Q. When is a yacht not a yacht?

A. When it has been commandeered by the US Army for military service during WWll.

The launch of the Helene.  April 18, 1931  Source: www.wrecksite.eu/  copyright C.Sorensen

Recently an unusual photo turned up in the Corps of Engineers photo archives of the yacht christened Cavanaugh. Although the Army Corps of Engineers has owned and operated many types of ships throughout the world's waterways, a yacht like this was particularly unusual. We have been able to uncover some details of its' history and welcome any contributions from the public to add to what we know so far.

The Garden in Bloom

Here's a look at some of what you will see currently blooming in the Carl English Garden. Many thanks to Emily Dunn, Ballard High School for the photos.

Lake Washington Ship Canal Opening Day

The Ship Canals opens to great celebration

July 4 is an important day all across the country but the Seattle area also has a historic connection to this date. It was July 4, 1917 that the Ballard Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal were officially opened and inaugurated. Years of hard physical work, engineering challenges, arm twisting, lawsuits and political and commercial maneuvering finally resulted in this historic day.

One of our volunteers, Marta Brace, has done considerable research into the history of the ship canal and offers the following article.

Reprint of Locks Opening

Addressing the crowds in the locks

 To read and view more images about the celebrations concerning the Ballard Locks official opening you can follow the link below

Last year's article about the 95th anniversary of the locks