WA Ferry storm photos

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These photos were taken by a friend of a friend of a friend. I don't know the guy. His story is he likes to go down to the Mukilteo Ferry and watch the ships when ever there is a blow. He shot these photos this week during the wind storm with winds of 50 mph.

He said when he approached the WA Ferry system with his photos they responded with, "photos like this do not encourage rider ship." No kidding. I ride the ferry often on my motorcycle. I like it because motorcycles get on and off first and get parked right up front on the bow. I'll never get on a ferry with it blowing after seeing these photos.


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My experience from sailing has been that still photos of boats on the water rarely show the real strength of the wind or wave action.

These photos show incredible energy and violence, and I imagine being there would be much, much, worse!

What would happen to the vehicles inside? They're not strapped down. I can imagine quite a bit of damage occuring.

Even with the doors closed, some salt water & spray must have entered the bottom deck.

Joe.
 
I agree that photos don't show the true power of the waves. Bear in mind that ferry is 300 feet long and 78 feet wide, getting rolled around like our Steady Eddy does in 3 foot waves. I'm going to Anacortes tomorrow to take ours across the Strait to its Winter home - on a trailer! Forecast is for 10 Kt. winds and 1-2' waves; we can probably handle that. Goal is to install the Permatrims Saturday. Mike.
 
Sea Wolf":3ecicsfi said:
Even with the doors closed, some salt water & spray must have entered the bottom deck.
Joe.
Click to expand...

Doors? What doors........there ain't none on the bottom deck of those ferries. :crook
 
That is some big water. And some really Cool Photos. Wonder if WDOT provides a freshwater rinse after a ride like that. I rember being on a much smaller ferry up in BC, parked center front in a Dodge van and having the Waves come up onto the forward cardeck deep enough to wash the hubcaps on the van. I was sure glad I had my canoe on top. Would have taken 20 seconds to cut and flip it over.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
My daughter had emailed me those photos also. She must be a friend of a friend of a friend of the photographer also.

Look in the upper right edge of the third and fourth photo. It is a bird, but does not look like a sea gull. Looks more like an eagle to me. Can any body identify it?

________
Dave dlt.gif
 
Wow !!! I can just imagine what would happen to my scooter...and it's a BMW.... if you had a Harley you would need a basket on the fantail just to pick up all the parts....
I will think twice before riding another ferry...

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Dave,
My first thought was also that it might be a vulture. The small size makes it impossible to positively identify it. Vultures can ususally be identified at a great distance by the sharp angle(dihedral) the wings make when soaring. But it could also be an immature bald eagle. Pretty sure it isn't a gull.
 
Consider that this is not big water--this is relitatively protected water--and that the waves are difficult to estimate the size of--because there seems to be some swell and chop--but although there is some wave reflection process, that the fetch is relatively limited. These type of ferry are by their nature run in relitatively calm water--Look at the different design of the Coho, which crosses the Straits of San Juan de Fuca several times a day. Part of this is accentuated by the shallow draft, the low freeboard, the weight and windage aloft and open nature of the ends of these type of ferry.

It certainly gives one pause--and one would not want to have their vehcile in the front rows on this voyage--nor would one want to go onto the vehicle deck, or be out in the open. There have been multiple ferry sinkings because of sudden storms, improper locking of bow doors or lack of judgement on the skipper's part. I certainly would want want to be at the helm of that vessel--and it gives a whole new respect to the handling of these boats.

Thanks for posting!
 
I was on the afternoon run from Mukilteo to Clinton on the Cathlamet. I was parked on the windward side, upper deck, inside row toward the bow.

Before we departed, the captain stated to "remain seating for the entire crossing...this is not a request" :shock: .

Got sprayed numerous times and saw what was happening on the lower deck, they got drenched!

We had to quarter the waves which put us down around Possession Point before we surfed back in to the Clinton dock :thup
 
I remember when we built those ferries at the Fox Ave. yard. We built 6 "New" vessels from 1979 to 1982.
If my memory serves me correctly, the vessels were;
Kitsap
Kittitas
Issaquah
Chelan
Cathlamet
and the Sealth.
On the sea trial for the Chelan (I think), when the Coast Guard asked to deploy the life boats-- They swung one of the boats out over the water and the boat went in-- davit and all :shock: -- back to the yard for a new davit.
After being in service for approximately a month, the Kittitas was taking on water. Came back in the yard, on the hard and after sandblasting found that the welds on the hull were wasted- full of holes- "rocky mountain termites" is what I told them was there. :lol: The cathodic cable was wired backwards, and the hull was electropositive- or something like that. They had to scarf out all of the welds and reweld---- after correcting the wiring around the inside of the hull. :wink:
 
Yeah, a great example of why I don't like to park the car/truck up front on the ferry.... don't need salt spray blowing up under the hood. Of course here it is a skosh heavier than mere spray...

The bird? It sure looks like a great blue heron to me, flying towards the stern. It is blue with a black wing fringe. They are strong birds and not skittish about strong winds, at least not here on the Columbia River. My favorite bird of the strong winds though is the white pelican... they go confidently, in formation no less, where few birds dare to .... flap. And they are found in Panama, Costa Rica, and Eastern Washington on the Columbia River. Every year we have more of the brown ones here along the coast at Ilwaco, WA & Seaside, OR etc.

C.W.
 
I've got a great close up of a flying Great Blue Heron for folks to compare, but don't know how to post it. Any help?

C.W.
 
Come on Dr. Bob... If I had been on that boat and known the keel was showing like that..... I would have given a bit more than ....."pause." :disgust :embarrased :sad Let's just say a cleaning of the deck would be in order.


I think the bird is either an "Oh-No" bird....looking again at the bottom paint.... or...an "Oh $.it" bird....

Color me standing on the hard waiting for things to settle a bit before I got on. Could you imagine.... in your car, wedged in the middle of the dock area when a roll over happens.. Not sure about yall, but that water is cold...and I generally do not cary PFDs in my Excursion...much less a road map of how to get from a middle of a pile of shifting/flipping cars.

The more I think about it.... the more I am pretty sure it is not the Oh No Bird....but the latter. :mrgreen:
 
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