4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
COURTESY PETER LINDSEY
Peter Lindsey in his dory, the Schmedlow,
in front of the Needles at Haystack Rock.
He’s with Roscoe Divine, a famous mile
runner from the golden days of track and
field at the University of Oregon.
GONE FISHING
Peter Lindsey’s ‘Just Movin’ the Water Around’ recalls Cannon Beach’s dory fleet
By NANCY McCARTHY
FOR COAST WEEKEND
I
n his new book about the
Cannon Beach dory fleet, Peter
Lindsey does more than “just
movin’ the water around,” as the
title hints.
He dives deep into the dory boat
culture, tracing the history of the
small fishing boats from Europe to
America’s east coast and, finally, to
the 20-foot-long West Bank dories
that “slipped off the sands of Can-
non Beach.”
A trained folklorist with a pas-
sion for language, Lindsey repeats
the stories told to him by fishers
dory era were fading, he decided
who spent much of the 1970s in
to revive them. Rainmar Bartl, of
those boats seeking salmon,
Cannon Beach, helped him
coho, cod, rockfish and crabs.
organize the book, raise
He also provides a dory
funds and find photos, a
glossary, a list of captains
publisher and local editors.
and their boats, numerous
“It’s a slice of Cannon
photos from local collec-
Beach history, a rather
tions, drawings by Astoria
unique one,” Bartl said. “It’s
artist Sally Lackaff and the
the type of history I like,
Peter
cover art by local artist Drea
focused on what folks in a
Lindsey
Rose Frost.
community do for a living,
“The dory fleet that
told through stories. I like
operated here in Cannon Beach was
Peter’s storytelling and wanted to
an integral part of the community,”
help bring it to a wider public.”
Lindsey said in an interview.
Continued on Page 14
Concerned that memories of the
The cover of ‘Just
Movin’ the Water
Around’ by
Cannon Beach
author Peter
Lindsey. The
art is by local
artist
Drea Rose Frost.
NANCY
MCCARTHY
PHOTO