Tripping

More on Tripping from Professional Mariner, here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Lee Goodwin for finding the above pic.)

More Cranes

oobject.com is running a series on cranes. The link is here.

via Gizmodo

An Email from Capt. Boucher

Richard,

Glad to hear you are improving.  It seems you had a pretty rough time.  Your Post on Letters of Marque was interesting.  Attached is the patch that was made up back when "Iolaire" was chartering & sailing.   She is now a "museum ship" at London's Docklands Project and painted white, her original hull color.  Best regards,

Good Watch

Peter

CAPT. D. Peter Boucher, Dip. LA, MN (Ret.)

 

 nauticallog.blogspot.com/

More on BMW Oracle

(Ed. note: You may recall the BitterEnd was the first pics of BMW Oracle up on the web. It was pure coincidence as I was completing a tow to Anacortes this past summer when I sapped the above shot with my cell and posted it instantly to the Blog.)

We received the following email yesterday:

Russell Coutts, CEO and Skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing, today announced that BOR 90, the syndicate’s state-of-the-art trimaran, has successfully completed Phase I of its sea trials in San Diego. Scroll down for the complete press release.

The complete press release is here.

Not Good - Ships being held by pirates:

A number of sources are reporting the list of current vessels being held by pirates. Perhaps its time to consider Letters of Marque.

CAPT. STEPHANOS: Seized Sept. 21. The freighter was flying the Bahamas flag. It was carrying a cargo of coal and has 17 Filipinos, one Chinese and a Ukrainian aboard.

FAINA: Seized Sept. 24. The ship was carrying 33 T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition destined for Kenya's Mombasa port. Pirates have demanded $20 million in ransom.

AFRICAN SANDERLING: Seized Oct. 15. The Panama-flagged, Japanese-operated, and Korea-owned bulk carrier has 21 Filipino crew aboard.

STOLT STRENGTH: Seized Nov. 10. The chemical tanker with 23 Filipino crew aboard was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It was carrying 23,818 tonnes of oil products.

THE KARAGOL: Seized Nov. 12. The Turkish ship with 14 crew was hijacked off Yemen. It was transporting more than 4,000 tonnes of chemicals to the port of Bombay.

TIANYU 8: Seized Nov. 13/14. The Chinese fishing boat was reported seized off Kenya. The crew included 15 Chinese, one Taiwanese, one Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese.

CHEMSTAR VENUS: Seized Nov. 15. The combined chemical and oil tanker was travelling from Dumai, Indonesia to the Ukraine. It had 18 Filipino and five South Korean crew.

SIRIUS STAR: Seized Nov. 15. The Saudi supertanker, the biggest ship ever hijacked, held as much as 2 million barrels of oil. Captured off east Africa, it had 25 crew from Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia.

THE DELIGHT: Seized Nov. 18. The Hong Kong-flagged ship with 25 crew aboard is loaded with 36,000 tonnes of wheat bound for Iran. It was captured off the coast of Yemen.

ADINA: Seized last week. The Adina is a Yemeni-operated bulk carrier and carried seven crew, including three Somalis, two Yemenis and two Panamanians.

BISCAGLIA: Seized on Nov. 28. The Biscaglia is a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker with 30 crew on board, 25 Indians, three Britons and two Bangladeshis.

Sources: Reuters/International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre/Lloyds List/Inquirer.net

I'm jealous

The Pacific Marine Expo went on with out me last week. (I was still in the hospital) But fear not, our buddy Tim Flanagan over at Navagear attended and has all the poop you may have missed.

Be sure not to miss his great post here.

Happy Thanksgiving

For so many reasons I am thankful today.

To the regular readers here at BitterEnd thanks so much.

WA State to build one "Island Home Boat"

The Whidbey Examiner is reporting the details. Here's an excerpt:

Washington State Ferries will accept Todd Pacific Shipyard's bid to build one 64-car ferry for the Keystone-Port Townsend route, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen told the Island County Council of Governments Nov. 26.

