LAST WEEK, I stopped by Armstrong Marine’s manufacturing facility on U.S. Highway 101 midway between Port Angeles and Sequim and chatted with Capt. Charlie Crane, who works in the sales and marketing department.
One of the projects he showed me was a prototype shallow draft fire and rescue boat that pumps 1,100 gallons of water a minute.
The boat was built for the Fire Department Instructor Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Indianapolis from April 18-23, at which Armstrong will be an exhibitor.
Armstrong is also completing construction of a 32-foot monohull fireboat for the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Fire Department.
Crane wrapped up the day’s tour of the company’s shop by showing me the tour boat they are building for the Prince of Whales Whale Watching Co. in Victoria.
The vessel is an 80-foot catamaran with a 26-foot beam that will be powered by twin d-13 Volvo diesel engines mated to a pair of jet drives.
The tour boat, which will be named Salish Sea Dream, will soon be moved down to the waterfront.
Because it’s a bit large for a boat trailer, Crane said they will use a house mover to transport her.
Platypus patrol
On Wednesday, Platypus Marine, the full-service shipyard, yacht-repair facility and steel-boat manufacturer on Marine Drive in Port Angeles, hauled out Hawksbill, an 87-foot patrol boat attached to Coast Guard Sector San Francisco that is based in Monterey, Calif.
Hawksbill will be out of the water until the end of February, during which time Platypus’ personnel will perform maintenance on the props and shafts as well as sandblast, prime and paint the vessel.
In addition, the fuel tanks and gray-water tanks will be emptied, cleaned and inspected, and their respective lines will be power-flushed and replaced as necessary, as will any related valves.
My understanding is that every four years, all 87-foot patrol boats in the Coast Guard’s fleet are taken out of service to deal with similar maintenance items to ensure that the vessels remain in an optimal condition of readiness at all times.
Wooden boat
Capt. Erik Wennstrom will be the featured guest this Wednesday at noon at the Wooden Boat Wednesday event, which is held at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St. in Port Townsend.
His presentation is titled “Preparing for and Managing Emergencies at Sea.”
Wennstrom has had a long career in emergency services and on the water.
He currently combines the two by mentoring the Salish Rescue Team, a group of youth who are getting involved in on-the-water rescue.
Wennstrom will review different incidents from the past 15 years of working on a fire boat, a rescue boat and with Vessel Assist.
Wooden Boat Wednesday is a free event that begins at noon and typically lasts for 90 minutes.
Harbor happenings
On Friday morning, Pacific Tracker came into port and anchored mid-harbor in Port Angeles.
Her appearance caused a bit of a stir, I suspect because she appeared to have a golf ball on steroids mounted on her stern.
The vessel is an x-band transportable radar ship that is an integral part of the missile defense agency.
She came into the harbor for fuel, and Tesoro petroleum provided bunkers shortly after her arrival.
On Monday, Tesoro refueled El Junior, a 750-foot petroleum products tanker that is flagged in the Marshall Islands.
On Tuesday, Tesoro provided bunkers to Reliance II, a 600-foot tanker that is flagged in Singapore
Today, Tesoro is scheduled to refuel Sakura Dream, a 590-foot Panamanian-flagged cargo ship.
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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.
