Friday, November 16, 2007
A glass bottom boat trip from Lahaina harbor, Maui
On Friday, October 26th Pat & I drove to Lahaina, north of where we were staying in the Kehei area of Maui, to go for a ride on the Reefdancer, a glass bottom boat that takes people out to an offshore reef to see the under water landscape and the fish in the area. Pat's daughter had suggested that we go on a ride on the submarine trip but the cost of it was three times that of the Reefdancer and we were a little concerned about feeling a bit claustrophobic in a submarine, even one that only goes 140 feet or so below the surface, so we bought tickets on this boat instead. We went out on it in the morning rather than the afternoon as it tends to be windier later in the day, with rougher seas. Our trip was scheduled for 10am and we were there almost an hour early, which gave us time to take some of the photos I've already posted here about the town of Lahaina.
This first photo is taken in front of the check-in place for the boat, of Pat taking a photo of me as I was taking a photo of her. In the background you can see a part of the Reefdancer, the yellow boat behind her, as well as a catamaran across the small harbor near the breakwater.
I have never been on a boat like this and it is a bit different from most. I have some photos taken down below that will give a better idea of what we found inside below the water level. Here is a photo that shows more of the boat and a couple of the crew.
Pat & I are sitting near the stern (back) end of the underwater observation area. The circular stairs behind us are another way to get back to the main deck but are not the primary way.
We left the harbor on about a 20 minute trip to the reef area they use. I was surprised at how shallow all the water there was. We could see the bottom all the way out although it was not as interesting as when we arrived at the coral reef. It is kind of hard to get good photos through these windows and I am sure the color balance is not perfect, but here are a few examples of what we saw:
This shows the reef itself. Coral is alive and growing and is a very important part of the ecology of the ocean. Many fish and other sea creatures live in or near these coral reefs. I don't think there are any noticeable fish in this photo but they are there.
When we arrived over the reef one of the crew, a gal from England, went over the side diving to bring up to the windows some of the things to show us. Many of the fish gathered near her. Here she is bringing a spiny urchin to the window to show. Pat took this photo with our little Sony camera.
Another photo of the diver outside the windows.
This is a school of fish known as Black Durgon Triggerfish or in Hawaiian, humu humu-'ele 'ele. They are an example of those that tend to cluster around divers when they are in the water. The fish are probably around 10 inches in length, maybe a foot, and have that very bright stripe along their bodies where both the upper and lower fins join the body. This is another of Pat's photos.
This view is looking forward from where we were sitting and shows Pat starting up the stairs to the main deck. When we started back toward the harbor we all went up above for the return trip. This boat was pretty good sized, as you can tell from these two photos.
There are a lot of popular things to do in Hawaii around the water and this is one of them, but neither of us were interested in trying this. I guess it is pretty safe because even if the boat towing you stops suddenly the parachute will lower you to the water at a speed that you should not be hurt. At least seriously.
This scene is on the deck as we were returning to the harbor which is ahead and to the port side of the boat. We were glad that we had decided to go in the morning as the sea was smooth enough to make it easy to stand on the deck and we got to see and photograph things that we would have missed had we been below the whole trip. Notice the canvas "tent" above the head of the pilot. Even this early, about 11 in the morning, the sun was starting to get pretty intense. Especially if you were stuck there driving the boat! The hills behind the town are the foothills for the West Maui Mountains. Maui is almost like two islands that have been connected by lava to make one island. This part is older and these mountains are more "rounded" than the newer part of the island formed by Mt. Haleakala, where we were staying. We went to Mt. Haleakala on Sunday and have photos still to come from there.
The ocean going racing sailboat, the America II, is now out of Lahaina Harbor and available to go on. Here she is heading out of the harbor under power before raising sails. This boat was an America's Cup contender a few years ago and is quite fast.
I did get a few photos of my favorite subject while she was on the deck. Pat is concentrating here on her next photo.
