In response to lilypaws: The book is "Shortshot" by Nancy Bush, but is currently not available on Amazon. I also checked AbeBooks.com, which is a great place to find out of print and short run books, but they don't have a single copy. I assume that the book was either a "print on demand" book or that the press run was very small. The cover art shows a Pacific City dory named "Shortshot," hence the name of the book and Nancy's handle on this forum. I think Nancy was ready to publish her book just after my old boss, the largest publisher of sport fishing magazines and books, quit publishing books. In this market, just one or two bad choices mean lean times for a publisher!

Pacific City on the Oregon coast, is famous because people launch their dories directly into the surf to fish offshore. It is the only place I'm aware of where such large boats are launched that way. Decades ago, my husband helped a friend launch his new dory at PC for the first time...and the friend, who still has the boat, claims that Marty's fingerprints are still indented on the aluminum of the stern! Dories are larger versions of drift boats, which were developed for Northwest rivers. Drift boats are only 20' at most, primarily powered through rapids by a strong oarsman, while dories are much larger, depend upon motors, and are used primarily offshore. Personally, I just don't trust motors! I own and row an 18' drift boat manufactured by one of my clients, ClackaCraft, in Clackamas, Oregon. I've known most of the fellows who designed the first drift boats, even floated the California Salmon River in one of the earliest, an Alumaweld from the days when the passenger seat was simply a truck seat. Today, drift boat design is far more advanced with wider hulls for more stability and easier rowing as well as features like rod holders incorporated into the hulls, movable seats for different types of fishing, even doors for easy entry and exit.