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Doc Freeman's Moves Again
By Jo Bailey and Carl Nyberg
Lee Knudsen. Jo Bailey photo. |
O.H. "Doc" Freeman opened his store as Fremont Boat Market, saying, "Have what the customer needs." He bought and sold surplus, brokered, built, fixed and repowered boats, and later opened his marine retail store. He believed in a fair price for the highest quality marine merchandise, absolute honesty and many surplus bargains.
Old-timers remember many of the men associated with Doc's in the early years: "Russ" Gibson, who became Doc's partner in 1945; Ed Messerly, with a background of engine, electrical and mechanical experience; Pete Knudsen, former troller, marine engineer and "terrific businessman," according to Doc's son, Mark Freeman.
Pete and fellow employee Bob Braas bought the business at Doc's urging in 1952. Doc died in 1963.
Lee Knudsen, Pete's son, started working at Doc's when he was a young teenager. He went with his dad to his first auction when he was only four years old, and never stopped.
"Pete bought 48 axe handles at 25 cents each. I have two of them and 36 are still in the garage." They apparently weren't highly desirable.
Lee attended many more auctions--he had "auction fever."
"'Buying smart' was the secret at Doc's," Lee said. "A lot of Doc's inventory was built out of surplus."
Lee bought surplus items from Peter Storm, Slater sailboat blocks, Rostand's entire inventory, Merriman Holbrook, Chrysler Crown engines, Hubble ship-to-shore power plugs and connectors, Marinco products.
Because Lee bought so much surplus at auctions, Doc's eventually bought a building housing their surplus store.
In 1985, Lee bought out Bob and Pete; Pete died in 1999.
Within five years of the time he purchased Doc's, Lee bought a building on Stone Way where the Sea Gear Store opened, and then acquired a building for Doc's Galley.
In 1984 Lee was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. At 55 he is now in a wheelchair, but still involved with Doc's business. Lee met his wife Connie in 1998. "She had a line of all-purpose cleaner and came to Doc's to try to sell it," he said. They fell in love and were married.
Bill Dreewes is now general manager of the store. Many of Doc's nearly 50 employees have worked there 20 years or more; nearly half of them own boats and almost half of those are liveaboards. They say they know what it takes to keep a boat "ship shape and Bristol fashion."
In 1999, Doc's moved its inventory of over 70,000 items into the former Ernst Hardware building just east of the Ballard Bridge. Much of the merchandise from the satellite stores was consolidated in the new building. The store still carried everything mariners needed, but it wasn't the same as the old store. Maybe it was just getting used to the way things were arranged, or maybe it was not having that retail counter near the front door, and the lack of parking.
This month, November, Doc's moves again to new quarters in the former Safeway/Long's Drugstore building on 8th Avenue NW, between 64th and 65th Streets, where there's plenty of parking. It is slightly smaller than the store near the Ballard Bridge, without separate sections for the Sea Gear and Sea Galley. The displays will be a bit closer together.
"This is a good new move," said Lee Knudsen. "We've been planning to move for years."
"We're really pleased about the move and feel this will help bring the store back to its original personality," said Kevin Krisologo, an employee for 10 years.
Jo Bailey & Carl Nyberg are freelance writers, authors of the Gunkholing series of cruising guides, and are members of Northwest Outdoors Writers Assocation. They are also long-time customers of Doc's.
Reader Comments
Discuss this article in the forums!
| mike walling | Jul 01, 2003 | puyallup wa | doer of good things |
| where is it? Can I get there from here? Can you walk to it from the water? is there a place to tie the boat? Allright so I'm guessing its in that big city to the north. Is it right next to the big freeway or do I have to get lost both comming and going? Do I have to navigate narrow alley/streets with other short tempered car drivers all looking for a final destination or else a place to park their butt and git liquored up. That brings up another question; is there a place to git liquored up near Doc's? Maybe someplace that sells Pina Coladas with little umbrellas in em. Makes the trip home a lot more pleasurable. | |||
| John McKown | Apr 29, 2004 | Palm Desert, CA | Retired |
| Wonder if the Ed Messerly mentioned is the same Ed Messerly I went to Roosevelt High with a hundred years ago? | |||
