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Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation

maritime heritage and sail tours on Whidbey Island

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Photo by Gary Mathieson    

Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation (WIMHF)  was established to preserve the maritime heritage of Coupeville, Penn Cove and Whidbey Island through education and public awareness.

WIMHF proudly owns and operates the schooner Suva whose carefully trained volunteer docents and crew members operate the vessel in accordance with Coast Guard requirements for inspected small passenger vessels. Whidbey Island enjoys a rich maritime history with stories dating back to the late 1700’s. Our mission is to gather and share them while creating new ones for the future.

To learn more about joining the Foundation, please visit our Membership page. If you would like to make a donation to help the Foundation achieve these goals, please visit our Donation page.

THE "NAUTICAL NORTHWEST" CHARITABLE LICENSE PLATE

In 2024, WIMHF, in partnership with Historic Whidbey, started a petition to add a custom charitable license plate to the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) selection. Senate Bill 5444 was signed by the Governor in 2025, and these plates will be available from the DOL website later in 2026.  

Proceeds from the program will be shared equally between WIMHF and Historic Whidbey, both 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. These funds will support public heritage programming on board the s/v Suva and at the 1866 Haller House in Coupeville. You can learn more at www.historicwhidbey.org  

Schooner Suva — 2026 Sailing Schedule      TICKET SALE

All scheduled sailings are approximately 2 hours, and depart from the Coupeville Wharf at 24 Front St NW, Coupeville WA 98249.

  • Fridays: About 5:30 PM, Varies depending on sunset
  • Saturday: 1:00-3:00 PM
  • Sundays: 1:00-3:00 PM

A note of appreciation:

  • "Congratulations to all you hard-working SUVA fans. We're so proud of your hard work on behalf of our unique and prized SUVA." - Vicki Schmitz. The Schmitz Family owned SUVA from 1940 to 1985.


"She's always been historic. Now It's official." 

- Janinne Brunyee, Sugarbird Marketing       


Check out the Nomination of Schooner Suva to the National Register of Historic Places. 

It offers a fascinating documentation of the vessel, including its history, period of significance, detailed technical specifications and the colorful personalities associated with the schooner. 


  • SUVA Featured in the Whidbey Weekly

    07/25/2026 10:19 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    "Take A Penn Cove Idyl— Time travel to 1925 aboard the Schooner Suva."  A news writeup on page 2 of the Whidbey Weekly  July 24 -30, 2026 issue. Check out the news article at

    https://whidbeyweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ww_20260724_WEB.pdf



  • SUVA Featured in Whidbey News-Times

    05/20/2026 5:20 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    "Schooner of dreams: 101-year-old ship sails the Salish Sea" SUVA was featured in the Whidbey News-Times on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Check out the news article at  

    https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/2026/05/19/schooner-of-dreams-101-year-old-ship-sails-the-salish-sea/

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Whidbey Island  Maritime Heritage Foundation (WIMHF)  is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our Mission is to create awareness of the maritime heritage of Whidbey Island, Coupeville, and Penn Cove  through the promotion, preservation and education of its maritime  traditions. ©2026 








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