In the late 1700s, Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the Treasury, pressed the case to Congress of the need for a fleet of boats to patrol the Eastern Seaboard to stem the tide of contraband that was flowing into the country.
On Aug. 4, 1790, George Washington signed legislation that created the Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner of today’s U.S. Coast Guard.
What began as a fleet of 10 cutters and 100 people has evolved through the years into a worldwide force that encompasses hundreds of surface vessels, aircraft and field offices that are staffed by nearly 42,000 men and women.
Last week — on Thursday morning, the 221st anniversary of the Revenue Cutter Service’s founding — a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Port Angeles Coast Guard station on Ediz Hook made an unscheduled landing in a field between the old Port Angeles Speedway race track and Armstrong Marine, the aluminum boat fabricator on U.S. Highway 101 midway between Port Angeles and Sequim.
Joe Beck of Armstrong Marine arrived at work at about 8:30 a.m. and learned from fellow coworkers that the helicopter first attempted to land in a field at Olympic Christian School at Highway 101 and O’Brien Road, but apparently the copter was kicking up too much dust for the pilot’s liking, so the crew opted for the race track site.
Lt. Keidi Niemann, a Coast Guard public affairs officer, told me that a warning light aboard the copter had gone off, indicating the possibility of metal filings in the oil of the tail rotor’s gearbox.
Niemann said protocol for this type of warning light dictates that the aircraft be landed at the first opportunity.
Aircraft mechanics were sent out from the air station to make the necessary repairs.
By about 2 p.m., the rotor system was back up and running and, according to Niemann, the helicopter was able to take off to keep a prior commitment at the Sequim Grange.
Quite a birthday.
Harbor visitor
Erik Spirit, a 819-foot oil tanker, moored to the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 1 North early Wednesday afternoon.
According to Chandra “Hollywood” McGoff of Washington Marine Repair, the topside repair company at the foot of Cedar Street, the Bahamian-flagged vessel will be dockside for about a week to allow its workers to make a variety of welding repairs.
Stowed for 3 months
Platypus Marine has had Sea Angel stowed in a Rubb building for about three months.
She is a 88-foot Sparkman & Stephens sailing yacht that was built by Stephens Marine in Stockton, Calif., and launched in 1986.
Her 2,890 square feet of sails can have her cruising at about 10 knots.
Sea Angel’s hailing port is Newport, R.I., and is usually available for charter during the summer months in New England and winters in the Caribbean.
Six guests are accommodated in three staterooms, and the motor-sailer has enough water skis, knee boards, fishing gear and kayaks to satisfy any recreational taste.
Personnel at Platypus made extensive repairs to the teak decking, sandblasted the aluminum hull and superstructure and gave the boat a new paint job.
On Friday morning, the centerboard was pulled out and it, too, will be sandblasted and repainted.
According to Capt. Charlie Crane, director of sales and marketing at Platypus Marine, the boat will soon be back in the water and will make her way to Anacortes, where a rigger will install a new mast that is being fabricated on the East Coast.
Capt. Charlie said that although the boat is listed for sale, he is hearing rumblings that the owner might keep her because the refurbishing is turning out so well.
On the hard
Platypus last Monday hauled out Victoria 5 and has her sitting on the hard in the company’s yard on Marine Drive.
She is a 100-foot Hargrave Custom Yacht that was built by Kha Shing Enterprises in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and launched as La Marchesa.
The composite vessel is powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3412E diesel engines generating a combined 3,100 horsepower that will push this pretty lady through the water at about 18 knots.
While out of the water, Victoria 5 will have her bottom painted and twin props tuned and coated with PropSpeed.
Personnel will also remove her stabilizers and perform general maintenance service including replacing the seals and bearings.
Unusual exhibit
An exhibit that is inspired by the effects of time and the sea upon marine woods and metal will be on display at the Northwest Maritime Center in the Tretter Gallery at 431 Water St., Port Townsend, from Aug. 18-31.
Mare Tietjen is a sailor who culls the beaches of the Pacific Northwest during summer cruises for the materials that are the basis of her art.
At some point, Mare came to realize that most of the pieces of colored wood she was picking up were from boats that had been lost.
“My art aims to find meaning in the history and character of these bits of wood, and to bring out their strange beauty,” she says.”
Margie McDonald, a former yacht rigger who uses wire and other recycled marine metal as her medium, will also display her art.
The exhibit will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 40 percent of their sales will benefit the Northwest Maritime Center.
A reception with wine, finger food and conversations with the artists will be held on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Harbor bunkers
On Monday, Tesoro Petroleum provided bunkers to Millennium Falcon, a 420-foot cargo ship that anchored in Port Angeles Harbor.
The Panamanian-flagged vessel that was launched as Gold Mekong is adaptable for many types of cargo and can be configured as a roll on/roll off (ro/ro), a lift on/lift off (lo/lo) cargo ship or a blend of the two.
On Tuesday, Tesoro bunkered Alaskan Navigator, a 941-foot crude oil tanker, and Saturday refueled her sister ship, Alaskan Explorer.
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David G. Sellars is a Port Angeles resident and former Navy boatswain’s mate who enjoys boats, ships and strolling the waterfront.
Items involving boating, port activities and the North Olympic Peninsula waterfronts are always welcome. Email dgsellars@
hotmail.com or phone him at 360-808-3202.
