The 205-foot American Spirit sits docked at City Pier in Port Angeles on Tuesday morning. The vessel was delayed about 12 hours after high winds and rough seas were forecast for the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Monday. Jeremy Schwartz/Peninsula Daily News

The 205-foot American Spirit sits docked at City Pier in Port Angeles on Tuesday morning. The vessel was delayed about 12 hours after high winds and rough seas were forecast for the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Monday. Jeremy Schwartz/Peninsula Daily News

Weather delays cruise ship for second time in three weeks

PORT ANGELES — The threat of high winds and rough seas in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca late Monday again delayed the arrival of the American Cruise Lines ship American Spirit in Port Angeles, the vessel’s captain said Tuesday.

The 205-foot vessel docked at City Pier on Tuesday morning at about 9:45, roughly 12 hours later than originally scheduled, said Don Johnson, the ship’s captain and West Coast manager for American Cruise Lines, which operates the ship.

Johnson said he decided to keep the vessel and its 50 passengers in port in Friday Harbor on Monday after forecasts called for 25-35 mph winds and 4- to 6-foot seas in the eastern Strait.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Tuesday’s docking went smoothly, Johnson said, adding that the delay will not prevent passengers from taking any of the preplanned tours in Port Angeles.

“Everybody gets to do everything,” Johnson said.

“They don’t have to miss anything.”

Weather had pushed back the American Spirit’s planned April 29 Port Angeles visit to April 30.

The Port Angeles-centered activities include walking tours of the downtown area focusing on its history, a visit to Victoria and bus tours of Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent.

The American Spirit, which can hold 100 passengers, is slated to leave Port Angeles today at 5 p.m., rather than noon, and arrive in Port Townsend about four hours later, Johnson said.

The ship will stay in Port Townsend all day Thursday and leave for Poulsbo at about 4 a.m. Friday.

The stops in Port Angeles and Port Townsend are part of a seven-day Puget Sound cruise that begins and ends in Seattle.

The ship will visit Port Angeles again this Monday and May 27, and eight times in fall: Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30; and Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28.

The next stops in Port Townsend after this Wednesday and May 29 are Sept. 11, 18 and 25; and Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.

________

Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

From left to right, Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding students Krystol Pasecznyk and Scott McNair sand a Prothero Sloop with Sean Koomen, the school’s boat building program director. Koomen said the sanding would take one person a few days. He said the plan is to have 12 people sand it together, which will take a few hours. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Wooden boatbuilding school building ‘Twin Boats’

Students using traditional and cold-moulding construction techniques

Prevailing wage by trade across multiple counties in Washington state.
Prevailing wages are driving up housing

Administrative burden may decrease competition

North Olympic Library System
Rendering of the new Sequim Library, which is currently under construction.
Library system board recognizes top donors

Naming opportunities still available

Port of Port Angeles approves roof rehab projects

McKinley Paper Company moves out of Marine Drive warehouse

Drug takeback day set across Peninsula on Saturday

Law enforcement agencies across the North Olympic Peninsula are poised to take… Continue reading

Public meeting set to meet administrator candidates

Jefferson County will host a public meeting at 5… Continue reading

Interfund loan to pay for Port Townsend meter replacement

City will repay over four years; work likely this winter

Artists to create murals for festival

Five pieces of art to be commissioned for downtown Port Angeles

Clallam assessor’s office to extend reduced hours

The Clallam County assessor’s office is continuing its reduction… Continue reading

Girders to be placed Thursday night

Contractor crews will place four 100-foot bridge girders over a… Continue reading

Cameras to check recycling contents in new program

Olympic Disposal will deploy a system of computerized cameras to… Continue reading

Port Angeles Fire Department responds to a residential structure fire on West 8th Street in Port Angeles. (Jay Cline)
Police: Woman arrested in arson investigation

Niece of displaced family allegedly said house was ‘possessed’