AMCCO Shipyard’s Minesweeper (YMS) Production Remembered The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor last December gives us a chance to review the incredible history of the “war at home” in Astoria—a time when thousands of ordinary women performed extraordinary feats in many traditionally male-dominated jobs. Every aspect of their daily life was affected… Continue reading Astoria Yard’s WW II YMS Minesweepers
Category: Shipyards
The Flettner Rotor Makes a Comeback!
The new hybrid ship designs were pioneered in Scandinavia where ecological hydro-power has long been the standard for utilities. The public demand for more clean power use has led to the introduction of hybrid propulsion in several new ferries and short-haul cargo vessels. So I expected this to be the “gold standard” for green shipping… Continue reading The Flettner Rotor Makes a Comeback!
2015: Western Towboat Builds Seventh Titan-Class Tug
When Western Towboat of Seattle started building its first Titan ASD long-haul tug at their base on the Seattle Ship Canal in 1995, owners Ric and Bob Shrewsbury were simply responding to the growth of barge service to SE Alaska. They could hardly have imagined that this demand for more powerful tugs would continue unabated… Continue reading 2015: Western Towboat Builds Seventh Titan-Class Tug
North America’s First Hybrid LNG/Battery Ferry
This story is about hybrid boats, a subject that I have been following for many years. However, when I see the word “hybrid” I still think first of a really efficient, low-emission passenger car like the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid. This breakthrough design happens to be 20 years old this year, and… Continue reading North America’s First Hybrid LNG/Battery Ferry
WW II Minesweeper Tradition Lives on in Seattle Yard
Wooden Hulls Still Restored at Pacific Fishermen Yard Almost every kind of boat imaginable has traveled up and down the Seattle Ship Canal and through the locks over the last 100 years, but few of the thousands of crew or passengers who enjoy that spectacle are aware of another part of local maritime history. It… Continue reading WW II Minesweeper Tradition Lives on in Seattle Yard
2015: Coastal Transportation Sets a New STANDARD
Coastal Transportation Pioneers TTS sideport loading system in USA After more than 30 years of weekly liner service to Western Alaska with a fleet of five or six small fish tender vessels specifically designed for service between Seattle and the ports of Western Alaska, Coastal Transportation’s president Peter Strong decided that the time was right… Continue reading 2015: Coastal Transportation Sets a New STANDARD
An Introduction to Collecting Early Tools
An Assignment for the National Fisherman Yearbook in 1989 “If I only had the right tool for the job”- this is often the do-it-yourselfer’s lament. When you have áll the tools you need, another problem may threaten your workspace – where to put them all! If you have ever found your tool collection expanding beyond… Continue reading An Introduction to Collecting Early Tools
100 Years of History for Seattle’s Ship Canal and Locks
The Lake Washington Ship Canal and the locks that connect Lake Union to Puget Sound is such an integral part of the city that it’s practically impossible to imagine life without them. Whether you are boating, paddling or just strolling along the water’s edge, you can appreciate that Seattle’s navigable inland waterways are an engineering… Continue reading 100 Years of History for Seattle’s Ship Canal and Locks
The Salvage Chief-Still Going Strong at 70
When an empty fuel barge went on the rocks of North Head last month, the US Coast Guard and Washington State Department of Ecology were in charge of a salvage effort led by Sause Brothers (owners of the barge) and Foss Maritime (owners of the tug). They in turn called in two oil-spill response organizations… Continue reading The Salvage Chief-Still Going Strong at 70
2011: Black Ball’s Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry Coho Turns 50
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