Dorymen's Heritage Center

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The annual Dory Blessing of the Fleet is this Saturday at 12:00 on the beach at Cape Kiwanda.
06/02/2026

The annual Dory Blessing of the Fleet is this Saturday at 12:00 on the beach at Cape Kiwanda.

The Story of the Dory Fleet ContinuesFor more than a century, Pacific City’s dory fleet has launched straight through th...
04/08/2026

The Story of the Dory Fleet Continues

For more than a century, Pacific City’s dory fleet has launched straight through the surf at Cape Kiwanda — a tradition of skill, courage, and community that still lives on our beaches today.

If you’d like to learn more about the vision for the Dorymen’s Heritage Center, we invite you to stop by the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum during this month’s Sip + Shop evening on April 10th from 5PM to 7PM .
https://www.facebook.com/events/1846857762654706

Meet members of the Dorymen’s Heritage Center Board of Directors, hear the stories behind the fleet, and discover how this project will help preserve and share Pacific City’s living maritime history.

While you're there, enjoy free museum admission from 5–7 PM and explore the traveling exhibit “Launching Through the Surf: The Dory Fleet of Pacific City,” a collaboration between Linfield University and the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association.

As part of the Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce Sip + Shop event, the museum will also be pouring local beer from Pelican Brewing Company.

Come raise a glass, explore the exhibit, and help keep the stories of the dory fleet alive.

Together, all boats rise

Closing out 2025 with GratitudeThanks to your support, theDory Center is launching!Because of you, this year marked a tr...
02/18/2026

Closing out 2025 with Gratitude

Thanks to your support, the
Dory Center is launching!
Because of you, this year marked a true turning point for the Dory Center.

In 2025, the Dory Center officially became a 501(c)(3), launched a brand new website, received support from the Oregon Cultural Trust, and gathered our community around stories, music, and the working boats that define this place. These milestones were not inevitable. They were made possible by people who believe that coastal heritage matters and that small working communities are worth protecting.

Your support keeps the legacy of the Pacific City dory fleet alive while creating space for education, connection, and stewardship for generations to come. It allows us to document stories, host meaningful gatherings, and ensure this living history is not lost to time.

As we look ahead, we are deeply grateful to be moving forward with you alongside us. The work continues, and so does the collective effort it takes to keep this tradition afloat.

Thank you for believing in the Dory Center.

We closed out our first year as an official 501(c)(3)
We launched the newly designed dorycenter.org website!
The Dory Center leveled up with professional brand Identity development and logo design.
Enjoyed an official song made just for us!
Hosted the successful "Local's Catch" awareness gathering for our community
Successful grant recipient from Oregon Cultural Trust
Incredible support from our community and friends abroad
Wishing you and yours smooth sailing into 2026

Unlike traditional harbors where vessels launch from docks, the Pacific City fleet launches directly from the sandy beac...
02/12/2026

Unlike traditional harbors where vessels launch from docks, the Pacific City fleet launches directly from the sandy beach at Cape Kiwanda. This unique practice has been carried on for over a century and is central to the town’s identity. Families have passed the tradition down for generations, making the dory fleet both a living history and an active fishery. 🎣

Launching out to sea is a skill in itself, requiring dorymen to push through the surf and time their departure between breaking waves. Equally important is the return. Bringing the boats back ashore requires just as much skill, with dorymen timing their return carefully to ride the waves safely onto the beach. Once close to shore, boats must navigate alongside surfers, sea kayakers, and other ocean users, making precision and awareness essential.

This style of fishing creates a direct connection between the fishermen, their community, and the ocean. Many dorymen sell their catch right on the beach or nearby, offering some of the freshest seafood you can find. Visitors to Pacific City often gather on the sand to watch the boats launch and land, a spectacle that highlights both the courage and expertise of the fleet.

Learn more:https://www.dorycenter.org/

📷: Sandra Weedman

Pacific City, Oregon is known for its sweeping views of Haystack Rock (yes, there are two Haystack Rocks in Oregon) and ...
02/04/2026

Pacific City, Oregon is known for its sweeping views of Haystack Rock (yes, there are two Haystack Rocks in Oregon) and the wide sandy beach at Cape Kiwanda, but what makes this village truly special is its working dory fishery. 🎣 For more than a century, fishermen here have launched their flat-bottomed boats straight into the surf, creating a tradition unlike anywhere else on the West Coast. The sight of dories driving off the beach at dawn or riding a wave back onto shore is both a testament to skill and a living piece of maritime history.

The stories of the dory fleet are deeply tied to the identity of Pacific City. From the days when boats were built of spruce planks and powered by oars, to the era when the town was the second-largest salmon port in Oregon, the fleet has faced challenges, adapted, and endured. It is the working fleet, and the stories passed down from one generation of dorymen to the next, that set Pacific City apart and make it a place where Oregon’s maritime past remains alive in the present.

Learn more: https://www.dorycenter.org/

📷: unknown

The dory tradition is not only visible on the beach but also on the plate. 🧑‍🍳 Several Pacific City restaurants feature ...
01/27/2026

The dory tradition is not only visible on the beach but also on the plate. 🧑‍🍳 Several Pacific City restaurants feature freshly caught dory fish when available. Visitors and locals can also purchase dory-caught seafood directly from fishermen at West Fish Co. (located at 34775 Brooten Rd. in Pacific City), keeping the connection between boat and table as immediate as it gets. Rumor has it they’re opening a fish & chips food cart onsite soon!

For those who want to experience the thrill of fishing from a dory themselves, local charter operators carry on the practice by taking guests out through the surf. The Pacific City-Nestucca Valley Chamber of Commerce serves as the best point of contact for anyone interested in arranging a trip. Whether sampling a meal, supporting local fishermen, or stepping aboard a dory, visitors can take part in a living tradition that has defined Pacific City for more than a century.


📷: West Fish Co.

Since the early 1900s, the Pacific City dory fleet has stood apart from other fishing traditions along the coast, defyin...
01/08/2026

Since the early 1900s, the Pacific City dory fleet has stood apart from other fishing traditions along the coast, defying both regional seafaring norms and the powerful surf itself. 🌊 These distinctive, flat-bottomed boats are launched directly into the waves, a bold approach that has become the signature of Cape Kiwanda. Each departure and return requires both precision and courage, with the ocean serving as both the harbor and the highway.

Cape Kiwanda remains the ONLY commercial fishing port on the West Coast that launches from an open beach rather than a sheltered harbor. Just south of the Cape and in the shadow of Haystack Rock (also known as Chief Kiawanda Rock), generations of fishermen have kept the practice alive.

The earliest dories were built from spruce planks in a design unique to Oregon and powered solely by oars. Today’s dories maintain their flat-bottomed form but are fitted with motors to better handle the surf.

Want to learn more? Get stories from the fleet, updates on the Dory Center, and ways to stay involved, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.dorycenter.org/newsletter

📷: Bob Hill from the Family Collection

The skies cleared just in time for an amazing 'Trick O Treat' the Fleet - Great times had by friends, family, and all su...
11/04/2025

The skies cleared just in time for an amazing 'Trick O Treat' the Fleet - Great times had by friends, family, and all sugar mongers!

See you all next year! Same time same place!

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PO Box 385
Pacific City, OR
97135

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