The C.A. Thayer is a historically significant schooner built in 1895 near Eureka, California, by Danish-born shipbuilder Hans Ditlev Bendixsen. Measuring 219 feet (67 meters) in length, the vessel was designed for the West Coast lumber trade, with a cargo capacity of approximately 575,000 board feet. Its construction featured typical three-masted schooner characteristics, with a hull capable of carrying lumber both below deck and on deck—about half of its cargo was stored beneath, while the rest was stacked up to 10 feet high on deck. The schooner was operated by a small crew of eight or nine men, responsible for navigation, loading, and unloading, with an average daily cargo discharge of 75,000 to 80,000 board feet. Initially, C.A. Thayer served from 1895 to 1912, primarily transporting lumber from Grays Harbor, Washington, to San Francisco, and occasionally extending voyages to Mexico, Hawaii, and Fiji. Her service was typical of the lumber schooners of her era, playing a vital role in the coastwise timber trade. After suffering serious damage in a gale and as steam-powered vessels gained prominence, she was retired from lumber hauling in 1912. Reconfigured for the Alaskan salmon fishery, C.A. Thayer carried fishermen, cannery workers, and supplies to Alaska each spring from 1912 to 1924, returning with barrels of salted salmon each fall. During World War I, she was used in the salt-salmon trade, and later, between 1925 and 1930, she participated in cod fishing in Alaska's Bering Sea, carrying crews and fishing gear. During World War II, the U.S. Army repurposed her as an ammunition barge in British Columbia, removing her masts. Post-war, she returned to cod fishing until 1950. The vessel was eventually acquired by the State of California in 1956, restored, and opened to the public at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1963. Recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1966, the C.A. Thayer has undergone multiple restorations, including a major overhaul in 2004-2007, and in 2016-2017, she received new rigging and sails. Today, she stands as one of the last surviving West Coast schooners from her era, illustrating the maritime history of the lumber and fishing industries.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.