West Coast Engine & Equipment Co.
32360 N. Harbor Dr. — A Noyo Harbor working-site mystery tied to West Coast Engine & Equipment Co., Westfall Marine, boat repair, marine ways, and the old industrial life of the harbor.
Last updated: September 10, 2026
Overview
West Coast Engine & Equipment Co. is one of those Noyo Harbor businesses whose history survives more clearly in photographs and community memory than in a clean paper trail.
The likely location is 32360 N. Harbor Drive, near Sea Pal and the area now associated with Epic Graphics.
Community memories strongly connect the site with Westfall Marine, although the exact relationship between the West Coast Engine & Equipment name, the Westfall operation, and the present address still needs additional documentation.
Location
The likely location is 32360 N. Harbor Drive on the north side of Noyo Harbor.
This was part of the harbor's working waterfront, surrounded by fishing boats, repair shops, marine equipment, docks, and businesses supporting the commercial fleet.
The address remains a strong possibility, but it should not yet be treated as completely confirmed.
History
The clearest community evidence connects the property with the Westfall family.
One recollection says Walt Winkler sold the property or business to the senior Westfall in 1948, with a marine ways beside it. Other memories identify Bill Westfall and his father with Westfall Marine at the site.
The marine ways would have allowed boats to be hauled from the water for repair and maintenance, tying the property directly to the hands-on work of keeping Noyo Harbor's fleet operating.
Another old photograph shared in the discussion was remembered as showing Westfall Marine behind a Smith Brothers boat, adding another clue to the location.
The West Coast Engine & Equipment Co. name appears in the original photograph and suggests an earlier industrial or marine-equipment chapter.
What remains uncertain is the exact sequence. West Coast Engine & Equipment Co. may have preceded Westfall Marine, may have been connected with the Westfall operation, or may represent another business at the same general site.
The earlier history remains an open part of the story.
Community Memories
The strongest memories center on the Westfall family, boat repair, and the marine ways beside the property.
People remembered Bill Westfall and his father working the business and identified the site simply as Westfall's or Westfall Marine.
Those recollections give the property a strong connection to Noyo Harbor's working marine trades even though the exact West Coast Engine & Equipment chronology remains unresolved.
Timeline
1948 — Community memory says Walt Winkler sells the property or business to the senior Westfall, with a marine ways beside it.
Mid-20th Century — West Coast Engine & Equipment Co. appears in an old photograph associated with the Noyo Harbor site.
Westfall Era — The property becomes associated with Westfall Marine and the Westfall family.
Later Years — The surrounding North Harbor frontage changes as older marine and industrial businesses disappear or are replaced.
Today — 32360 N. Harbor Drive remains the likely location, but the exact historical address and business sequence still require confirmation.
Sources & Original Research
This article blends verifiable historical records with personal recollections shared by longtime Fort Bragg residents. Much of this information comes from community memory and is not available in any published source.
Sources: Original photographs and Facebook comment threads supplied by Gee Bee, including contributor memories from Sandra Liljeberg, Ernie Koepf, Richard Shafer, Lindsay Grader, Donna Beach Winkler, Bob Kinney, Don Oliver, Paco Bender, James Gilmore, and Robert Butch Goodson; community identification of Bill Westfall and his father; recollection of the 1948 sale from Walt Winkler to the senior Westfall; photographic memory placing Westfall Marine behind a Smith Brothers boat; current address research for 32360 N. Harbor Drive.
