MORNING STAR is a Chesapeake “Bugeye” designed by Luther Tarbox. Bugeyes date back to 1830 and were used to dredge oysters and crabs, haul freight and buy catches from their sloop version, the skipjack. MORNING STAR was built in Seattle by master shipwright Harvey Graham. Her keel was laid in 1956. Built entirely of Alaska yellow cedar, she is a strong work platform finished as a live aboard and powerful Sailer-cruiser. She’s fifty six feet overall, forty eight feet on deck, thirteen and a half foot beam and draws thirty eight inches with the centerboard raised. She carries one thousand sixty four square feet of sail.

HER CAPTAIN and owner/operator is Robert (Tony) Lee who holds a Merchant Marine Officer’s one hundred ton license. Tony has been been operating MORNING STAR since July, 1976, when he purchased her from Harvey Graham. Lee’s most recent off-season job was relief captain aboard the BRANDY G., a one hundred ton, one hundred twenty foot supply vessel out of Cameron, Louisiana serving an oil rig fifty miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Orcas Island ONBOARD WEDDINGS. Lee is also an ordained minister and has performed many weddings aboard MORNING STAR. One of the most memorable was the marriage of the bosun and cook of the tall ship ELISSA of Galveston, Texas. It looked as if it might rain, but just as MORNING STAR hove to, a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone directly on the wedding party.

MORNING STAR is located at Rosario Resort Marina on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Island Archipelago in the Northwest corner of Washington State. She has chartered from there since 1976. Her only absence was when she cruised to the Gulf of Mexico, 1986–1995.

CHARTER RATES:

Groups
$350 – two hours
$450 – three hours
$550 – four hours
$1200 – all day exclusive

Weddings
Call us for rates and special arrangements

MORNING STAR CHARTERS
149 ORCAS ROAD
EASTSOUND, WA, 98245

Phone: 360 376-2099
Email: morningstar@orcascharters.com