The Noisy Guest Who Wouldn't Leave . . . Finally Did

We enjoy following James and Jennifer Hamilton on their blog at MVDirona.com as they cruise the Pacific Northwest in their 2010 Nordhavn 52, M/V Dirona, which is moored at Bell Harbor Marina in Seattle. When Dirona is in port, we see it from the window of our Alaskan Way apartment.

While traveling a couple of weeks ago, we learned from the April 13 entry in Dirona's Puget Sound Spring 2012 Cruising Log that a 229-meter dry bulk carrier owned by STX Pan Ocean Co., the STX KYLA, had tied up at Pier 66, just outside Bell Harbor Marina. We have seen passenger ships and naval vessels tie up at Pier 66 -- but never a cargo vessel. So this was a noteworthy event. We had a chance to see STX KYLA up close when we returned to Seattle a few days after its arrival.

The Hamiltons surmised that a mechanical issue may have forced STX KYLA to tie up at Pier 66. We agree. The ship arrived on Friday, April 13, and remained there for ten days. We were aware of its presence even when we weren't enjoying our view of Elliott Bay. The ship's generator ran non-stop while it was here. We began to think of STX KYLA as a noisy dinner guest who wouldn't leave.

On Monday, April 23, the ship finally departed. As it pulled away from Pier 66, we heard the ship's pilot advise Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service on VHF Channel 14 that the ship would be conducting engine trials in Elliott Bay and would continue on to sea only if such trials were successful. We took that to mean that mechanical issues had, indeed, been the root cause for its unusual 10-day stay at Pier 66.

Despite the background noise, we enjoyed the novelty of a cargo ship at Pier 66. But, as would be the case with a talkative dinner guest who doesn't have the good sense to recognize when it's time to go, we were happy to see the ship depart.