The name of a vessel is of paramount importance; it says something about the vessel and the people that own and operate the boat. Our boat is no different. The name "Tagish" is very special to us for a variety of reasons. Most people think it is of Irish origin, it is most definitely not.

Origins of the Tagish Name

Tagish is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people that have live near Tagish and Marsh Lakes in the Yukon Territory, Canada.

The  Tagish people have lived in the Yukon area for over 10,000 years!

Why This Name?

In the spring of 1992, I was starting my maritime career. I had the opportunity to serve as a Deck Officer as a licensed Mate of the passenger vessel M/V Fairweather, owned and operated by Holland America-Westours. The M/V Fairweather was a 126' x 26', 2000 HP, 272 passenger vessel that was a vital link in the Holland America tours of Alaska. The daily route was a round trip of roughly 128 NM from Skagway, Alaska, to Yankee Cove (north of Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska) on the waters of Lynn Canal on the northern end of the Inside Passage.

M/V Fairweather, Taiya Inlet, Lynn Canal, 1995

Located in the small boat harbor of Skagway was an old direct-drive tugboat that was used for ship assist activities for the large cruise ships that called on Skagway. The Master of the tug Tagish was a phenomenal boat driver. To return to the dock he would have to perform a three point turn inside the small boat harbor and back into the slip. Anybody that has been to Skagway and knows what the translation of the town name means (Home of the North Wind), would realize that the Master had to have faith in his engine and engineer because the direct drive engine required to be stopped and the camshaft changed and then the engine restarted to change direction of propulsion. The tug Tagish was a nice boat, but nothing special, but I thought it had a neat name.

One day in April, prior to the start of the season, the Captain and I took the morning off and drove up to White Pass and beyond a bit, into Canada. The day was spectacular, not a cloud in the sky and there was a fresh layer of snow on the ground. We pulled off the main road and hiked about 5 minutes in knee deep snow to the crest of a small hill. The scenery was absolutely stunning. I could not believe the magnificence of the mountains. You couldn't see the road and it was easy to imagine the area untouched by humans.

Facing to the east are the headland waters of the Yukon River, a 2,300 mile long river, the longest in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The Yukon was a primary means of transportation during the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1903). Facing to the west, approximately 9 miles as the Raven flies, is the salt water of Lynn Canal and the Pacific Ocean. Waxing philosophical at the moment, the route a drop of water took depended upon which side of the mountain it rolled down. I was certainly struck by the beauty and ruggedness and longevity of the area.

A few months later, a beautiful pleasure boat arrived in Skagway, I would guess about 45' in length. I went over and took a look at the boat and that was my first introduction to a Grand Banks. I don't recall now what the year or model was, but I believe it was 42' Classic Tri-Cabin. I figured if that boat could make the trip from Seattle, then that was the pleasure boat for me (until I found out how much they cost).

In 1994 I returned as the Mate of the Fairweather. This year was different; a new Captain, a new crew, with only a few crew from 1992 still remaining. Near the end of the year I struck a keen interest in one of cabin staff that in the off season was a 4th-grade teach from Kent, WA. Ann had been a Cabin Attendant on the Fairweather in 1993 and was returning for her second year.

A few of the Crew of the M/V Fairweather, Lynn Canal,1994 (L-R: Jean, Michelle, Ann, Jon, & Julie)

Skipping ahead to mid 1995, I returned to Alaska as the Port Engineer for the Fairweather and had the golden opportunity to surprise my 4th-grade teacher friend Ann by proposing to her on a spectacular rock outcropping overlooking Skagway, Dyea, and Lynn Canal. At the completion of the 1995 season, I decided the 6 months away from home was too much and it was time to go back to something else as a career.

We were married in June of 1996 and two weeks after we were married I was given the opportunity to become the Master of the M/V Fairweather for what turned out to be the final season of operation. My new bride graciously allowed me to leave for nearly 2.5 months just after we were married. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, one I am grateful I had and one that I will never forget.

Another day at the office

In the end, the goal was to eventually get a Grand Banks and to name the vessel "Tagish". The name Tagish is a reminder of the rugged beauty of the area, the long journey the water makes, the longevity of the First Nations people, and is a fitting name for a well-built vessel such as a Grand Banks.

Knowing that a boat was many years away, we also named our "first child", a gorgeous Golden Retriever, Tagish. Sadly, we lost Tagish the dog in May of 2008, but he was able to share some time on his namesake boat.