"The bid has not been [made official], but the decision was made yesterday; we will be going ahead with one boat," Haugen said, adding that the announcement had not yet been made public.

The full Whidbey Examiner post by Justin Burnett is here.

(Ed. note: This news comes on the one year anniversary of the demise of the Steel Electrics.)

Engine Telegraph from MV Klickitat

The (Everett, WA) Herald is reporting:

At Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island, the oldest ferries in Washington's fleet are being readied for their final voyage.

Radars, radios, life jackets and other items are being stripped from the 1927-vintage Klickitat, Illahee, Quinault and Nisqually. Memories now stroll where passengers once relaxed amid the polished brass, etched glass and warm oak trim that made the Steel Electric-class vessels unique among state ferries

The full story by Scott North is here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader and story author Scott North for forwarding this article while I was in recovery mode. BE reader Raul Biascoechea also had his radar up and sent a link to this story. Thanks guys.)

State Ferries: Two-for-one deal

Several news sources are reporting this story. The info below is an excerpt from The Seattle PI:

On Friday, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District directors voted to buy the two Washington State Ferries boats. As Bay Area media put it, commuters are getting two fast boats for the price of a single new one.

The full PI post is here.

A related PI editorial is here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE readers Josef K and Mike Fisher for staying on top of the story. FYI, I was released from Island Hospital earlier today, after a nine day stint, and haven't been on top of my game.)

Research ship finds first surprise

 Okeanos Explorer

The Seattle Times is reporting information on NOAA's new vessel Okeanos Explorer.  Here's an excerpt:

The crew aboard a new research ship didn't expect to find an underwater volcano this fall off the coast of Washington.

Maps from previous missions showed only a bump on the seafloor about 200 miles west of Grays Harbor. But the contours of a large volcano emerged as sonar mapped the ocean floor more than 10,000 feet below the surface.

"It turns out we had this great volcano in the spot we were testing," said Jeremy Weirich, the ship's operations officer.

The complete Seattle Times post by Michelle Ma is here.

NOAA info on Okeanos Explorer is here.

Over 200 whales trapped in Canadian ice

The Sidney Morning Herald is reporting:

At least 200 narwhal whales in Canada's Arctic, trapped by winter ice and facing starvation or suffocation, must be culled, officials say.

Hunters from the village of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island discovered the animals trapped near Bylot Island, about 17 kilometres from Pond Inlet, on November 15.

The full Sidney Morning Herald post is here.

How far down the road should we be looking?

The Whidbey Examiner is reporting:

Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee Chairman Tim Caldwell says the state should build just one car ferry for the route, and use the leftover money to build a passenger ferry to transport people between Port Townsend and Seattle.

The full Whidbey Examiner post is here.

Health Update

First, thanks for the cards, emails, and calls .

It's not been a good month. I'm back in the hospital for the third time. On 10/27 I had a hernia repaired. There was a post op infection. I went into the ER on Monday and was admitted after they withdrew a massive amount of goo and then put me on IV antibiotics through yesterday when I was discharged.

I had a terrible night last night and this morning the surgical incision erupted disgorging everything everything but the alien (in fact that little bastard my still be in there.)

So now I'm scheduled for a router rooter job in about four hours.

I've my new Acer Aspire One here in the room. The hospital has free (I know I'll pay for it) wifi.

(Ed. note: Don't look a post every day while I'm in recovery mode.)

20:00 Update: Made it through the rooter router procedure ok. Have had some food and am on a self administered morphine feed. Will probably be here through the weekend for more IV antibiotics.

Even in Germany

12.06.2007, 17:06

boneman Captain   Registriert seit: 16.05.2007 Ort: Berlin Beiträge: 657 Erhielt 856 Danke für 467 Beiträge Boot: Gruno 1050

Zitat: Zitat von SONNY Der ist auch gut ! http://captrichardrodriguez.blogspot...ter-craft.html Danke Sowas gibt es doch gar nicht, ne ne ne. Ich fasse es nicht. __________________ Wenn alles gut zu laufen scheint, hast du offensichtlich was übersehen.

