The Portland

The sternwheeler ‘PORTLAND’ was built for the Port of Portland in 1947 to serve as a ship assist harbor tug. The ‘PORTLAND’ is 219 ft. long with a beam of 44 ft. and a draft of 7 ft. The paddle wheel is 26 ft. wide and 25 ft. in diameter. It is driven by two one cylinder double acting steam engines at a steam pressure of 240 pound per square inch resulting in 1800 horsepower. Her steering is by 7 rudders, 4 placed in front of the wheel and 3 behind it. She is today the last remaining operational vessel of her kind. After being taken out of service in 1981 she survived a failed conversion to a tour boat and was finally sold to the Oregon Maritime Museum whose volunteers spent years and countless hours rebuilding her into the current configuration to serve as the major artifact and current residence for the Museum.