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Sadie B's 1924 Maiden Voyage

Vintage photo of a ferry carrying cars with a bridge in the background.

The Sadie B was christened and launched in June 1924 from the Altree shipyard in Toledo, Oregon, at the same location as the current Yaquina Boatyard owned by the Port of Toledo. She was 65 feet in length, with a 28 foot beam. She boasted 65 hp diesel engines, and 2 cabins with all modern conveniences. She was strongly built, designed to accommodate bay traffic between Newport and South Beach, and was the first ferryboat put into service on the Yaquina Bay. There were times when as many as 2500 automobiles were transported within a 24-hour period.

A vintage photo of the Diesel Ferry Sadie B. on water, with people and industrial structures in the background.

Sadie B was owned by the Roosevelt Highway Ferry Co, until she was sold and relocated to The Dalles. The 1936 opening of the Yaquina Bay Bridge on the Roosevelt Highway (now known as US 101) ended the need for ferry travel. As shown above, the bridge is nearing completion.

The Port of Toledo thanks the Lincoln County Historical Society for the historical information and photos of the Sadie B being built (SC#550) and Sadie B crossing Yaquina Bay (SC#2684).