An Orca in Reno, Nevada

 

Reno, Nevada is some 220 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  You can imagine my surprise, when I walked into Cabela's and saw the suspended Orca chasing salmon. Tres  cool.

WSF Bomb Scare - one hour ago

The Seattle PI is reporting:

The Bremerton ferry dock was shut down Tuesday afternoon, and a ferry to Seattle has been rerouted to Bainbridge Island after a bomb threat.

State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris said the State Patrol and Coast Guard are responding, but did not specify what started the response.

The full PI post is here.

Our own Mike Fisher (regular commenter and BE logo designer) reports the following:

As I write this I'm waiting for reports on the "bomb" that was on the 12:20 ferry that arrived in Bremerton. My cab driver called and said everybody was hustled off as quickly as possible, and the area was flooded with cops. I called a neighbor assocated with local emergency management and alerted him, and he's listening in on his scanner, but hasn't gotten back to me.

My neighbor just called in a panic and said boats are being re-routed to Bainbridge at this time. More later if I hear anything.

----

More from Mike:

"No comment" from Homeland InSecurity -- yup, they're lookin' out for us as always:

Seattle 911: A police blog

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattle911/archives/154749.asp

Bomb threat shuts down Bremerton ferry dock

The Bremerton ferry dock was shut down Tuesday afternoon after a ferry to Seattle received a bomb threat.

A few minutes after the Hyak – a boat that can hold 2,500 passengers and 144 vehicles – left Bremerton for a 12:35 p.m. sailing to Seattle crew received a bomb threat, according to the Coast Guard.

"The ferry went back to Bremerton and all the passengers disembarked safety," disembarked safely," Coast Guard petty officer Tara Molle said.

The Coast Guard launched three 25-foot small response boats from Seattle to provide a safety zone around the dock, she said.

State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris said the State Patrol and Coast Guard are responding, but did not comment on the threat.

Reached by phone, Sgt. Craig Johnson of the State Patrol Homeland Security Division did not immediately comment on the incident.

The 12:45 p.m. sailing from Seattle to Bremerton was diverted to Bainbridge Island. Harris said bus service is being provided for those passengers.

Harris said about 1:40 p.m. that no other sailings had been canceled.

Posted by Casey McNerthney at November 18, 2008 1:21 p.m.

The view form my room @ Island Hospital

That's Padilla Bay and a tanker with Foss Escorts (Doug' are you there today?) in bound for the Shell Refinery.

posted via BlackBerry

No fun for you

Got home yesterday from visiting my Mom in Reno. Three weeks ago I had two hernias repaired and have have complications with swelling and discomfort.

When to Island Hospital (Anacortes) ER last night and was admitted. Am on some pain meds and adtibiotics (iv.) The aspirated the site of the surgery last evening. Current awaiting the surgeon, and abusing the (not so) free WiFi here.

America's Cup Update - deep background

America's Cup

Info via SignOnSanDiego.com

The next America's Cup is still on hold, but there are stirrings below the surface.

While Larry Ellison's 90-foot trimaran continues to train off San Diego and BMW Oracle advances with its appeal in New York, both Ellison and Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli are lobbying for their versions of the same thing – a traditional event.

Bertarelli has been lobbying other challengers to encourage Ellison to drop his appeal. Recently, New Zealand dropped its legal action against Alinghi after the defenders threatened to not accept a Kiwi challenge to the next multinational America's Cup.

Ellison, meanwhile, wrote a letter to Bertarelli, again offering to drop his legal challenge if Bertarelli's Alinghi defense organization returned to the rules that governed the 32nd America's Cup defense.

All of which means the 33rd America's Cup is still in limbo.

The complete SignOnSanDiego.com post by Bill Center is here.

