The Shipping View (Update)*

The Cat Walk

The majestic view from my bay window reflects a kaleidoscope of  color and lush vegetation: rainbow-colored rhododendrons,  periwinkle blue and pink hydrangeas, vibrant ruby and purple azaleas and the variegated hues of the mighty evergreens.  Woodland creatures and countless birds including his majesty, the bald eagle, are daily visitors.  However, the view I treasure the most is of the breathtaking  Straits of Juan de  Fuca and its shipping lanes.

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 Bald Eagle looking towards the house.  Picture taken from behind window.
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Bald eagle lifting off from the knoll in backyard. Picture taken from behind window.
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Two bald eagles and  location of nest in front yard.

I have  spent so  many hours  watching and documenting the “cat walk” of marine vessels  from my prospective: titanic ocean tankers and cargo ships, magical cruise ships,  ferries,  coast guard vessels, pleasure boats, fishing boats,  sailboats, pilot boats and  tug boats,  that it seemed like an appropriate venue for a post.

FYI

A   cargo ship or freighter carries goods and materials from one port to another.  These work horses of the sea handle most of the world’s international  trade.  Cargo ships include  general cargo (packaged goods such as chemicals, food and automobiles) tankers (petroleum or other liquids ), dry bulk ships (coal, grain,  and ore),  multipurpose  ships (different classes of cargo such as liquid and general at the same time) and reefers (refrigerated cargo). (1)

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Hyundai Cargo Ship
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Wallenius Wilhelmsen Contained Carrier headed to Seattle.
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 Blackball Ferry coming back to Port Angeles harbor and the Alaskan Navigator oil tanker headed out of harbor.

A  passenger ship transports primarily passengers and includes ferries, cargo liners, cruise ships, cruise ferries, and ocean liners.  The Blackball Coho ferry in Port Angeles  runs to and from Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia everyday.  It is a beautiful excursion and takes about an hour and half each way, longer if the marine traffic or seas are heavy.

Pleasure boats, fishing boats,  sail boats and sspecialized boats such as tugs, pilot and barges of all size,  also frequent the Juan de Fuca straits.

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Carnival Cruise Ship
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Holland American Cruise Ship.
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Norwegian Cruise Ship

In season,  three to four cruise ships  a week come and go from Seattle with passengers leaving or returning from Alaska right in front of my window.  It is amazing to watch them float by in  absolute domination of their world.

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Pilot boat approaching cargo ship to transfer a pilot for steerage into Seattle.

pilot boat ferries licensed pilots  to and from foreign or domestic ships.  The pilot then takes over the ship and  directs it into or out of the harbor or difficult waters such as the turbulent transfer from ocean over the Columbia river bar. (2)

*

barge is a large flat-bottomed boat with a very shallow draft (the depth of water a ship needs to float), used to transport goods along rivers, canals and coastal waters.  In many cases a barge has no power and has to be moved with the assistance of a tugboat.

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Foss tugboat going into port.
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Foss tugboat  slowing down the Polar Enterprise oil tanker coming into port. Another tug pulling a gasoline refueling barge for ship in harbor.
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Beautiful day. Tug taking large barge out of port to coastal waters.

The PA coast guard air station  serves  as home to many of the  patrol vessels protecting the vast coastal range of Washington.  It is also responsible for conducting Search and Rescue and Resource Protective activities in the area.  This station is just a bird’s view away.

 

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Coastguard Station in Port Angeles and a stone thrown from “the nest”.

 

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Helicopter and Coast Guard Vessel doing rescue practice in port.
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Coast Guard Helicopter at Port Angeles Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Coastal Patrol Vessel.

Submersibles and Polar Pioneer Oil Rig

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A submersible that came into port prior to the MV Blue Marlin. I thought I was seeing things. This ship is so distinctive and odd looking.
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A picture of the Polar Pioneer Oil Rig being left to its own volition when the MV Marlin unloaded it. Seems strange to see an oil rig just floating in the harbor.
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If I thought I was seeing things the first time I saw a heavy submersible transport ship, this was even more unbelievable. The Polar Pioneer oil rig being transported by the MV Blue Marlin transport ship into Port Angeles Harbor. (See my post entitled WOW for more details on this awesome sight.)

 

More Work Horses of the Ocean and Coast

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Tote Maritime container  ship.
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OOCL Cantainer Ship going to sea from stop in Seattle.
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Hapag Lloyd Container Ship with Pilot Boat.
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Hyundai container Ship loaded down.
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Effy N Bulk Carrier loaded going out to sea.
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MOL Cargo Ship on way out of port.
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Hanjin Container ship headed out of port.
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Evergreen Container Ship.
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The Athens Highway Container Ship in port for maintenance.

 

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Hamburg SUD Container Ship.

 

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ATC refueling tankers.

 

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Global Wisdom Bulk Carrier so beautiful between the blue sky and blue ocean.
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Zim Dyibouti Container Ship.
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Grand Pace Enclosed Car Carrier followed by pilot boat.

Port Angeles–You Are A Beauty!

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View of Port Angeles from Hurricane Ridge vista.

 

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Sunset in Port Angeles from my window.

 

*This post will be periodically updated with new sightings of interest on the shipping lanes from my window inspiration.

 

 

 

 

(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship

(2)http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=main…load…Pacific…

(3) Thank you YouTube for all your fantastic videos.

One Comment

  1. […] Angeles is a small town nestled at the foot of the Olympic Mountains and kisses the ocean on the Straights of Juan De Fuco.  Everywhere you venture, especially the neighborhood where I live,  the verdure of the area […]

    October 20, 2015
    Reply

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