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.
Another selection of old images from a trip to Alcatraz with the family before we actually moved to the Bay Area. We were on the ferry coming back from the island and there were some large container ships entering the bay heading, presumably, to Oakland to offload. The Bay Area got some sizable container ships having the capability to handle the largest of the ships in use. These were not that large, but they were still chunky beasts. Seeing them from the water helps you to appreciate their size a little more.
Nancy and I were having lunch at a great pub on Spice Island called The Still and West. I would certainly recommend it if you are in the area. We were watching the many different boats as they came in and out of the Harbour entrance. One boat was heading out which seemed curious. It was a low profile vessel, looked like it was designed to look suspicious and, when you look closer, it has a FLIR installation on the bridge. Since this is Portsmouth, it could well be a military vessel but that doesn’t preclude it being one for an overseas customer or just a company or individual with rather specialized interests. I wonder which it is.
When you look around harbors, you will often come across some unusual boats that have found a second life. Just the other day, I saw a trimaran that had been modified with a new cabin which looked very out of keeping with the rest of the hull! Walking around the docks in Bristol, I was surprised to see a variety of boats that had clearly started life somewhere different.
One of them bore all the hallmarks of an Amsterdam tour boat. I don’t know whether the boats there still look like this, but they certainly did in years gone by. Plenty of window space for the tourists to get a good look at the city as they went along the canals. Another one fits into the category of what I remember things looking like but no idea whether they still do! That was an ex-Hoseasons boat from the Norfolk Broads. I remember having a boat just like this one for a vacation there when I was a teenager.
The type of boat that regularly finds a second life is a lifeboat. The ex-RNLI boats are popular, presumably because they are built very tough so will provide years of service and it probably doesn’t hurt that they are seaworthy in the worst of conditions. Modifying them to live on might change some of their characteristics but I suspect they are still better than average. There were a couple of these in the docks too. Keep your eyes peeled when walking amongst boats and see if you can spot anything unusual. When I was a small boy, Bembridge Harbour had a houseboat that was a converted Motor Torpedo Boat from the Second World War!
When I visit Anacortes, I almost always take a trip to the shipyard to see what sort of interesting things are up on the area near the road. Normally it is tugs or support vessels, but a recent trip provided something a little different. The Washington State Ferries vessel Chetzemoka was in for some work. Seeing a vessel of this size up close and from below is rather cool. The props had been removed and there were supports welded to the hull for the duration of the work. It was a slightly gloomy day, but I had my phone, so I got some shots. I wonder how long it will be before she is back in service.
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?
