Late April 2011

MV CRYSTAL SYMPHONY VISITS PIER 66

MV Crystal Symphony arrived at Pier 66 on Tuesday, April 19.  She docked at 8 AM and was here for the day. She departed for Astoria, OR in the late afternoon on her way down the Pacific Coast to Los Angeles and then to Ensenada. She won’t return to Seattle this year.

SAILBOAT INTERFERES WITH FERRY



On April 21, a sailboat came way too close to the ferry Tacoma, inbound from Bainbridge Island. Two US Coast Guard 25-foot Defender class patrol boats intercepted the sailboat and directed it away from the ferry. The Defender class boats are powered by twin Honda 225 hp outboard engines and are capable of speeds in excess of 45 knots. We have no idea why the sailboat challenged the incoming ferry’s position.

Last summer, we were stopped by a Defender class boat in Guemes Channel and boarded for a “voluntary” safety inspection that seemed anything but voluntary.

MYSTERY: WHO IS THIS VISITOR?


If anyone knows who this is and why he or she was dressed this way on Saturday, April 23, please let us in on the secret.

SEGWAY CLASS HELD AT PIERS 62/63 


Also on April 23, there was a Segway class held across the street on Piers 62/63. We think it must have been a Groupon deal – you know, a $450 value for only $39.95.

CROWLEY TUGS AWAIT CONTAINER SHIP 


Here’s a good picture of two Crowley tugs awaiting an incoming Maersk container ship. The tugs usually hold just off Pier 66 and then go out into the middle of Elliott Bay to meet their client ship. When the mood strikes us, we turn on the handheld VHF and listen to the chatter back and forth between the tug operators and the marine pilots who board incoming ships at the Port Angeles pilot station. All pilots are members of Puget Sound Pilots. Under Washington law, every vessel exceeding 200 feet in length must employ a licensed pilot while navigating the Puget Sound and Grays Harbor pilotage districts.

Pilotage rates are established by the Board of Pilotage Commissioners and may be found at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=363-116-300.

MV SEA LION DEPARTS SEATTLE FOR ALASKA 



On April 26, the MV Sea Lion circled Elliott Bay in the late afternoon. Sea Lion is a National Geographic/Lindblad Special Expeditions ship that carries about 62 guests. She is on her way to Alaska. In 1995, we cruised to Alaska on MV Sea Bird, a sister ship to the Sea Lion.

NOAA RESEARCH SHIP VISITS PORT



On April 27, we saw the MV Oscar Dyson, a NOAA fisheries survey boat that operates primarily in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. The ship also observes weather, sea state, and other environmental conditions, conducts habitat assessments, and surveys marine mammal and marine bird populations.

SEATTLE FIREBOAT FLAPS WINGS 



On Thursday, April 28, we were treated to a show by the MV Leschi, a 108-foot fireboat that can shoot 22,000 gallons of water per minute and travel at 14 knots. The Leschi is the City of Seattle’s primary saltwater firefighting vessel.

SCHOONER BATHED IN SUNLIGHT 



On a dead-calm Friday evening, April 28, we were treated to a beautiful picture of the two-masted schooner "Adventuress" off Pier 66, with an Argosy cruise boat in the background. Both vessels were bathed in a shaft of filtered sunlight that pierced the overcast. This photo was taken at 7:15 PM.



Later, the Adventuress sailed past Waterfront Landings.

LINE OF BARGES DEPARTS SEATTLE 



And on Saturday, we watched several tugs assemble three empty barges inline behind a single tug.  We overheard a passing ferry captain ask the lead tug where they were headed. The tug operator said, “Dutch Harbor, Alaska.” The ferry captain said, “What will they do up there?” The answer: “Maintenance, then on to Singapore.” We speculate that the barges may have been sold to a Singapore owner.

It’s about 2000 nautical miles by air from Seattle to Dutch Harbor. If the tug stays relatively near land in order to avoid the open sea (and to have access to food and fuel supplies along the way), the distance probably increases to at least 2500 nautical miles. Let’s suppose the tug and three barges travel at an average speed of five knots. That’s 500 hours of travel time, or about three weeks. On a very small boat.  We hope they have something good to read and lots of DVDs.