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Our Story Began With Marks love Of boats And the history of The Lower Columbia River. Mark Began Working on boats at the age of 14 for Bud Charlton At Warrenton Deep Sea Charters in 1989. He continued working on charter boats until he graduated from High School. Mark finally got hired by Foss Maritime Co. in 1995 after waiting two years for an open position as an apprentice engineer (deckhand). Foss had recently purchased the interests of the Brix Maritime Corp. (formally Knappton Towboat Co.) and maintained an office and fleet of seagoing And river tugs and the pilot launch “Arrow No.2” In Astoria. After getting layed off from Foss from lack of Tugboat work, Mark worked in Bristol Bay as an engineer on a Salmon Tender. Mark worked several jobs on land and wanted to find a way to get back on the water. When Mark found that the Arrow was retired from service and that it was available to purchase, he convinced family and friends of a business plan to convert the former Pilot Launch to offer historical waterfront tours aboard the Arrow.
Mark is the operator and cruise host aboard the Arrow No.2. Mark is a student of the Lower Columbia’s rich history and loves to share his knowledge and stories with visitors and locals alike. Mark’s favorite aspect of these excursions are meeting new people, learning new things from passengers, and especially learning more about this area’s history from residents who grew up in this area.
Jeanette Schacher (woods) grew up in the Portland area, but fell in love with the Astoria area after meeting Mark and moving here over 20 years ago. Jeanette works full time as a director for the local hospital and works on the boat whenever possible. She is the Arrow No. 2’s biggest cheerleader.
Drake has been involved with the restoration and rebuild of the Arrow from the start. His grandfather Jim Davis ran tugs for Knappton, Brix, and finally Foss. He operated the Arrow until it was retired and now operates the new pilot launch “Conner Foss”. Drake has a real job now as a deckhand for tidewater barge lines in Vancouver, Wa. and helps with the boat when his schedule allows.
