Here’s a postcard view of Westport’s E. Dock Street in the early to mid-1970s. That’s a new bright yellow VW Thing cruising down the street. It’s believed to have belonged to Al and Sach Jenkins, owners/operators of the Golden Cove Restaurant in Grayland at the time.
Anyone out there ever own a Thing? Originally designed for the military, civilian models were sold in the US. from 1972 through 1974.
New safety standards in effect starting in 1975 knocked the Thing off the market because the distance between front seat occupants and the windshield wasn’t great enough. Does that mean if you bought a classic VW Thing today, you couldn’t drive it on public roadways?
The Travis Charters building halfway down the block on the right with the big red T-shaped sign, also served as three other businesses. Owned by Bob and Pat Williams, after they no longer booked fishing trips, the couple converted the building into Bob & Pat’s Shoes.
When they retired, Bob Friedman opened North Coast Surf Co./Noah’s Ark – Home of Needful Things – in that space. He and his wife offered surfboards and surfing gear for sale, along with jewelry, souvenirs, and even some of the remaining shoes from the Williams’ enterprise.
A couple of years later, Bill Walsh, former longtime Westport Fuel Dock owner/operator, purchased the property and used the building as the Westport/Ocean Shores Ferry Ticket Office until the ferry service was discontinued at the end of the 2007 tourist season. A dangerous buildup of sand and silt at the Ocean Shores Marina, which has never been dredged since it was constructed in 1962, prevented safe landings there.