The Reefdancer is rounding the breakwater at the entrance to the small harbor at Lahaina. You probably remember that sailboat I had a photo of that had sunk on a reef just outside this harbor in a previous post. You can see from this photo how small that entrance is and there are reefs all around, so that is why the owner wanted to stop overnight and wait for daylight before entering. Unfortunately he anchored too close to one of the reefs and his boat was sunk overnight on that reef.
We enjoyed our trip that day but I had hoped for more to see while near the reefs and better visibility through the boat's underwater windows. The cost wasn't very much and it did give us an outing on the water. Maybe the next time we will spring for the submarine trip.
This first photo is taken in front of the check-in place for the boat, of Pat taking a photo of me as I was taking a photo of her. In the background you can see a part of the Reefdancer, the yellow boat behind her, as well as a catamaran across the small harbor near the breakwater.
I have never been on a boat like this and it is a bit different from most. I have some photos taken down below that will give a better idea of what we found inside below the water level. Here is a photo that shows more of the boat and a couple of the crew.
Pat & I are sitting near the stern (back) end of the underwater observation area. The circular stairs behind us are another way to get back to the main deck but are not the primary way.
We left the harbor on about a 20 minute trip to the reef area they use. I was surprised at how shallow all the water there was. We could see the bottom all the way out although it was not as interesting as when we arrived at the coral reef. It is kind of hard to get good photos through these windows and I am sure the color balance is not perfect, but here are a few examples of what we saw:
This shows the reef itself. Coral is alive and growing and is a very important part of the ecology of the ocean. Many fish and other sea creatures live in or near these coral reefs. I don't think there are any noticeable fish in this photo but they are there.
When we arrived over the reef one of the crew, a gal from England, went over the side diving to bring up to the windows some of the things to show us. Many of the fish gathered near her. Here she is bringing a spiny urchin to the window to show. Pat took this photo with our little Sony camera.
Another photo of the diver outside the windows.
This is a school of fish known as Black Durgon Triggerfish or in Hawaiian, humu humu-'ele 'ele. They are an example of those that tend to cluster around divers when they are in the water. The fish are probably around 10 inches in length, maybe a foot, and have that very bright stripe along their bodies where both the upper and lower fins join the body. This is another of Pat's photos.
This view is looking forward from where we were sitting and shows Pat starting up the stairs to the main deck. When we started back toward the harbor we all went up above for the return trip. This boat was pretty good sized, as you can tell from these two photos.
There are a lot of popular things to do in Hawaii around the water and this is one of them, but neither of us were interested in trying this. I guess it is pretty safe because even if the boat towing you stops suddenly the parachute will lower you to the water at a speed that you should not be hurt. At least seriously.
This scene is on the deck as we were returning to the harbor which is ahead and to the port side of the boat. We were glad that we had decided to go in the morning as the sea was smooth enough to make it easy to stand on the deck and we got to see and photograph things that we would have missed had we been below the whole trip. Notice the canvas "tent" above the head of the pilot. Even this early, about 11 in the morning, the sun was starting to get pretty intense. Especially if you were stuck there driving the boat! The hills behind the town are the foothills for the West Maui Mountains. Maui is almost like two islands that have been connected by lava to make one island. This part is older and these mountains are more "rounded" than the newer part of the island formed by Mt. Haleakala, where we were staying. We went to Mt. Haleakala on Sunday and have photos still to come from there.
The ocean going racing sailboat, the America II, is now out of Lahaina Harbor and available to go on. Here she is heading out of the harbor under power before raising sails. This boat was an America's Cup contender a few years ago and is quite fast.
I did get a few photos of my favorite subject while she was on the deck. Pat is concentrating here on her next photo.
The Reefdancer is rounding the breakwater at the entrance to the small harbor at Lahaina. You probably remember that sailboat I had a photo of that had sunk on a reef just outside this harbor in a previous post. You can see from this photo how small that entrance is and there are reefs all around, so that is why the owner wanted to stop overnight and wait for daylight before entering. Unfortunately he anchored too close to one of the reefs and his boat was sunk overnight on that reef.