---

Info via Wikipedia:

Main article: America's Cup (33rd edition)

The protocols for the 33rd America's Cup were released on July 5, 2007.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), on behalf of BMW Oracle Racing, lodged a complaint against the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) in the New York Supreme Court pleading violations of the Deed of Gift. The deed specifies the New York Supreme Court is the arbiter of last resort in the event of a dispute. The suit alleged that the Spanish club, Club Náutico Español de Vela, did not meet the terms of the Deed of Gift as a legitimate yacht club that would qualify to be the Challenger of Record. This complaint was upheld by the court in late November 2007, confirming GGYC as the Challenger of Record and leading to the expectation of a "Deed of Gift Challenge."

SNG subsequently filed a motion to renew and reargue, and on 2008-03-17 Justice Cahn denied SNG's motion and entered a final order declaring CNEV’s challenge invalid and Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) the Challenger of Record.

SNG appealed the final order to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department in Manhattan, which on July 30, 2008 reversed the lower court ruling, stating in a 3-2 decision that the Deed of Gift provision at issue was ambiguous.

Wikipedia America's Cup info here.

Google News articles here.

Golden Gate Yacht Club background here.

Official America's Cup website here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Kevin Carpenter for the above GGYC info. You may recall that BitterEnd published the first photo of BMW Oracle on the web when she came out of the shoot in Anacortes - that post is here.)

More Piracy News

(Badri Media/EPA)

The TimesOnline.com (London) is reporting:

A hijacked supertanker with two British crew members was being taken to a Somali port this afternoon after pirates seized their biggest vessel yet off the African coast.

Acts of piracy in the shipping lanes of the Arabian Sea have become increasingly violent and commonplace in recent months, but this is the first time hijackers have seized an oil tanker.

The 1,000 ft-long Sirius Star was seized on Saturday around 450 nautical miles from Mombasa on the Kenyan coast. The supertanker, which can hold up to two million barrels of crude oil, is owned by Aramco, a Saudi company, but was sailing under a Liberian flag.

The complete post by Nico Hines is here.

Commandos answer SOS from Saudi, Indian vessels, scare off pirates

INS Tabar

The Times of India is reporting: 

NEW DELHI : In dramatic action on the high seas, an Indian warship with its armed helicopter and elite marine commandos repulsed in quick succession attempts made by different bands of gun-toting pirates to hijack a Saudi and a Mumbai-based merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia on Tuesday morning.

INS Tabar, a Talwar-class guided-missile stealth frigate, was cruising in the Gulf of Aden at about 10 am when it got a frantic distress call from Saudi Arabian chemical and oil carrier NCC Tihama.
 

The complete Times of India post is here.
 

(Ed. note:  Thanks to BE reader Lee Goodwin for above.)

Panel will assess vanishing West Coast whales

A rare white killer whale was spotted by federal scientists Feb. 23, 2008,

about 2 miles off Kanaga Volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. (AP)

CTVBV is reporting:

The designation of so-called "southern residents," a population of 83 whales found in Puget Sound and the southern end of the Straight of Georgia, is unlikely to change, said Lance Barrett-Lennard, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia and co-chair of a federally-appointed orca recovery team. 

The southern residents are currently designated as "endangered," the most serious risk assessment. 

The complete CRVBC post is here.

(Ed. note:  Thanks to OrcaGirl - Chantelle Tucker over at Orcinus Orca Collective for the lead.)

My Mom, Alice

I'm in Reno this weekend visiting my Mom, who is in hospice care.

She wants to take a trip on the Alaska State Ferry - soon. Logistics will be tough.

posted via BlackBerry

Octopuses had Antarctic ancestor: marine census

Megaleledone setebos, a shallow-water circum-Antarctic species endemic to the Southern Ocean is seen in this undated handout. Many octopuses evolved from a common ancestor that lived off Antarctica more than 30 million years ago, according to a "Census of Marine Life" that is seeking to map the oceans from microbes to whales.

