Thanks for the link, Barry. Great photos.

Yeah, Stewart, The Wawona and the Arthur Foss in Seattle and the Wapama in the Bay Area desperately need similar care. Not to mention the Kalakala. There must be someone(s) out there with both the money and the love.

A couple of decades ago my dad and I visited the Wapama (http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/nat1973000228.asp) when she was still at the Hyde Street Pier. My dad was a marine engineer, now retired. He's not so much anti-authority as oblivious to it, so he didn't hesitate when we came to the chain across the gangway with the "No Admittance: Authorized Personnel Only" sign. He stepped over it, I followed nervously, and we looked through windows and down hatches all over.
Finally we looked down a hatch and saw two green-clad legs stretched out a couple of decks below. Dad yelled done, "Can an old engineer come down to look at your power plant". A voice from below yelled back, "Do you know anything about triple-expansion steam plants?" Dad modestly allowed that he'd worked on them most of his life. "Well, I haven't. Come on down."
So the ranger and I then received a short course on the history and workings of the Wapama's plant and others of her genre, some of which I remember. I don't recall that Dad solved the ranger's problem, but a good time was had by all.

The next time I went back to the Hyde Street Pier the Wapama was gone. I'd like to have her back.