The Rebirth of the Yacht Arrow
After a history of regatta mishaps, a local yacht is repurposed for the waters of Lake Washington.
C. C. Phinney has bought the little steam yacht Arrow, from Messrs. Haines and Poucin. As soon as the papers can be changed in the Custom House, the Arrow will be taken to Lake Washington, where she will do a general business. William Gilham, recently from the Columbia river, and F. P. Oexper, will have charge of her. The Arrow was formerly the sailing yacht Eureka, built by Budlong Bros, at Olympia in 1879. She sailed in the regatta at Seattle on Fourth of July of that year, and was making a lively race when her foremast was carried away. Some time afterward she was bought by Messrs. Strove & Haines, and fitted up as a steam yacht. She is a fleet little craft, and if the business will justify two boats on the lake, she will prove very useful to the settlers thereabout.
“She is a fleet little craft, and if the business will justify two boats on the lake, she will prove very useful to the settlers thereabout.”
The transition of the 'Arrow' from a sailing yacht to a steam-powered work boat reflects the early industrialization of Lake Washington. Today, the lake serves as a primary hub for both high-tech logistics and recreation, continuing its role as a vital economic artery.
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