 You can find the full story at Reuters, here.

Nicely Making Way

The sole ferry bid is in!

WSF Island Home Class

The Seattle Times is reporting that the sole bid for the new Island Home class vessel is in. A short excerpt stated:

The shipyard's bid of more $124 million for two boats was more than $28 million over the state's estimate.

Ferry director David Moseley said he was disappointed that there was only one bid, "but we have to play the cards dealt us."

The ST post is here.

(Thanks to BE reader and BE Burgee designer, Mike Fisher for the lead on this one.)

Fedra Slide Show

Fedra (64,000 DWT, blt '84) breaking up at Europa Point last month

From Lloyd's List:

THE crew of a cargo ship that ran aground in Gibraltar was plucked to safety in a perilous nighttime rescue by Gibraltarian and Spanish emergency services last Friday.

Defying extreme gale force winds, a Spanish maritime rescue helicopter airlifted five men from the bow of the 24-year old bulk carrier Fedra as it lay pinned by pounding waves at the base of sheers cliffs in Europa Point.

The complete Lloyd's List post is here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Lee Goodwin for forwarding the above. The break up of Fedra was well covered on many sites.)

Navy 1 - Whales 0

In a Supreme Court decision today, the enviornment took a back seat to the Navy in a 5-4 decison.

ABC News is reporting:

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the U.S. Navy's need to conduct realistic training with active sonar outweighs the concerns of environmentalists that the sonar could damage marine life. The decision means the Navy can go forward with exercises off the coast of Southern California and does not have to sharply limit sonar use. Chief Justice John Roberts began the opinion by quoting George Washington: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."...

The full ABC news post is here.

Related Google News stories are here.

Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. [Supreme Court of the United States]

QE2 Grounding - Yesterday

The Maritime Reporter and Engineering News is reporting:

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors from the Southampton Marine Office have completed a full inspection of the Queen Elizabeth 2 liner after its Nov. 11 grounding near the Brambles sand bank in the Solent, and they have given the all clear for the ship to continue on its final journey.

The full MREN post is here.

WSF Can’t Shake Passenger-Only Ferries

 

SeattleWeekly.com is reporting:

Even after their boats are sold, the agency will be leasing foot ferries for years.

In 2007, the state legislature gave Washington State Ferries a mandate: Sell your passenger-only ferries and get out of that business. Any day now that edict will be fulfilled, as WSF expects to complete the sale of its Chinook and Snohomish vessels to the Bay Area's Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District. But even after WSF rids itself of the 350-passenger vessels, it could be years before WSF is able to wean itself from using passenger-only ferries in times of need.

The complete post by Chris Kornelis is here

President Elect Obama and the Maritime Community

President Elect Barack Obama

Capt. John Konrad over at gCaptain wrote in part:

Today the maritime industry is facing a crisis. I don’t need to repost this year’s casualty list or share the 5 year forecast set by marine insurers to inform you of the trouble we face as doing so would only discourage hope. Today my country elected an individual who ignored the pundits and put in the hard work required to win. It’s true, Barack Obama lacks the experience or deep understating of maritime affairs to fully support our industry from Day 1 but what he possesses is a true willingness to listen, learn, take risk and put in the hard work to help us meet our industry’s needs. Ideals we share.

John's complete post is here.

--

Attorney at Law blogged the the following, here's a excerpt:

“America needs a strong and vibrant U.S.-Flag Merchant Marine,” Obama wrote. “That is why you and your members can continue to count on me to support the Jones Act (which also includes the Passenger Vessel Services Act) and the continued exclusion of maritime services in international trade agreements.”

Obama said a strong maritime community supports the nation’s national security interests.

The complete Attorney at Law post is here.

Vessel Assist Solution - Still Working

Vessel Assist Solution off Lime Kiln State Park on Saturday

Thanks to BE reader Sean Trew for sending this pic. While I'm ensconced in Anacortes, my buddies are still working.

