WATER-WATCHERS IN PORT Angeles Harbor have noticed a big visitor tied up at Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 1 North pier for the past week and a half.
And unlike the oil tankers from the Alaska route that moor for topside repair, this ship from the Golden State carries a familiar oil company logo on its stack.
Pegasus Voyager — all 904 feet of her — arrived June 17.
She is operated by Chevron Shipping Co. as a lightering vessel along the California coast, and she displays the familiar Chevron logo.
Chevron spokesman Jeff Moore told me that large tankers from oil-producing regions of the world, known as very large crude carriers, or VLCC, transport crude oil to the West Coast.
But the ships are too large to go into port, so they anchor off the coast to unload.
Pegasus Voyager will rendezvous with these behemoths at designated locations off the coast of California, take on their product and transport it into port.
Moore said the topside repair company Vigor Industrial is making repairs on Pegasus Voyager’s controllable pitch propeller system and that the ship is expected to return to service supporting Chevron Shipping Co.’s U.S. West Coast lightering operation in August.
During Pegasus Voyager’s absence, sister ship Capricorn Voyager is filling the void.
Back in the water
Platypus Marine, the full-service shipyard, yacht-repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, relaunched the 87-foot Coast Guard cutter Barracuda on Thursday.
The cutter had been at Platypus’ facility since early April to have a litany of maintenance items attended to, not the least of which was the replacement of hull plating.
The patrol boat is making her way back to her homeport of Humboldt Bay, Calif.
A bit later in the day Thursday, Platypus hauled out another 87-foot patrol boat, Sea Otter, which is based in San Diego.
This Coast Guard cutter will be out of service for about six weeks, during which time Platypus’ skilled personnel will perform maintenance on the props and shafts as well as sandblast, prime and paint the vessel.
Additionally, the fuel tanks and gray-water tanks will be emptied, cleaned and inspected, their respective lines will be power-flushed and replaced as necessary, any related valves will be checked and replaced if needed.
Platypus on Friday launched The Holding, a 106-foot Westport yacht, after personnel cleaned the bottom, applied a new coat of bottom paint and attached new zincs.
I understand the yacht will spend the next few days in the Boat Haven, taking on supplies and stores before heading off to Alaska.
Platypus also is working on a Sea Horse Marine Coot 35 trawler.
I understand that the Sequim owners are having electrical and mechanical upgrades performed on the Pocket Cruiser and also having her completely repainted.
Last word
Out in Port Angeles Harbor on Wednesday, Tesoro Petroleum bunkered Dublin Sea, a 131-foot pusher tug.
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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. Email dgsellars@hotmail.com or phone him at 360-808-3202.
