EARLIER LAST WEEK, Astoria Bay moored to the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 3 to take on a cargo of debarked logs that will be transported to China.
Invariably whenever I write about cargo ships or when they come to port for logs to be exported to China, I am inundated with emails and phone calls from folks who express their concern that the export of logs to the Far East is a glaring example of jobs also being exported to China.
It is important to understand that the logs that are exported from Port Angeles are primarily hemlock, which is a softwood ideally suited for use in the construction trades.
The predominant construction material in China for residential and commercial structures is concrete.
The logs exported from Port Angeles are milled into lumber that is used to fabricate the forms used in construction.
I understand that hardwoods from the Midwest and South are exported to foreign markets and likely make their way back to the United States as consumer products.
However, those logs are typically containerized and shipped from the East Coast.
Coast Guard enlistee
On Thursday evening, I spoke with Avery Koehler, who recently enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. Avery graduated from Port Angeles High School in June 2014.
After high school, he briefly worked for Safeway and then moved on to a local beverage distributor before enlisting in the Coast Guard.
Koehler is currently stationed at USCG Station Miami Beach, Fla., where he is a watchstander monitoring electronic equipment for vessels in distress.
Koehler said he will soon be going to a school in Yorktown, Va., to become a marine science technician.
Doughnut day
Friday was National Donut Day; I enjoyed a chocolate one.
According to the Washington Post of March 26, 1916, the doughnut was invented in about 1847 by Capt. Hanson Gregory, who claimed to have developed the pastry while aboard a lime-trading ship at the age of 16.
On the hard
Platypus Marine, the full-service shipyard, yacht repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, has Wave Dancer at its facility for the next couple of weeks.
She is a 35-foot steel trawler that will get a fresh coat of bottom paint and a new set of zincs.
Platypus also has Pelagian out of the water. Personnel will varnish the cap rail, and the mechanical department will service the outboard motor on the boat’s tender.
Platypus also hauled out Charade. She is a 58-foot Hatteras Sportfisher that is going to get a fresh coat of bottom paint, and the balance of the vessel will be buffed and waxed. Personnel will also look into possible moisture intrusion issues.
Swap meet, yard sale
This Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Port Angeles Yacht Club will host its 11th annual Outdoor Marine Swap Meet and Indoor Yard Sale at the yacht club, 1305 Marine Drive, which is at the west end of Port Angeles Boat Haven.
This is a well-attended event and a great opportunity to find or sell marine-related equipment at the outdoor swap meet or purchase some household treasures at the indoor sale.
Seller spaces for the outdoor swap meet are available for $10. No seller spaces are available for household items at the indoor sale.
Coffee and doughnuts will be available along with the marine and household treasures.
For more information about reserving an outdoor space, send an email to swapmeet@payc.org or leave a message on the yacht club phone at 360-457-4132.
Harbor happenings
On Monday, Tesoro Petroleum in Port Angeles Harbor bunkered Legend Prosperity, a 755-foot Panamanian-flagged LPG carrier.
On Tuesday, Tesoro refueled Iss Cantata, a 561-foot bulk cargo ship that is flagged in Singapore.
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David G. Sellars is a Port Angeles resident and former Navy boatswain’s mate who enjoys boats and strolling the area’s waterfronts and boat yards.
Items and questions involving boating, marina and industrial activities and the North Olympic Peninsula waterfronts are always welcome. News announcements about boating groups, including yacht clubs and squadrons, are welcome as well.
Email dgsellars@hotmail.com or phone him at 360-808-3202.