The Shamrocks take a licking and keep on ticking.

Thanks

My own personal Vet, stepson John Runkle Oppelaar

Veterans Day Tribute - The best video clips are right here

It was 33 years ago today

Wikipedia info here.

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald in May 1975, six months before she sank with all hands.
Career
Name:	SS Edmund Fitzgerald
Owner:	Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
Operator:	Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Company of Cleveland, Ohio
Port of Registry:	United States
Ordered:	February 1 1957
Builder:	Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan
Yard number:	301
Laid down:	August 7 1957
Launched:	June 8, 1958
Christened:	June 8, 1958
Completed:	June 7 1958
Maiden voyage:	Sept. 24, 1958
Identification:	Registry number US 277437
Nickname:	"Mighty Fitz" "The Fitz" "The Big Fitz"
Fate:	Lost in a storm on November 10, 1975

Tahoe Maritime Museum

The Tahoe Maritime Museum opened in May

The Museum hosts a vast collection of photographs and objects that span Lake Tahoe's maritime history. Our memorabilia reaches back into the late nineteenth century, with displays of the opulent steamers that once ferried passengers, mail, and freight around the Lake.

The Tahoe Maritime Museum's boat collection rivals many maritime museums in the nation. Currently there are over 25 vessels which are historically significant not only to Lake Tahoe but to the maritime community in general. Many of the boats are lake-worthy and see service on Lake Tahoe's crystal blue waters during the summer.

Also on exhibit are the days of gentlemen's racing which began on the Lake as soon as there were boats with internal combustion engines and ended in the 1960s due to increased legal restrictions. Other exhibits feature such boat manufacturers as Chris-Craft, Gar Wood, and Stephens.

USNS Amelia Earhart

USNS Amelia Earhart

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News is reporting:

MSC Accepts USNS Amelia Earhart

Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Amelia Earhart in San Diego, Oct. 30. The ship was built by General Dynamics NASSCO.

Earhart, named in honor of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, is the sixth in the Lewis and Clark-class of underway replenishment ships. These ships - called T-AKEs - deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy's underway carrier and expeditionary strike groups allowing them to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time.

The complete RMEN post is bere.

Wikipedia info on USNS Amelia Earhart is here.

20 die in accident on Russian nuclear sub

Reuters is reporting:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than 20 people were killed and another 21 injured in an accident aboard a Russian nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean, the navy said on Sunday, in the worst submarine disaster since the Kursk sank eight years ago.

A Russian naval spokesman said 208 people were on board the submarine when an accident involving the activation of a fire extinguishing system occurred during sea trials. He said the nuclear reactor was intact and radiation levels were normal.

But the death toll makes it the worst mishap for the accident-prone Russian navy since the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea in 2000 with the loss of all 118 sailors.

The complete post by Guy Faulconbridge is here.

Captains Delapp

Capt. Hannah Delapp and her Dad, Capt. Tim Delapp

I ran into Hannah and Tim here in Anacortes at Subway on Thursday. They were on their way to Seattle for the Experience Hendrix - 2008 Tribute Tour at the Paramount.

Hannah is a former student and Tim is the owner/operator of Pintail, a barge in Friday Harbor.

Bid-opening for proposed new Port Townsend-Keystone ferries delayed

The Pensinula Dialy News is reporting:

PORT TOWNSEND -- Washington State Ferries has delayed for a week the opening of contract bids on two Island Home-model ferries for the Port Townsend-Keystone route.

"They asked for more time," state ferries spokeswoman Hadley Greene said of Puget Sound shipyards interested in bidding on the project, which has a budget of $84.5 million.

As the state proposes, the first ferry is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

Greene said bids will be opened at 11 a.m. Thursday at the state ferries offices in Seattle.

A contract is expected to be awarded about two weeks after the bids are opened, David Moseley, the ferry system's director for the state Department of Transportation, has said.

The full post by Jeff Chew is here. 