We enjoyed our trip that day but I had hoped for more to see while near the reefs and better visibility through the boat's underwater windows. The cost wasn't very much and it did give us an outing on the water. Maybe the next time we will spring for the submarine trip.
Labels: Boating, Hawaii, Pat and I, Photos, Trips to see things
Monday, October 08, 2007
Port Townsend, Washington
I have finally gotten the chance to go through and edit down some of the photos from our trip to Pt. Townsend, Washington on Wednesday, September 26th. I was over there in early October of last year with two RVer friends who were staying in a campground near there. This time I was with Pat and our neighbors, D & B and we were staying in our RVs at the campground at Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island. Pt. Townsend is across Puget Sound from there, accessed by a ferry boat ride normally of about 20 minutes.
This is the waterfront of town looking east from the ferry as we were docking.
Out west here we don't have the long history of things back east but Pt. Townsend is one of the oldest communities in the state and there are many stately buildings. We were just walking so didn't have the chance to get around to see many of them but this one and the next were on the bluff above the ferry dock. I think this is a government building of some sort but maybe someone reading this will know for sure and can enlighten us in a comment.
There are many beautiful and well restored mansions in town. This is one easily seen as it is just above the ferry dock.
Here is a street scene from the main road that runs east into the downtown area from the ferry dock. There are many little shops that sell various things. Pat purchased a new purse and strangely enough, her daughter who was on a vacation trip to Leavenworth, WA, on the other side of the Cascade Mountains, bought an identical purse over there. They both like small purses but had gotten to the point where they needed one a little larger than they had.
Another street scene. The building with the parts that are outset from the wall is a condo. Anyone want to buy a half million dollar condo in downtown Pt Townsend?
This is my favorite building in town. It was constructed in 1889 and is beautifully restored. I have a photo of this from a different angle in my set of photos from the previous trip to Pt Townsend in my archives for Oct, 2006. I sure wish the town would spend the money to put those ugly power & phone lines underground!
There is a lot of artwork around town and this is an example. This turtle is fairly large and has a map of Whidbey Island inlaid into it's shell. If anyone wants to buy it I have a photo of the sign with the contact numbers for the artist. I don't know the asking price.
I didn't have my macro lens along but when we found this little caterpillar on a pole I wanted to get a photo. It looks like it has two heads!
This piece of artwork is a metal dragonfly.
And here is a bouquet of glass flowers that were in a large vase outside one shop.
Pt Townsend does have some quiet places along the waterfront in the downtown area and this is one. You can see the ferry slip in the background and a sail boat a bit farther out.
Much of the driftwood along the Sound gets picked up and taken home for souvenirs but I think this one is a bit too large to handle, so it has stayed in place.
The ferry Klickitat is coming out of the fog bank and heading toward the slip in the late afternoon sun. We were on the dock waiting for this boat which was to be the last one of the day as the low tide later in the evening would keep the boat from getting into the slip at Keystone on Whidbey Island. When the boat docked & had unloaded, the Captain made a public announcement that said they would load us and attempt to find and get into the slip at Keystone, but it was possible they might have to bring us all back to Pt. Townsend for the night. That didn't set too well with us as our neighbors had their parrot in their RV and she needed to have the windows closed up and some heat overnight. Plus it would have been a real big expense to have to buy housing and extra meals.
The boat loaded and left & was soon into the fog bank. Then it got dark. It is a bit eery out on the water in the dark when you can't see anything. The boat does have radar but I guess it isn't good enough to locate the small entrance to the harbor at Keystone. When they got close enough to see the shore, they were about half a mile too far south. They proceeded north and as we got near the slip, enough of the fog lifted to make it show up clearly and we went in.
