EARLIER THIS WEEK the 113-foot tug Gene Dunlap brought an empty log barge to Port Angeles.
The tug held the barge, which is owned by South Port Lumber of Coos Bay, Ore., fast in place for a couple of days at the log boom in the west end of the harbor while the crane operator aboard the barge loaded 580 bundles of logs onto the barge. In total 15,000 tons of logs were loaded aboard the barge for delivery to the Georgia Pacific mill in Coos Bay.
Next Thursday two Seaspan barges will moor to the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 3 and be loaded with woodchips provided by Interfor. The process will be completed a couple hours prior to sunrise Friday morning, at which time a Seaspan tug will take the barges under tow to the Catalyst pulp and paper mill in Crofton, B.C.
This week Armstrong Marine, the aluminum boat manufacturer on U.S. Highway 101 midway between Sequim and Port Angeles, launched Kona, a 40-foot-high tunnel catamaran tour vessel for Hang Loose Boat Tours in Kona, Hawaii.
The 49-passenger boat is powered by quad 300 horsepower Yamaha outboard motors. I understand this is the second vessel Armstrong has built for this Hawaiian tour venture.
Platypus Marine, the full-service shipyard, yacht repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, hauled Silverado out of the water.
After spending much of the summer in Alaska there are many items the current owners want to attend to on the historic vessel while she is out of the water, including a fresh coat of bottom paint and new zincs where needed and painting the hull from the waterline to the cap rail.
The 120 foot yacht was built by Willard Boat Works of Costa Mesa, Calif. in 1974 for Harry See of See’s Candy. At the time, she was the largest fiberglass yacht ever built.
Platypus Marine also has Ocean Dream at their facility. She is a 58 foot Delta commercial fishing vessel from Gig Harbor. Personnel are going to fabricate and install a bulbous bow for the vessel.
A bulbous bow is a protuberance at the bow of a vessel just below the waterline that alters the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thereby increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency and stability.
Platypus has Sunshine Girl sitting on the hard. She is a 43-foot Sunnfjord commercial fishing vessel that hails from Juneau, Alaska.
Much of the exterior of the vessel will be sand blasted or hand sanded to its bare surface and given multiple coats of primer and finish coats of paint. Personnel will also resolve some balky mechanical issues.
Platypus owns the empty lot on the east side of Cedar Street at Marine Drive that was once owned by Pettit Oil. This week earth moving equipment has been loading trucks with dirt that was being moved offsite. I was told the soil was contaminated with product from the previous owner’s use of the property.
On Monday, Tesoro Petroleum provided bunkers to Luzon Strait, a 576-foot cargo ship that is flagged in Hong Kong.
On Tuesday, Tesoro bunkered Thunder Bird, a 386-foot cargo ship that is flagged in Denmark.
On Wednesday, Tesoro refueled American Freedom, a 601-foot petroleum products carrier that is flagged in the United States.
On Thursday, Tesoro bunkered Leo Green, a 755-foot LPG tanker that is flagged in Panama.
They also bunkered Pan Pride, a 623 foot bulk cargo ship flagged in Panama.
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David G. Sellars is a Port Angeles resident and former Navy boatswain’s mate who enjoys boats and strolling the area’s waterfronts and boat yards.
Items and questions involving boating, marina and industrial activities and the North Olympic Peninsula waterfronts are always welcome. News announcements about boating groups, including yacht clubs and squadrons, are welcome as well.
Email dgsellars@hotmail.com or call him at 360-808-3202.