JDS Kashima, which arrived in Elliott Bay yesterday, relocated to Pier 66 this morning with the assistance of two Crowley tugs, Hunter and Chief. Readers of Channel 14, Seattle Traffic, will recall that Hunter won the Class A Unlimited tugboat race at the Seattle Maritime Festival in early May.
A US Navy band welcomed the Japanese training vessel as it approached Pier 66 about 9 AM. The music brought many Waterfront Landings residents, including ourselves, to their windows.
Despite information suggesting that Kashima was in Hawaii on Friday, June 10 (see our June 14 blog post, which was based on navalphotos.blogspot.com/2011/06/jds-kashima-tv-3508.html), further research indicates that Kashima was actually in Anchorage June 6-9 before cruising south to the Emerald City. See http://www.adn.com/2011/06/06/1902425_japanese-defense-vessels-call.htm. The earlier report of a spotting in Hawaii was inaccurate.
Kashima edged ever-so-gently into Pier 66.
Because Pier 66 also hosts passenger ships each Friday through Sunday during the Alaska cruising season, Kashima tied up at the end of the pier nearest to us, with her bow protruding into what, in the best of circumstances, is the rather narrow entrance to Bell Harbor Marina.
Despite the obstacle, the smaller cruisers and sailboats that frequent Bell Harbor Marina during the boating season will have no difficulty with ingress and egress.
The purpose of Kashima's visit to the United States and other ports of call in the Eastern Pacific is to provide training for junior officers in both seamanship skills and international relations and to express the gratitude of the Japanese people for the assistance rendered by the US and its military in response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan this past March. For further information concerning Kashima and events scheduled during its visit to Seattle, see http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/whatsnew/2011/110606_kashima_visit_e.htm.
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