 

Whale Wars Tonight

Life is Good

 Capt. Steve Harper - back at Penguin's this morning

Just two weeks ago he laid dead on the floor here at Penguin's in Anacortes.  Today he was back with his buds having coffee.  Life is indeed Good.

See the full story here.

Tidal Wave at Boothbay Harbor ME?

 

Owen Johnson (left) and his father, Peter, repaired damage yesterday done 

by waves in Boothbay Harbor.   (Joel Page for The Boston Globe)

The Boston Globe is reporting:

Massive waves a mystery at Maine harbor:

Dockworker Marcy Ingall saw a giant wave in the distance last Tuesday afternoon and stopped in her tracks. It was an hour before low tide in Maine's Boothbay Harbor, yet without warning, the muddy harbor floor suddenly filled with rushing, swirling water.

The complete post by Megan Woolhouse is here.

Great Wind Widget (Google Gadget)

There are some great Widgets out there. The one above WindFinder is small and if you boat can be of great help.

Most of the time I'm more concerned about what the wind is, as it will have direct effect on the sea state.

This Google Gadget aka Widget sits on my desktop. You can configure it for just about anywhere in the world.

To add WindFinder to your cell's browser go here.

Capt. Steve Harper - One the mend

Steve and his wife Steph earlier this summer

(Ed. note: Capt. Harper is a former student and is doing better. Thought you'd find this of interest. Steve was the picture of health. BTW, I understand that Penguin Coffee has acquired an AED as a result of Steve's experience.)

Dear family & friends,

I am writing to let you know that Steve has just successfully under gone surgery to have an ICD implanted. He is awake, had lunch and will be resting the remainder of the day. Dr. Blatt said the procedure went just as it should and there were no complications or "red flags". The Dr. will be by tomorrow and if all goes well Steve could go home late tomorrow. Thank you all so very much for your thoughts & prayers these past days ---

Now, I will back up to last Wed., Oct 22 to bring many of you up to date as to what occurred with Steve.

On Wed. morning Steve went to the Penquin Coffee Shop to have coffee with his buddies, as usual. He felt great and had planned on meeting me for lunch. He got his coffee, sat down in a comfortable chair and proceeded to go into cardiac arrest - no symptons, no warning. His buddies laid him on the ground, fortunately he did not fall. FORTUNATELY, there happened to be an off-duty paramedic in the coffee shop that immediatley came to Steve's aid. Steve was not breathing and had no pulse. People quickly called 911 and Mitch began CPR. FORTUNATELY the Medics were there within 5 minutes to administer 3 shocks to get Steve's heart beating again. Steve was taken to Island hospital in Anacortes where he was stabilized and then immediatley taken to Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon. At SVH they confirmed that it had not been a heart attack, but cardiac death. On Friday he was transferred to Providence Hospital in Everett which is an outstanding hospital for treating the type of cardiac disease he has.

More specifically, Steve's electrical impulses became chaotic causing the heart to suddenly stop beating - called ventricular fibrillation. Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 - 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is reversible if it is treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. 90-95% of people do not survice a cardiac arrest as CPR and electric shock must be administered so quickly. Obviously Steve could not have been in a better situation for his cardiac arrest to happen.

SVH confirmed that Steve's arteries are great - he has no blockages what so ever and looks to be in great health. His was strictly an electrical problem which cannot be predicted nor is it hereditary. They actually do not know alot about what causes it. Fortunately the disease can be treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This device gives an electrical shock to the heart in the event his electrical system becomes disordered in the future. This (ICD) is what he had implanted this morning. Steve's doctor is very positive and says his goal is to get Steve back to jogging and enjoying many of the physical activities he normally enjoys.

Steve and I are forever grateful to all of the people involved in saving his life. We are especially thankful that "Mitch" the King Cty paramedic happened to stop by the Penquin for coffee Wed. morning. Steve is very anxious to meet him and to thank him personally for saving his life. It was the quick action of friends, strangers and our local paramedics, police and firemen that all contributed to Steve's survival. He is looking forward to thanking them ALL! Steve & I knew Anacortes was a very special town when we moved here, but we have now experienced first hand just how special the people are that live in our community.

