Browsing: John Wayne

Cruising Life
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John Wayne’s Old Boat Sinking in San Juans

John Wayne’s first boat,  a 76-foot wooden yacht launched in Boston in 1932, is not doing well. Wayne bought the boat from his business manager in 1955, reportedly after Wayne caused some damage while running it himself. Now the boat, which he named Norwester, is partially underwater at Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island in the San Juans. In recent years, Norwester has been used as a floating museum and a charter boat, based in La Conner, Washington. On a recent Saturday, it left La Conner and a few hours later it issued a distress call. It had hit a rock…