This photo of the boat in the slip loading for the return trip was taken while we were walking in the campground to our rigs, alongside the ferry slip. It is hard to imagine from this view that there is dense fog not too many feet out from shore, but there sure was. Anyway, our trip to Port Townsend was fun and ended on a rather eventful note.
This is the waterfront of town looking east from the ferry as we were docking.
Out west here we don't have the long history of things back east but Pt. Townsend is one of the oldest communities in the state and there are many stately buildings. We were just walking so didn't have the chance to get around to see many of them but this one and the next were on the bluff above the ferry dock. I think this is a government building of some sort but maybe someone reading this will know for sure and can enlighten us in a comment.
There are many beautiful and well restored mansions in town. This is one easily seen as it is just above the ferry dock.
Here is a street scene from the main road that runs east into the downtown area from the ferry dock. There are many little shops that sell various things. Pat purchased a new purse and strangely enough, her daughter who was on a vacation trip to Leavenworth, WA, on the other side of the Cascade Mountains, bought an identical purse over there. They both like small purses but had gotten to the point where they needed one a little larger than they had.
Another street scene. The building with the parts that are outset from the wall is a condo. Anyone want to buy a half million dollar condo in downtown Pt Townsend?
This is my favorite building in town. It was constructed in 1889 and is beautifully restored. I have a photo of this from a different angle in my set of photos from the previous trip to Pt Townsend in my archives for Oct, 2006. I sure wish the town would spend the money to put those ugly power & phone lines underground!
There is a lot of artwork around town and this is an example. This turtle is fairly large and has a map of Whidbey Island inlaid into it's shell. If anyone wants to buy it I have a photo of the sign with the contact numbers for the artist. I don't know the asking price.
I didn't have my macro lens along but when we found this little caterpillar on a pole I wanted to get a photo. It looks like it has two heads!
This piece of artwork is a metal dragonfly.
And here is a bouquet of glass flowers that were in a large vase outside one shop.
Pt Townsend does have some quiet places along the waterfront in the downtown area and this is one. You can see the ferry slip in the background and a sail boat a bit farther out.
Much of the driftwood along the Sound gets picked up and taken home for souvenirs but I think this one is a bit too large to handle, so it has stayed in place.
The ferry Klickitat is coming out of the fog bank and heading toward the slip in the late afternoon sun. We were on the dock waiting for this boat which was to be the last one of the day as the low tide later in the evening would keep the boat from getting into the slip at Keystone on Whidbey Island. When the boat docked & had unloaded, the Captain made a public announcement that said they would load us and attempt to find and get into the slip at Keystone, but it was possible they might have to bring us all back to Pt. Townsend for the night. That didn't set too well with us as our neighbors had their parrot in their RV and she needed to have the windows closed up and some heat overnight. Plus it would have been a real big expense to have to buy housing and extra meals.
The boat loaded and left & was soon into the fog bank. Then it got dark. It is a bit eery out on the water in the dark when you can't see anything. The boat does have radar but I guess it isn't good enough to locate the small entrance to the harbor at Keystone. When they got close enough to see the shore, they were about half a mile too far south. They proceeded north and as we got near the slip, enough of the fog lifted to make it show up clearly and we went in.
This photo of the boat in the slip loading for the return trip was taken while we were walking in the campground to our rigs, alongside the ferry slip. It is hard to imagine from this view that there is dense fog not too many feet out from shore, but there sure was. Anyway, our trip to Port Townsend was fun and ended on a rather eventful note.
Labels: Boating, Friends, Pat and I, Photos, RVing, Small towns, Trips to see things
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Camping at Fort Casey State Park
Our neighbors D & B suggested last week that we plan a getaway for a couple of days with our RVs to Fort Casey State Park at Coupville on Whidbey Island. The park has a campground for RVs and is right next to the Keystone ferry, operated by the Washington State Ferry System, that makes daily runs to the Olympic Peninsula town of Port Townsend. That sounded like fun to us so we laid plans to head there after Pat's volunteer job at the hospital this past Tuesday. D & B left ahead of us but we got there about 14:30 and settled into our camp site which was right on the shore looking out at the ferry dock.