Please don't hesitate to give Steve a call toward the end of the week. Our home number is: xxx-xxx-xxxx. We don't keep an answering machine on so try back if he doesn't answer! And please take a CPR course if you have not done so already!!

Love to everyone -- Steph

My Calendar for November

Last Christmas, my wife Trish got this great customized calendar for the study. How appropriate considering the economy, the election season, and my recent surgery.

You can build your own 2009 Demotivator Calendar here, at Dispair.com

Boat Tools

Swiss Army GIANT

Lots can be said and had related to boating gadgets. In fact my buddy, Tim Flanagan over at Navagear.com has an entire blog dedicated to boating accessories.

Alas, the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog arrived yesterday. One of the items featured was the above GIANT Swiss Army Knife, $1,400.00 worth.

Copy from the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog:

This is the largest Swiss Army knife in the world, holder of the Guinness World Record for "The Most Multifunctional Penknife," with 87 precision-engineered tools spanning 112 functions. Made by Wenger, crafters of genuine Swiss Army knives since 1893, it uses stainless steel for all parts and is hand-assembled by just two cutlery specialists in Delmont, Switzerland, ensuring that every knife meets exacting standards. It has seven blades, three types of pliers, three golf tools (club face cleaner, shoe spike wrench, and divot repair tool), 25 flat- and Phillips-head screwdrivers and bits, saws, wrenches, and more. It also has a bicycle chain rivet setter, signal whistle, 12/20-gauge shotgun choke tube tool, combination fish scaler, hook disgorger, and line guide tool, cigar-cutting scissors, laser pointer, tire-tread gauge, toothpick, tweezers, and key ring. 3 1/4" L x 8 3/4" W. (2 3/4 lbs.)

My wife would be quick to point out that I have an endless collection of Leatherman Tools and other related mulittools and that adding to the collection would not make much sense. But sigh, Wenger is out of stock on the above item.

Diligence will have to do without.

Area Yacht Club front and center in Gubernatorial Race

Port Angeles Yacht Club Building

The Peninsula Daily News is reporting:

The Port Angeles Yacht Club became the butt of Republican jokesters Thursday after a radio ad for Gov. Chris Gregoire called her opponent, Dino Rossi, "Yacht Club Dino" for holding a fundraiser there last summer.

The pun-laden 60-second spot -- "Dino's way to sail through these tough economic times . . . dropped anchor on another cold-hearted idea" -- pilloried the GOP gubernatorial nominee for choosing to "announce" his proposal to cut unemployment benefits in the yacht club building last July 24....

He only "gave his typical stump speech" to about 50 people hosted by the North Peninsula Building Association, which rented the building for the fundraiser.

The full PDN post is here.

You can listen to the ad via KIRO Radi0 here.

(Ed. note: Our, Washington State, gubernatorial race has been particularly ugly on both sides. I found this volley particularly humorous, with its nautical theme.)

Former student Capt. Dave Button - plys the river

Frank Varga photo

Dave Button maneuvers a Zodiac raft through the turbid currents of the
Hole In The Wall while Art Rylaarsdam enjoys the 360-degree views.

GoSkagit.com is reporting:

MOUNT VERNON — The waters of the Skagit River north of Sedro-Woolley are rather well-known and well-traveled. After all, many float that emerald-green route with their eyes glued to sand bars and tree limbs hoping to se bald eagles.

But the Skagit is a big river and there’s a lot more to it than its upper reaches. Dave Button of Burlington is offering folks a chance to discover the river’s lower stretches from Mount Vernon to Deception Pass.

It’s a different type of voyage than the upper-river float, not only in regard to boat, but to scenery as well.

You can find the complete GoSkagit.com post by Vince Richardson, here.