I was down by the lake at Kenmore on my usual hunt for floatplanes but things were pretty quiet – at least on the aviation front. On the water, I saw a bunch of rowers out training. I don’t know whether they were from the university or a local club. Several boats were out including some eights. The coaching staff were guiding them around but, when they get to the top of the lake, it seems like a time for them to rest and turn around. I imagine the process of getting eight people to row in unison is quite tricky. I don’t know whether they start on smaller boats to get the hang of things before moving up to the eight or not. These crews seemed to be working pretty well together.
The approach to Swartz Bay ferry terminal on Vancouver Island brought us close to some other ferries in the BC Ferries fleet. Two of the Salish Class vessels were there, one heading out and another heading in alongside us. I only had my phone with me at that point, but I was able to catch both of them at different times and distances. They are a relatively recent build of ferry having been constructed in Poland. I haven’t made any of the shorter trips that would give me a chance to ride one yet.
I had met my friend mark down at the top of Lake Washington in Kenmore a while back and some of our shots had been compromised by a large barge moored a little way from the shore. When I went back later a month of so later, no sign of a barge – initially. After I had been there for a while, I saw a barge coming up the lake with a tug pushing it along. It came to the same location and slowed to a halt before mooring the barge.
The tug then cast off from the barge and headed into the inlet at the top of the lake. A little while later it came back out, this time with another barge that was empty, unlike the one it had arrived with. There is a concrete plant in Kenmore that is along the water, so I assume that the barges are used to bring in the aggregate for the concrete manufacturing process. From this reverse angle, I got to see the crew working along the barge handling the lines to the tug. It was rather interesting to see them hard at it. I also liked the tug’s name. It clearly had an original name, Willamette Chief, overpainted although the second half had been left exposed. It had a newer name, Island Chief, on a plate higher up on the superstructure.
I posted about the Salish Class of ferries that BC Ferries operates previously but, as we were arriving in Swartz Bay, one of the larger ferries in the fleet headed out. Spirit of Vancouver Island runs the main service between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay carrying the heavy traffic loads. She pulled out just as we were coming alongside so I got a brief view of her heading away.
The hydroplane races at Seafair were not much of a focus for me although I have posted some images of qualifying runs. However, one of the boats really caught my ear when it was out on the course. The noise it made led me to think it might be an older boat powered by an old aero engine. Looking at the images I got of it, that would seem to be the case as the front of the hull seems to be dominated by a large engine. Don’t know what type it is and maybe some of you are familiar with these boats generally or this boat specifically. Was it a competitor or was it out as a historic boat as part of the event?
This Kitsap ferry left Seattle shortly after we had departed on the ferry to Bainbridge Island. We did see the same ferry later as part of our return journey. What caught my eye was its name. It is called Solano which was a location in Northern California. Turns out this boat used to provide services across San Francisco Bay and, when Kitsap County bought it, they didn’t decide to change its name. Consequently, it is quite different to the other ferries in the region that have local names.
Seafair is mainly about the airshow for me. However, there is a lot more to it than that and the hydroplane races have long been a key part of proceedings. I didn’t worry too much about the races as I was only planning on getting to the lake in time for the flying. I did have an easy journey and got to the lakeshore earlier than expected and there appeared to be some qualifying underway on the water. I was not well positioned to see the course, but I could still see them as they ran around the southern part of the track. Consequently, I got a few shots and here are some pretty serious look hydroplanes.
Hanging from the ceiling of MOHAI in Seattle is a hydroplane, Slo-Mo-Shun IV. According to the museum information, this boat brought innovative design concepts to hulls that continue to be relevant to current boats. It is quite a striking looking boat and will have been cool to see in action. August in Seattle is Seafair time so the latest generation of boats will be competing, but this one is now preserved in pristine condition.
In a previous post I discussed the arrival of the Clipper Round the World boats in Seattle. In that post, I mentioned that I got it wrong about being able to go on the boats to have a look around. However, I did end up having a second go at looking at the boats and this time, it was a success. The boat that was open for visitors was named Qingdao. One of the crew showed us around both up on deck and down below.
When looking at these boats from the outside, they look like pretty sizable craft. However, when you get down below, it is instantly apparent how limited the space is. There is a lot of space taken up by the sail locker and the engine room. Then you have a small galley area and the navigation station. There are two small heads – no showers, though. The remainder of the space is for the crew of 22 to squeeze in to. This is not a luxurious excursion. (We were told that, had we been on a couple of days before, the odor would still have been pretty ripe. A long time at sea does not make for great hygiene!)
I had decided to take my widest zoom for the visit and I was glad I did that. Everything was so confined, it really needed a wide angle to get any shots. Even maneuvering through the hull while docked required a bit of effort. I can’t imagine what it would be like when heeled over at 45 degrees while punching through a Southern Ocean storm. They say you learn a lot about yourself in these races and I don’t doubt it. I’d probably learn I am not cut out for serious adventures!
The galley was interesting. Aside from the stabilized hob, all of the cans were stripped of labels and marked up with their contents. Everything gets wet so labels fall off rapidly. You need to prep to make sure you can identify the food. The cans do corrode in the salt water. Apparently, it’s not unknown to open a can and find nothing inside it because it has already leaked away from a corrosion hole!
The boats were really interesting to see. The crews spend a lot to be on this voyage and they are definitely getting an adventure. I hope they have fun ultimately and I like to see what they have done but I won’t be signing up anytime soon.
Take me to a place by the sea and I will be checking out the ferries. BC Ferries provides the services in British Columbia and there is a short crossing between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island that has a pretty frequent service. I understand the Island Class ferries are the ones that operate this service and they come into Nanaimo alongside the waterfront where we were walking after arriving.
During the peak times, there were two ferries running back and forth but, in the evening, I assume the demand is lower and one of the ferries was moored up. We got a good look at it as we came back from our dinner on a little ferry. I think these ferries have been designed for incorporation of electrical propulsion in due course.
I was down by the lake at Kenmore on my usual hunt for floatplanes but things were pretty quiet – at least on the aviation front. On the water, I saw a bunch of rowers out training. I don’t know whether they were from the university or a local club. Several boats were out including some eights. The coaching staff were guiding them around but, when they get to the top of the lake, it seems like a time for them to rest and turn around. I imagine the process of getting eight people to row in unison is quite tricky. I don’t know whether they start on smaller boats to get the hang of things before moving up to the eight or not. These crews seemed to be working pretty well together.
