Who We Are And What We Do

Our Pacific City Dorymen’s Association (PCDA) is one of Oregon’s most active and influential 501 (c)(3) charitable non-profit organizations. We’ll soon celebrate our 20th birthday, and during these two decades, the PCDA has never experienced a year of declining membership or a year of reduced revenue.

Our primary mission is to ensure the continued existence of our 115 year-old tradition of dory activity from Cape Kiwanda. While the fleet declined during the 1990’s due to heavy fishery conservation measures, the number of vessels that call Pacific City their “home port” has once again expanded to nearly 250. Like other west coast ports, we’re a mix of commercial, sport charter, and private fishing boats. We often rank in the top four Oregon ports for numbers of coho salmon landings. Commercial fish and shellfish landings in 2014 were valued at over $153,000 while recreational fisheries contribute greatly to the local economy.

Due to our increasing membership, however, the PCDA is able to contribute nearly $10,000 annually to other programs and projects in the community, including student scholarships, freshwater fishery enhancement programs, school lunches, fire and rescue, and the Linfield College dory history program.

The Association created The Blessing of the Fleet, held around the first of June every year. Our Memorial Wall, recognizing dorymen of the past, is one of the finest in the world, and we are proud to note that only three dorymen have lost their lives at sea in over a century.

Safety programs are a cornerstone of importance to us. Our fleet shares the boat launch and landing area, as well as the ocean, with many other public uses. The PCDA interacts with all governmental entities to create awareness of the hazards involved with marine vessels that by necessity need to navigate at high speeds. A full-color brochure outlines the dangers, and signage near the boat landing area explains the safety rules.

While we want you to safely enjoy our historic and beautiful area, we want you to help keep it free of litter, too. Did you know that Pacific City is also the “home” of Oregon’s famed “Bottle Bill”? House Bill 1036 was adopted by the state legislature in 1971, and became the first state in the nation to recognize the importance of recycling and re-use of solid wastes.

For more information about us, click the bar at the top of our home page. You can also go to http://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/dory/ for our history, and Sandy Weedman’s photos at PC PhotoLady.