ON MONDAY, AFRICAN Piper, a 590-foot Bahamian-flagged bulk cargo ship, moored to the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 3.
She will be in port for about a week taking on a load of debarked logs for shipment to China.
Astute observers will no doubt note that the log yard on Marine Drive is currently a bit low on inventory, although I suspect it will no doubt fill up in short order.
Most folks who travel Marine Drive in the area of Westport Shipyards has seen a pile of wood chips in the lot west of Westport Shipyards grow to a virtual mountain.
This too shall pass.
The wood chips are being stockpiled for loading aboard chip barges that are scheduled to come alongside Terminal 3 on June 27.
Monday, American Dynasty, a 272-foot factory trawler owned by American Seafood of Seattle, moored to the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 1 for a couple of hours to replace her net.
Later in the week Northern Jaeger, a 336-foot factory trawler anchored in the harbor — as to why, I haven’t the foggiest notion.
Both trawlers were headed to Alaska when they diverted to our harbor.
Platypus Marine, the full-service shipyard, yacht-repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, tried to haul out YC 1578 this week.
She is a non-self-propelled, open lighter barge that was towed to Port Angeles from Bremerton.
When it arrived in Port Angeles, the travel lift was unable to hoist it out because it had taken on a lot of water.
Once the 110-foot barge is dewatered and lightened, it can come out of the water.
I think it safe to say the barge arrived at Platypus just in time for a little repair and maintenance, which the professionals at Platypus are well equipped to do.
Platypus also has YRBM 31 near the haul out dock. At first blush, the vessel looks like a barge with a 5-story building on it, and that is what it is.
The vessel is 146 feet long and 46 feet wide and is a berthing and messing barge that is used by the Navy to house the crews of ships or submarines that are in dry dock for repairs or upgrades.
Platypus personnel have been tasked with removing and replacing the air conditioning system.
Armstrong Marine, the aluminum boat manufacturer on Highway 101 midway between Port Angeles and Sequim, recently built and delivered to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources a monohull dive compliance vessel that has been named Sentry.
The vessel is 38 feet long with a 13-foot beam and will be used for marine law enforcement operations and geoduck fishery management.
Sentry is the first unit delivered under this contract. The second vessel, currently in production, will be completed later this summer.
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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 phone him at 360-808-3202.