Boats – Page 9 – Sequim Daily Photo

The S’Klallam of Ennis Creek

There are two “Ennis Creek” murals outside the Feiro Marine Life Center in Port Angeles that portray scenes of local history. Created by Corey Ench, the first mural portrays the Native American history of the Ennis Creek area. The scene is of a S’Klallam village in 1750, an era “before contact” with white men. The traditional canoes shown here are an historic design still used today. Each carved from a single cedar log, the boats are both seaworthy and beautiful.

Because of the mural’s location it was impossible to back up far enough to get it into one frame. I know it can be stitched together in Photoshop but, regrettably, I don’t have the time and climbing gear to tackle that learning curve right now. I also haven’t cropped these shots. Above the diagonal of the roof line I was taken with how well the mural’s sky color caught the color of the day I was there.

Autopilot

I’m bushed. Hit the switch.

Rope

Rope was just rope most of my life before I met my DH. Sure, rope ties stuff down. It has utility. But add it to boats and sails and rope takes on a life of its own. Tall sailing ships, like the Lady Washington, above, seem to consume it by the mile.

So it should be no surprise that Longship Marine sells lots of rope.

I consider it eye candy but a sailor has an entirely different opinion.

There are lots of different kinds of rope. An informed consumer could tell you more than you’d likely care to know.

Visit to a chandlery

Over the years I’ve been with my mariner I’ve spent time in a variety of chandleries, supply stores that cater to boats and boating. Classic shops have an assortment of new goods. The best, though, have had wondrous assortments of used items. In more recent years the shops with used goods have begun to vanish, making it ever harder for DH to find some of the finer items he wants that are sometimes no longer even made. I was pleased to discover Longship Marine on one of my trips to Poulsbo and we made a point of visiting recently. The shot above gives a sense of the place. Sort of a marine flea market…filled with a combination of basics and the occasional oddity.

Beyond the cash register was an oddity: a block used in the film “Master and Commander.” There was only one left so hurry in if it’s a must have. By the way, it is functionally useless.

Don’t worry, Longship does have the real thing too.

Winter at the marina

I’m a winter wimp. I don’t think of boating once the weather starts getting cold and wet. I was surprised when I saw how many boats are still bobbing about in the John Wayne Marina. In December, mind you.

This was the third boat that launched while I was there for lunch the other day…much heartier souls than yours truly.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Two Dutch Shell oil drilling platforms are being readied to leave the Port of Port Angeles soon. This rig, Noble Discoverer, has been loaded onto the semi-submersible MV Blue Marlin for transport and will be the first to leave.

Polar Pioneer, which has been here longer, will be loaded onto its transport and is scheduled to depart next week. These rigs are enormous. I wasn’t able to get a clear shot but you may make out two rather large boats to the left of the rig.

Dockwise Vanguard is the semi-submersible transport ship onto which the Polar Pioneer will be loaded. Both rigs are destined for the North Sea. Their routes haven’t been announced but these rigs are too large to transverse the Panama Canal so they’ll probably take the long way round…Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego in South America.

I don’t know if this support vessel will be part of the entourage. I titled this post “Parting is such sweet sorrow” because Port Angeles has been grateful for the business these rigs has brought to town.

Grounded

This boat has been stuck and listing at the John Wayne Marina for over a week and it may not be going anywhere soon. Its owners have disappeared and no one has been eager to come forward to claim it. We learned in a casual conversation that it may have been built in England and may have sailed around the world more than once. Despite whatever pedigree it may have, the hull is probably “holed,” and damaged well beyond repair. It’s sailing days are probably over.