IT’S THE 23RD annual Metal Boat Society boat festival, but it’s the second consecutive one at City Pier and The Landing mall in Port Angeles.
And that suits the organizers just fine.
According to Candy Larreau, who is again spearheading the affair, about 100 members and their guests are expected to attend this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A number of the attendees will be arriving by boat and have exclusive use of the docks at City Pier for their stay.
Overflow moorage will be provided at the Port Angeles Boat Haven.
The three-day event will feature a number of American and Canadian speakers discussing various aspects of owning and maintaining metal boats.
There will also be a variety of sessions covering such topics as preventing metal corrosion and remedial actions to take for existing problems, building and repairing masts, analyzing cruising needs and choosing the correct electronic gear.
There will also be tips on how to minimize the effects of sea sickness as well as instruction on first aid for the mariner.
For those with a vision of building their own boat, there will be boat builders and designers onsite who can take concepts and turn them into reality.
On Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the boat walk at City Pier will be open to the general public.
Candy said there will be as many as a dozen metal boats ranging is size from 3l feet to 52 feet.
There is also the likelihood that two 63-footers will be in attendance and available for tours.
Pride and joy
On Friday, the Pacific Northwest Defense Symposium was held at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton.
It was an opportunity for nearly two dozen exhibitors from the region’s maritime systems and military contracting communities to learn about issues confronting the industry, share insights and to network with government personnel.
The one-day event was the perfect occasion for Westport Shipyard to showcase its two entries into the realm of maritime security — GRC 43 and FPB15M.
Global Response Cutter (GRC) 43 is a 142-foot vessels built of composite material that Westport built on spec to Coast Guard guidelines and incorporated modifications to make her adaptable to military and defense applications, port security and navies both domestically and internationally.
I wrote about the cutter July 18 after having the privilege of touring her in Port Angeles.
Westport’s 15-meter Fast Patrol Boat (FPB15M), which is 52 feet 2 inches long, is a high-speed patrol boat designed for use on coastal maritime missions including law enforcement, critical infrastructure and waterway protection, search and rescue, surveillance and troop insertion and extraction.
The vessel is a V-bottom stepped monohull with ventilation slots incorporated into each of her two steps.
She can be built with either an open or closed cabin and has space for 12 shock-mitigating seats.
The helm console features 360-degree visibility to enhance situational awareness and house the controls for the engines, navigation and communications equipment.
The lower deck is comprised of the engine room, four berths, a head, seating and storage but can be reconfigured to meet a client’s specific needs.
FPB15M is powered by three 480-horsepower Cummins diesel engines that are mated to Arneson surface drives.
The patrol boat can reach sustained speeds exceeding 50 knots and has a range of 250 nautical miles at 50 knots.
Westport Shipyard built both boats in anticipation of making inroads into the maritime security industry.
The company’s success translates into the diversification of its product line and bodes well for our communities and the labor force that participate in the production of their vessels.
High-tech solutions
Mariners in the Pacific Northwest must contend with fast-moving storms, high winds, rough seas and fog.
When storm tracks change or the weather otherwise unexpectedly changes, it’s critically important to have real-time access to data to assist in making the right decisions.
There are now dozens of high-tech ways to receive up-to-the-minute weather information aboard your boat.
The BoatUS Foundation recently reviewed 28 products and services to see which provided mariners with the best information and has issued its recommendations for its top “picks.”
The best free flip phone option is NOAA’s mobile.weather.gov. MarineCast gets the nod for the best iPhone App.
The best Blackberry App is Mobile Mariner.
The best free App is WeatherBug, and for those with XM radio there is XM WX Weather.
“Sometimes bad weather can approach with few visual signs,” said program manager David Carter.
“Having these resources available can complement your VHF radio’s weather broadcast.”
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating.
Funded primarily by the half-million members of BoatUS, it provides educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways and keeping boating safe for all.
For more information and to review all of the products that were evaluated, go to BoatUS.com/foundation/Findings/49.
Hard at work
Washington Marine Repair, the topside ship repair company at the foot of Cedar Street in Port Angeles, installed two air conditioning units in personnel workspaces aboard Petrochem Supplier last week as she sat moored to Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 3.
Chandra “Hollywood” McGoff of Washington Marine said the company sent three journeyman to Anacortes, where they will board the 831-foot crude oil tanker, Sierra, and spend four days repairing the port anchor windlass.
Chandra also they are sending two welders to Panama this week to make repairs on the Richard G. Matthiesen, one of five government-owned oil tankers assigned to the Military Sea Lift Command.
The pair will ride the ship to Houston before returning home to Port Angeles.
Taken indoors
Platypus Marine on Thursday stowed Admiralty Wind in the Commander Building, which will be her home for the next month.
She is a 100-foot fiberglass tour boat that was built by Westport Shipyard in 1998.
According to Capt. Charlie Crane, Platypus’ director of sales and marketing, crews will inspect the shafts and bearings, install new drip-less seals, make some minor fiberglass repairs, replace carpeting and wallpaper and paint the hull from the keel to the gunwale.
Thunder, a 70-foot Delta, is out of the water and on the hard for the next three weeks.
Capt. Charlie said personnel will make fiberglass repairs, paint the decks and hull and apply PropSpeed to the props.
Melissa Lynn, a 58-foot Delta involved in the Alaskan fisheries and hails from Adak, Alaska, is also on the hard at Platypus Marine.
Capt. Charlie said personnel will sandblast and paint the hull and attach new zincs. Also, carpenters will level the galley floor and install new carpeting.
Blue Rodeo, a 50-foot sailboat, is out of the water for a week to be polished and waxed, new zincs applied and have the boot stripe raised.
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David G. Sellars is a Port Angeles resident and former Navy boatswain’s mate who enjoys boats and strolling the waterfront.
Items involving boating, port activities and the North Olympic Peninsula waterfronts are always welcome. E-mail dgsellars@hotmail.com or phone him at 360-417-3736.
His column, On the Waterfront, appears every Sunday.