During the summers, always the busiest season, steamers such as the sidewheeler T. J. Potter brought vacation crowds from Portland, Oregon, down the Columbia River to the landing at Ilwaco, and after 1908 to a much larger dock further upriver at Megler.

[1] The steamer Nahcotta made runs from Astoria to Megler, but could not compete with the auto ferries that were coming on the route.

[1] Ferry service across the Columbia River from Astoria, Oregon, to Megler, Washington, began in the summer of 1920 when Capt.

The county also built a road from the town of Chinook to McGowan, Washington, where the company had arranged to build a ferry slip at the end of a dock owned by a cannery, P.J.

McGowan & Co. Elving also persuaded the Astoria City Council to use municipal funds to construct a ferry dock on the Oregon side of the river.

The new vessel, Tourist III (60 ft (18.29 m) 15 tons, capacity 15 automobiles, 30 passengers) was launched on May 21, 1921, and entered service a few days later.

[4] The ferries departed from a specially-built dock at 14th Street in Astoria which included a ramp to allow rapid loading and unloading of automobiles.

[5] In 1925, motor truck operators in Astoria started using the ferries to the Long Beach Peninsula which cut sharply into the railroad's freight business.

[1] In the spring of 1931, Stewart incorporated as the Columbia Transportation Company, and began a plan to put his rival, Captain Elfving, out of business.

[1] The dispute went on until 1932 when Elfving was able to buy out Stewart, who was having general difficulties in the hard economic times, and combine the two companies.

[1][2] As of April 18, 1931, the route, under the name of the Astoria-North Beach Ferry Company charged a "new low rate" of $1 for car and driver.

[2] Captain Elfving retired in 1946 and sold his ferry business to Merle R. Chessman (d.1946), who had planned to sell the operation to the Oregon State Highway Department.

Another vessel placed on the route was the motor ferry Kitsap (159 ft (48.46 m) 426 tons, capacity: 95 automobiles (1920s) 32 (1960), 325 passengers.

[2][8] The highway department also took over operation of Tourist II, and modified the vessel by shortening the superstructure and installing radar equipment.

The exterior styling, deck plan, and interior general arrangement were created by superyacht designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett of Seattle.

[13] As of November 2015, Lint and the group are awaiting space at a shipyard in Seattle, where the ferry would be hauled out and inspected by the Coast Guard.