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Captains' Paradise
by John Lund
Coupeville, Washington offers a taste of the Victorian era
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On Washington's picturesque Whidbey Island, boaters are drawn to a quaint, turn-of-the-century village that has all the charm of a bygone era.
Its streets are lined with Victorian houses and frontier-
style store buildings, and its landscape offers views of both snow-capped mountain peaks and the island-dotted waters of Puget Sound.
The town, located on the southern shore of Penn Cove, was named Coupeville in honor of Thomas Coupe, a sea captain who settled there with his wife, Maria, in 1853. Over the years, Coupeville developed into a thriving community as many other ship captains chose this spot to make their shoreside homes.
Most had visited the booming port town many times aboard their ships, which carried timber, wool, root vegetables, grain and apples from the trading post at Whidbey Island. The skippers -- many of them retired -- made Coupeville their own little "captain's paradise," complete with a lively waterfront and opulent, gingerbread-covered houses.
Boaters visiting Coupeville today will find it much the same -- a charming stopover located about two-thirds of the way between Seattle (40 miles south of Coupeville) and the San Juan Islands.
++Rich History==
Coupeville residents take great pride in the fact that their historic town is well-preserved -- not re-created. The turn-of-
the-century buildings here are original treasures, not Disneyland-style imitations.
Coupeville and Whidbey Island history are the main focus at the Island County Historical Society Museum -- located across from the city wharf -- which was built through a Whidbey Island-
wide fund-raising effort. Visiting the museum is a must for those interested in Pacific Northwest maritime and Indian history.
But whether you visit the museum or not, history is all around you in Coupeville. A walking tour and guidebook available at the museum describes Coupeville's many unusual, old wooden structures.Walking the tour route takes about an hour and a half, beginning at Front Street and winding past beautifully restored Victorian homes and churches. Some of the original homes have been converted to bed and breakfast inns and are painted with bright colors that outline their fancy gingerbread trim.
The Alexander Blockhouse, built in 1855, is located next to the museum. It is one of several small surviving fortresses that were built to protect settlers from Indian attack. Under the shelter next to the blockhouse are several examples of dugout Indian canoes, which once plied the waters off Penn Cove.
Another must-see for visitors is the historic Capt. Whidbey Inn, built in 1907, which is tucked into the trees on the southern shore of Penn Cove. There, boaters can relax and enjoy a tasty feast on the patio, or indoors next to the inn's cheery fireplace.
This madrona log landmark is stuffed with fascinating turn-
of-the-century memorabilia, from the days when steamboats from Seattle dropped passengers off at this country retreat.
Several of the island's first settlements have been maintained intact at Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Established in 1978 by Congress, the 17,000 acre reserve ensures protection of the island's special rural atmosphere.
Encompassed within the reserve surrounding Penn Cove -- with Coupeville at the center -- are Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park, the much-photographed Admiralty Head Lighthouse, Keystone State Park, Rhododendron State Park, Penn Cove County Park, Coupeville City Park and Capt. Thomas Coupe City Park.
Comprised of both public and private lands, the reserve abounds with hiking trials and camping sites. Olympic Mountain views fill the west and the Cascade Mountains, Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker stand out to the northeast. Rimmed by sandy beaches and dotted with hundreds of picnic sites -- the reserve is as much a recreational destination as it is a casual stopping place.
++Abundant Sportfishing==
Fishing and shellfish harvesting both are major activities in the Coupeville area -- and both are popular with cruisers.
The area has a variety of soft and hard shell clams, blue mussels, Pacific oysters, dungeness crabs and red rock crabs, harvestable in season. Contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for up-to-date shellfish information, at (206) 753-
5700.
Excellent sportfishing is available on west side of Whidbey Island. Admiralty Head proved to be a major hot spot for king salmon earlier this year. Fish in the high 30 pound range were
common, and 20-pounders were caught from the beach.
According to local fisherman-columnist J.D. Wade, blackmouth salmon can be caught here at any time of the year. They can be found off the Mid-Channel Bank, Bush Point or Admiralty Head, between 80 and 120 feet below the surface.
Coho, too, are plentiful this year, caught in the top 20 to 30 feet in the water column. Plug-cut herring and squid bait are popular, and lately, streamer flies have made a comeback.
++Cruising to Coupeville==
Most boaters who cruise from Seattle to the San Juan Islands choose the protected inside route through Possession Sound, Saratoga Passage and Skagit Bay. After a stop at Whidbey Island, cruisers can either head northwest from Skagit Bay, through Deception Pass to Rosario Strait; or head east at Goat Island, then north through Swinomish Channel to Padilla Bay.
The Port of Coupeville offers a 300 foot visitor's dock adjacent to the historic Coupeville Wharf, built in 1900. Boaters are welcome to spend the night here, or dock for an hour to see the town.
Unfortunately, visiting boaters won't find dockside power, water or telephone hookups here. But a brand-new fuel dock has been added, which is located on the end of the pier.
Showers and restrooms are provided across the street from the wharf, at the Island County Historical Society Museum. Harbormaster Jack Parker can be found in the port office, at the end of the dock, or can be reached at (206) 687-5020 or (206) 678-5197.
At the tip of the wharf, boaters will find the Coupeville Restaurant and Harbor Store, housed in a historic, red building over the water. It stocks a wide range of marine supplies and charts, groceries and fresh seafood, and offers open-air dining under umbrellas on its deck.
If all the dock space is taken, or if there's a minus tide and you draw more than five feet, it's easy to anchor off. Penn Cove has a mud bottom with an average depth of 35 to 40 feet.
Boaters looking for a full-service marina that can offer facilities for a longer stay aboard will find one at nearby Oak Harbor. Oak Harbor Marina offers guest moorage, a pumpout station and fuel docks. For details, call (206) 679-2628.
Trailerboaters will find nine launch ramps on Whidbey Island. The closest ones to Coupeville are at Capt. Thomas Coupe Park, Northeast 9th and Otis Street; at Fort Casey; and at Penn Cove County Park, across the cove from Coupeville.
Cruisers who want to see more of Whidbey Island than they can cover on foot or bicycle will find that the Island Transit bus line makes exploring the area easy. A block from the wharf, buses run hourly Monday through Saturday -- and the ride is free. This service connects Coupeville with Oak Harbor, Freeland, Greenbank, Langley and the Clinton-Mukilteo and Keystone-Port Townsend ferries.
Like Coupeville's historic buildings, a frontier spirit still survives -- and thrives -- in this colorful island city settled by sea captains. Perhaps that's why it remains so popular with pleasureboat skippers today.
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This article first appeared in the December 1, 1992 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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