Fisher-Smith Wooden Boats

Have you discovered this marvelous story unfolding from a side-yard on the coastal plain of Sequim, WA? The videos are worth a good look, and which of us hasn't wished to do something like it ourselves? I can say that I have.

We've been deeply saddened this week by the loss of a big part of Tomales Bay's working waterfront community in the person of Tod Friend, owner of the Tomales Bay Oyster Co. on State Hwy. 1, a couple of miles south of the village of Marshall, and a loving, devoted father and grandpa. Tod was one of the hardest working men I'll ever know--a seven-days-a-week, charismatic leader of the TBOC crew whose approach to inspiring was to cajole and then simply outwork those of a third... or half his own age. He was an ambitious and committed soul who believed in the nature of his work, often fueling himself on the oysters he grew as he toiled amongst them. After his boat was discovered last Tuesday afternoon without him onboard, his family and close friends mobilized, searching nonstop in and around the bay for four days until they succeeded in finding his remains--an act of commitment and devotion in itself, and such a thing of beauty. Tod's last and lasting gift to us all was an intimate, intense involvement in the nature of this bay, some alone and others in the company of those they love. It is taking awhile to comprehend the empty spot Tod has left here. See more

A Story in Several Chapters...

The Near-Demolition of 'HOYSTER' and Her Gradual Recovery: Part Two--