The first actual ferry service was a small launch called City of Latona. Operating at the south end of Lake Union, it carried passengers across for 25 cents a head. And chances are just as good that whoever you meet will not just say hi, but come and join you for talk of the sea. It's an appeal that more and more businesspeople are coming to enjoy, as they slip into this time tunnel of history. When you're out in the middle of the lake with nothing but a small boat and a paddle, everything changes.
Wooden boats offer a visual appeal.
They smell good, feel good, and sound good. Like everyone else at the center, van Vlack seems exceptionally relaxed, wearing a sweater and a soft, ever-present smile. He sits at a large wooden table used for board meetings. Above his head, century-old canoes hang from the ceiling. A magnet for the adventurous Wooden boats cost more than fiberglass.