Baseball has Mr. October, presidential elections typically have October surprises, and Platypus Marine has its own October tradition: the arrival at its facility of the yacht Silverado.
Platypus, the full-service shipyard, yacht-repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, hauled Silverado out of the water Friday afternoon.
The 120-foot vessel was built in 1974 by Willard Boat Works of Costa Mesa, Calif., for Harry See of the See’s Candies Inc. family.
At the time, she was the largest fiberglass yacht ever built.
I understand that this year, Platypus personnel will be refinishing the house and the hull.
Platypus Marine also has Windwalker sitting on the hard.
She is a 55-foot commercial fishing boat that hails from Neah Bay and is receiving a fresh coat of paint.
I’m told that the vessel’s owners soon will be opening a fish market in Forks, and Windwalker will be used to supply the market with fresh catch.
Earlier last week, Platypus Marine hauled out Maximo, a 65-foot LeClercq that spent most of the season in Alaska.
Last week, she was in the Commander Building having myriad maintenance issues attended to before returning to her hailing port of Seattle on Friday afternoon.
Crew change
Dugan Pearsall, a 265-foot tank barge accompanied by the 100-foot tug Millennium Star, spent Wednesday at the Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 3 to allow a fresh crew to come aboard and a tired crew to go home to their families.
Perils of boating
Last Monday, Low Roller, a 40-foot wooden vessel of unknown heritage that had recently been purchased down Puget Sound, limped into Port Angeles Boat Haven marina because she was taking on water and had developed rudder problems.
The owner at-tempted to make repairs and then headed out to the Strait for sea trials.
But Low Roller was escorted back to the marina by the Coast Guard because she continued to take on water — and was also found to be leaking diesel fuel.
The Coast Guard found Low Roller to be in a questionable state of seaworthiness.
For now, she is a No Roller sitting on the hard in the Port Angeles Boat Yard awaiting repairs.
Border history
Wooden Boat Wednesday resumes this week in the Chandlery at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend.
Les Eldridge will discuss “The Pig War and its Civil War Maritime Legacy.”
Pig War?
The 1859 skirmish ensued northeast of the Olympic Peninsula because the 1846 border treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain was ambiguously worded.
And so was the border through our region’s waters.
The border between British North America (later Canada) was to run “from the 49th parallel to the Strait of Juan de Fuca down the main channel,” said the treaty.
What was the main north-south channel? Haro Strait? Strait of Georgia?
Settlers from both nations moved on San Juan Island, and a British pig was shot by an American squatter.
The British threatened to arrest the squatter, U.S. troops were landed, and the Royal Navy brought its frigates and guns to Griffin Bay to confront the U.S. Army.
The U.S. soldiers in this standoff, just before the Civil War, included many who would fight each other for the Union and Confederacy.
But now they were fighting for San Juan Island.
Historian and former college lecturer Eldridge is the author of a series set during the U.S. Civil War at sea.
He also co-authored The Wilkes Expedition, Puget Sound and the Oregon Country, a History.
He lives on Puget Sound and Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands.
Wooden Boat Wednesday is a free event that begins promptly at noon and typically lasts for 90 minutes.
Seating is limited and requires advance registration by phoning the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., Port Townsend, at 360-385-3628, ext. 101.
Or send an email to chandlery@nwmaritime.org.
Boating squadron
The North Olympic Sail and Power Squadron will hold its monthly meeting Monday at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Club, 1965 Woodcock Road, northwest of Sequim.
All those interested in boating are welcome.
The social hour will begin at 5 p.m., and a buffet dinner will be served at 6 p.m.
The meeting begins at
7 p.m. Robert “Bob” Dickey, CEO of First Mate Marine of Port Hadlock, will talk about mechanical service repowers and electrical, heating and plumbing projects for boats of all sizes.
Bob, who has many years of experience, will field questions about vessel maintenance, repair and upgrades.
Dinner is $19 per person, but it is not necessary to purchase dinner tickets to attend the meeting. Reservations are required and can be made by phoning Tom O’Laughlin at 360-670-2798.
PA Harbor watch
The Tesoro Corp. operation on Port Angeles Harbor provided bunkers Monday to Green Costa Rica, a 431-foot Bahamian-flagged refrigerated cargo ship otherwise known as a reefer.
The vessel is now under-way to Balboa, Panama.
On Tuesday, Tesoro refueled the articulated tug and barge Pride.
Tesoro on Wednesday bunkered Horizon Kodiak, a 710-foot container ship, and Saturday, the company provided bunkers to Simushir, a 441-foot Russian-flagged cement carrier.
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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. Items and questions involving boating, port activities and the North Olympic Peninsula waterfronts are always welcome. Email dgsellars@hotmail.com or phone him at 360-808-3202.
His column, On the Waterfront, appears Sundays.
