The Sauvie Spaceship

 For anyone who follows this blog, you've undoubtedly read more than one post that included photos and references to the Sauvie Spaceship. I've been shooting at that local icon for many years now. I thought it would be fun (and educational) to write about it and show some of the changes to its exterior over the years that I've used it as a photographic prop. 

First, you have to know what it is and where it's located. You'll find it anchored to the trees far up on Collins Beach on the Columbia River side of Sauvie Island, northwest of Portland, Oregon. An experimental vessel made of a concrete-like material, it has been beached there since 1996. For years, I could only guess at its origins. There was very little online about its history, but in 2023, this poster showed up stapled to a nearby tree.

I don't remember how I heard about the ship, perhaps it was word of mouth or via an internet posting I read, but in the summer of 2011, I set out to find it. I knew it was on Collins Beach (the local nude beach), but not exactly where. My wife and I had been to Collins Beach a few times with friends, and I had already done a few shoots on the beach, but I had never seen it. So, I knew where it wasn't.

 My plan was to start at the southeast end of the beach and walk north along the wooded edge until I found it. It didn't take long to find it, and I noted its location by checking the landmarks, with plans to return soon with a model to shoot with it. 

The first model up was Lindsay D., a local model I had worked with for several projects. We started with a figure nude shoot on some nearby driftwood logs, then walked over to shoot with the ship. As you can see from this image, there was minimal graffiti and mural art on the hull of the ship.

Lindsay D. in 2011 with the Sauvie Spaceship

In 2012, the minimal graffiti on the ship had been painted over with gray paint. I had no idea who did it, but someone obviously felt responsible enough to take care of the hull. You can see the gray paint in these photos of Freya Gallows and Floofie taken in June and August of that year.

Floofie with the Spaceship the first time

By May of the following year, the taggers had arrived en masse to put their signatures on the vessel. In the photo below, you can see Audi taking her own shot of the ship for posterity. 

Audi taking her shot.

The taggers even made their way to the inside of the ship.

Rosalee standing in the interior of the ship.

By May of 2014, the muralists and other artists found their way to the ship and began adding their own style to the hull. Portions were nice, and some even made decent backgrounds for nude art.

Murals and Large Tags on the Hull

Justine poses between the two hull paintings

Olivia Preston posing in front of the Sauvie Spaceship

Using a portion of the hull as a graphic backdrop

In 2015, the hull got a more colorful makeover, and the Blue Cat made his appearance. The cat was one of the longer-lasting pieces of art, staying put for almost seven years. Meanwhile, other pieces were painted over with replacements, and the art was extended to the sides and the top of the vessel. Once, while with a model, we observed an artist putting his own art on the forward port hull. 

Verronica on the Starboard Side 

Sam and the Big Blue Cat

By the summer of 2016, the art had expanded further. Big Blue remained steadfast in his place with some small added adornments, but other art had replaced pieces around it and continued further around the hull.

More art in 2016

Ana Molly mimics the hull art

Details of the port side art.

Sky with the port side art

Evelyn poses with art on the starboard side of the hull

In 2017 the artwork changed again, but Big Blue remained. Some areas of the hull featured new work, while others remained unchanged. Some small embellishments were added to portions of the major pieces, and an elephant appeared on the port side.

Hailey J. and Big Blue in 2017

Stevie Macaroni, her boots, and a white elephant.

In 2018, new large art pieces showed up. Big Blue was still there, but he looked a bit worse for wear— still decent, given his age and exposure to the elements. The ship's dome sported some new art as well.

Selene with the ship behind her.

Selene against a colorful portion of the hull

In 2019, taggers returned to the ship and defaced several murals. I appreciated the art displayed on the vessel, but I despise taggers who only use paint to make a mark with their ugly tags. Fortunately, they didn't tag every piece, but usually, when they find a place, the tags proliferate until there's nothing left but those ugly marks. Big Blue remained relatively unscathed, as you can see from the images of Joey below. But if you look closely at the graffiti surrounding Kristy Jessica, you'll see what I mean. 

Joey and the new art on the center starboard hull.

Joey and the Big Blue Cat

Kristy Jessica - you can see the tags defacing the art behind her.

More of Kristy and the ugly tagging

I have only one shot of the vessel from 2020 and none from 2021.  During those two years, I did very little photography due to the pandemic and its aftermath. I did shoot one time on the island in 202 with Danielle W. We mostly shot in a deserted area of the beach and kept a distance between us as we shot. We did take one shot of Danielle with the ship for her to show her friends.

Danielle on the shore of the Columbia.

Danille with the Spaceship

The next time I saw the ship was in 2022 when I shot there with Floofie. The Big Blue Cat was pretty defaced by then and looked like he was on his way out.  New showed up on both the port and starboard sides and the inner hulls. By early October, when I shot there with Shawna, Big Blue had been totally covered by some abstract work, and other pieces had been covered over as well.

Floofie posing and Big Blue Fading

Belle mimicking some of the new artwork.

Vivian and the teacup

 

Shawna in October - Big Blue has been covered up.

Shawna with the artwork covering Big Blue

In 2023, I made my pilgrimage to the ship to shoot with new models (to me), Aim, Nanci and Jade. Two new large pieces had been added to the vessel. A huge rose now covered the spot where Big Blue used to abide, and skull and brain decorated the starboard hull, but the teacup remained from the previous year.

Aim hangs by one of the anchor cables next to the new skull and brain.

Nanci posing against part of the inner hull.

Jade poses with art on the inner sections of the hull.

Aim with her souvenir shot of the ship - 2023

I didn't shoot anywhere near the ship in 2024. That was probably an oversight on my part, but at that time, I had no idea I would be writing about the vessel and its colorful history the following year.  This year, 2025, I made a special effort to visit the ship, get a shot or two and check out any new artwork. Caralynn Rose, a model I started working with this year, was my choice to take to the ship. We did a 4th of July pinup shoot there and followed up with some nudes of Caralynn with the ship. I don't know if I'll be back this year. The taggers seem to be molesting all the artwork now, so it's less inviting as a place to shoot. We'll have to see how the year goes. I may go there in October to see what, if anything, has changed.

Caralynn and the starboard side of the ship

Carolynn and the port middle hull.

Caralynn between the starbaord inner hull.

The Spaceship in 2025