 175 H.P. motors.
The banter is reminiscent of the Disneyland Jungle Boat ride, except for one thing…this was real. We learned that flying fish travel in the water up to 12 miles per hour to break the surface. Then, with their strong tails still in the water, they wiggle to increase speed to about 35 miles per hour before opening their wing like pectoral fins to glide away from predators.
The crew continued…
Flying fish can soar distances from 50 to 100 yards, and sometimes over or into the boat, so I am warning you now to watch, very carefully, and if you see one coming your way … DUCK!
As promised, the spotlight hit the water and fish took flight. Fortunately, there were many flyers that night and none landed in the boat. For me, the Catalina experience was magical.
Fast forward 7 years, and I found my way back to Catalina as a deckhand aboard a private sportfishing boat out of Alamitos Bay. After fishing around the island for white seabass, yellowtail, tuna and marlin, my captain would often change course to spend the night in Avalon. Entering the harbor, we would often pass Blanche W. taking more groups of excited tourists to experience the flying fish. It was always a highlight to see Blanche W in action.
Ten years later, I began making crossings to Avalon aboard my own boat and Blanche W was still there to greet me. Even from offshore her sleek and unique design was standout. For my wife’s first trip to Avalon, the flying fish tour was top of her list.
I retired several seasons ago, and our boat spends much time in Cat Harbor. I was pleased to see Blanche W on a mooring when I arrived in June 2016. For two seasons, our boat and Blanche W were only a few mooring rows apart. It was nice to have her so close by.
In November 2018, I left Cat Harbor to winter in Alamitos Bay, and Blanch W had already made the 100-yard journey from mooring to dry dock. She was gone when I arrived the following June. It came as no surprise when residents confirmed her fate, but I felt a sense of loss.
Fortunately, the Catalina Island Museum helps keep Blanche W’s memory alive through photos, articles and even her wooden bench seats. Many thanks to the kind museum staff for historical information.
