In 55 Years, MV Coho Has “Never Missed a Day!” As I write this, it’s May and the boating season is well under way in the Pacific Northwest. For the most active sailboat racers, that means they are preparing for the Swiftsure Race—the biggest event in the yachting calendar. Planning began early in the year,… Continue reading 2011: Black Ball’s Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry Coho Turns 50
Category: Commercial craft
A Sailor’s Guide to R.V. Atlantis and “Inner Space”
Last year I had the opportunity to tour the 274′ R.V. (research vessel) Atlantis and its famous submersible Alvin while it was docked in Astoria. Alvin is probably the best known craft of its type in the world, having appeared in numerous TV programs making ground-breaking discoveries—several of them off the Washington coast. Peering down… Continue reading A Sailor’s Guide to R.V. Atlantis and “Inner Space”
Steyr’s Monoblock Engines Making Waves in US
The Austrian engine builder Steyr Motors set up a North American subsidiary in 2006 to market its line of lightweight, high performance diesel engines with a power range from 55 kW/75 hp to 184 kW/250 hp. Steyr was formerly part of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch group and became independent after its 1990 break-up. (Other spin-offs buildSteyr small… Continue reading Steyr’s Monoblock Engines Making Waves in US
Built in 1947, Portland’s Sternwheel Tug Steamed into the 21st Century but Ran onto the Rocks in the Pandemic!
The sternwheel steamboat was an everyday sight on the Portland, Oregon, waterfront until the 1920s. And although those ferryboats disappeared long ago, steam power lived on until 1981 in the shape of the port-owned, “ship-assist sternwheeler” Portland. A group of volunteers formed the Oregon Maritime Center Museum and took on the preservation of this remarkable… Continue reading Built in 1947, Portland’s Sternwheel Tug Steamed into the 21st Century but Ran onto the Rocks in the Pandemic!
2014 – Hyak’s 120′ Titan Tugs Set New Standard for Offshore Towing
In August 2013, the JT Marine Inc shipyard in Vancouver, Washington delivered the MV Hawaii, the first of a pair of 120-ft ocean-going azimuthing stern-drive (ASD) tugs designed by Jensen Maritime, Seattle naval architects, for Hyak Maritime LLC. The tugs are based on the Titan-class ASD tugs developed by Jensen and Western Towboat, the Seattle-based… Continue reading 2014 – Hyak’s 120′ Titan Tugs Set New Standard for Offshore Towing
High-Speed Catamaran Ferries Cause Double Trouble in Washington
What’s Wrong With Fast Ferries? Plenty Say Opponents! Copyright Peter Marsh The sight of a big catamaran swiftly cutting cleanly through the water is so common these days on the northwest coast that it barely rates a mention. From the San Juans to Prince William Sound, twin-hull boats are popular for wildlife viewing and scenic… Continue reading High-Speed Catamaran Ferries Cause Double Trouble in Washington
2014 – Vintage Erie Canal Tug Goes All-Electric
1920’s Tug Converted to Battery-Electric Drive – copyright Peter Marsh On Labor Day Weekend, 2014, purely by chance, I arrived by bike at the Waterford Tug Round Up in New York state at the east end of the Erie Canal. There were 30 vintage tugs on display, some old enough that they were once powered… Continue reading 2014 – Vintage Erie Canal Tug Goes All-Electric