Harbor Sunset

After spending most of the weekend in front of my computer, I took a few hours off to get some fresh air.

Poor Falls of Clyde…in limbo. So very depressing. Impounded by the state but still owned by the Friends of Falls of Clyde. I guess the powers that be don’t mind that their names will go down in maritime history as the “bad guys.”

Too bad that it’s only money that talks. History’s voice is silenced by greed.

One bright spot in all of this is that I’ve made some new friends. People who understand and care about the fate of ships like FOC.

Maunawili and tug Hoku Ke‘a:

Horizon Reliance assisted by Mikioi and Pi‘ilani:

Mana‘o approaching Pier 9 to pick up some folks:

Horizon Reliance‘s distinctive stern:

Pi‘ilani:

Waiting for the Dawn and an Ending

Thanks to a heads up from Captain Ed Enos, I was able to make it down to the harbor to catch the final journey of Pacific Shipyards International’s (PSI) dry dock Kāpilipono.

In “better” days:

Resting on the bottom after she sank last year:

I arrived at the harbor while it was still dark.

Japanese training ships Tosakaien Maru and Hokuho Maru at Pier 9:

The cruise ships usually arrive early in the morning. Here’s Ruby Princess:

Not the greatest photo, but here comes the sun (and I say it’s all right):

Tying up Ruby Princess at Pier 10/11:

Clear and calm water (Tosakaien Maru bow):

Fellow photographer on board Ruby Princess:

View down the channel:

After a bit of a wait, Kāpilipono appeared, towed by Manuokekai and assisted by Mamo and Mikioi.

Passing the Matson gantry cranes:

The tugs were joined by Hoku Loa before passing Aloha Tower. At this point I was very lucky to be invited to hop on the pilot boat.

The Coast Guard making sure everything is all right:

Mikioi on the port side:

Captain Enos up on the dry dock wall:

Leaving the harbor with Ruby Princess and Aloha Tower in the background:

Manuokekai ahead:

Hoku Loa astern:

One could not have asked for a better day. Sunny, clear, and calm.

Aloha, Kāpilipono:

She was towed 12 miles offshore and scuttled.

Meanwhile, life continued on in the harbor.

Miyagi Maru, waiting offshore while Kāpilipono was being towed out, was finally able to enter the harbor:

Kwai at the pier, almost ready to leave with a load of cargo:

Containers being unloaded from Matson’s Haleakala:

Ocean Pathfinder arrived with a barge:

Ice for the fishing boats:

Literally, a cool job.

Moving containers:

Mahalo to Captain Enos, Captain Collins, and Paul.

When Worlds Collide

I was very fortunate to be invited, via work (nothing to do with ships), to check out Pasha’s Horizon Pacific.

On the bridge with the chief mate:

View forward:

Gantry crane detail:

Spreader picking up container:

Mahalo to my coworkers for thinking of me (the ship nut)!

Last Sunday (December 21)

Kauai and Manoa:

Nalani:

Of Cargo

Matson gantry crane placing a container on board Mokihana

A few years ago, I wrote this post about the Falls of Clyde: A Place in the History of Hawai‘i

I thought it would be fun to compile a more comprehensive list showing the variety of things the ship carried to Hawai‘i from California. Here goes:

A
acid, agricultural implements, alcohol, arms and ammunition, automobile parts

B
bacon, bags, baking powder, barley, beans, beer, benzine, bicycles, blasting caps, boilers, boots, bran, bread, butter

C
candles, canned goods, cement, cheese, cigarettes, cigars, clay, coal, coal oil, codfish, coffee, copper, corn, cows, crude oil

D
distillate, dried fish, drugs, dry goods (textiles)

E
electrical supplies

F
felt, fertilizer, flour, fruit (fresh, dried, canned), furniture, fuses

G
garlic, gasoline, gin, groceries and provisions

H
harness and saddlery, hams, hats, hay, honey, horses

I
iron

L
lard, leather, lime, linseed oil, lumber

M
machinery, matches, middlings, mineral water, mules

N
nails

O
oats, onions

P
paint, paper, paste, peas, pipe, plaster, potatoes

R
railroad ties, redwood posts, resin, rice, rope, rubber goods

S
safe, salad oil, salt, salmon, sewer pipe, sewing machines, soap, soda, shoes, shrimp, spikes, steam pumps, steel, sugar, syrup

T
tar, tea, tobacco, turpentine, twine

V
vinegar

W
wagon material, wall paper, wheat, white lead, windows, wine, wire, wire fencing

How many of these items are carried by Matson ships today?

Still Catching Up – Saturday Tankers (September 13)

The female ‘iwa graced the sky above the harbor again (photo similar to the one in the previous post).

Curious. The boom of one of the Matson gantry cranes was hanging out over the water with the spreader lowered:

More tanker photos!

Eagle Express leaving lighter than when she arrived:

Miss Benedetta:

As to my own tanker, I did the bare minimum. It was hot and humid and I was feeling lazy. There were some details I noticed while doing my usual inspection, but they concerned a project that I’m not involved with. Fired off email touching on a few points. Hope someone attends to them.

San Francisco and Oakland (Sunday, August 10) – Lots of Cranes

A mellow day that started off in the Potrero Point area.

Sheila Ann:

USNS Wally Schirra in the BAE dry dock:

Lihue laid up nearby:

Cranes:

Altered sign, should read “Public Shore”:

A former navy tug, Dekaury (YTB-178) between Piers 48 and 50:

Tug fenders on shore:

From there, it was over the bridge to Oakland.

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is located amidst Oakland’s container terminals. It has an odd industrial feel, sort of like Sand Island State Park. It’s also a ship spotter’s dream.

Looking toward Potrero Point (spot the dry dock and Lihue) from the park:

Distinctive skyline:

TraPac Terminal:

Ben E. Nutter Terminal:

Oakland International Container Terminal:

NYK Atlas at the Oakland International Terminal with Matsonia just visible through the cranes at left:

The park is also a designated wildlife area.

Kildeer:

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Canada geese gathered in the park:

A lot of geese means a lot of geese poo. Ick.

Sticker art and donuts:

(If you look at the Google Maps satellite view of the area, you can see the donuts more clearly.)

From the park, it was on to the Oakland Museum of California. It is a very nice museum that consists of three main galleries: Art, History, and Natural Science.

Marine debris display and activity area:

There was a lot to see, but not enough time! Well worth visiting again.