This first photo shows our rig setup with Pat walking nearby. There are no hookups at this park so you are totally boondocking, although there is a dump site and water available to drive to. Generators are permitted to be run between 08:00 and 21:00 hours. State parks are known for wide open spaces and uncrowded camp sites. We were right next to D & B but there is enough space that they barely heard our genset when it was operating.
Here is a good example of the distance between the sites & shows both of our rigs as well as the ferry slip in the background. We will be a lot better off after our visit next week to AM Solar in Eugene, OR to have our solar battery charging system and much larger batteries installed in the rig. Right now I worry about running the small 12volt battery that is supplied with most rigs down with just daily living.
For this photo I have basically turned around from where I was when taking the first one. This is the ferry slip, without a boat. We were catching the next one to go to Pt. Townsend so I was taking photos before we walked over there to catch the boat. They were running late all day because of a lot of fog in the morning so our trip scheduled for noon didn't leave until almost 13:00.
Washington is known as the Evergreen State so it isn't surprising that there are a lot of evergreen plants around here. This is a closeup view of some of the needles and cones on one that was right beside our RV.
A view showing most of the campground, taken from on board the ferry. The first RV that is partially visible near the right side of the photo is ours, with D & B's to the left of it in the photo. This probably gives a better idea of how much space is available here although all of the campsites are not occupied.
There are large bumpers made up of many pilings driven into the bottom that help guide and hold the ferry in place in it's slip. The top of these are popular sites for sea birds to perch on and even build their nests. One of these on the other side of the boat had a nest that was used to hatch babies earlier in the year and I guess they were a very popular thing for the passengers to see.
The name of our boat was the "Klickitat" as you can tell from this photo taken from the passenger deck and looking up toward the superstructure on the top of the boat. These are diesel powered and really don't need those large smokestacks but they all seem to still have them.
Our two RVs in their campsites as seen from the ferry while we were leaving the slip.
This photo is a bit out of order as it was taken when we returned home that night. It was a very eventful return but I'll go more into that later in another post. Suffice it to say that you really can't see the fog in this view! It does show the size of the ferry and this is one of the older & smaller ones in the fleet. I have heard that Washington State operates the largest fleet of ferry boats in the country. They are considered as a part of the highway system as they extend the roads.
I have other photos taken in Pt. Townsend but will save them for another post soon. This pretty much shows the campground and that was my first intent. Check back for the next installment that will cover over there. There are also some photos that I took on this same trip last October when I met RV friends G & J in Pt. Townsend to spend a day with them.
Wow, I discovered that I mislabeled one of the photos I had wanted to put into this set so will now edit the post and add it, a few hours after writing most of the post. It is a photo of my favorite lady about to enter our motorhome.
This does give a bit closer view of the rig and shows the front jacks down to level the rig. Because of that we are using the portable folding extra step on the ground outside. It also shows the leatherette cover over the cab windows. There is an inside curtain that hangs on Velcro that came with it but with that one the heat from the sun comes inside, heating up the curtain thus adding more heat to the rig. We don't need that in hot weather. Plus this one being white reflects a lot of the heat. The door of this rig has that opener at the top which also limits where the door can go. Our Sea Breeze door folded 180 degrees, then hooked in place. I kind of like that better as it is more out of the way but will probably get used to this one.
This first photo shows our rig setup with Pat walking nearby. There are no hookups at this park so you are totally boondocking, although there is a dump site and water available to drive to. Generators are permitted to be run between 08:00 and 21:00 hours. State parks are known for wide open spaces and uncrowded camp sites. We were right next to D & B but there is enough space that they barely heard our genset when it was operating.
Here is a good example of the distance between the sites & shows both of our rigs as well as the ferry slip in the background. We will be a lot better off after our visit next week to AM Solar in Eugene, OR to have our solar battery charging system and much larger batteries installed in the rig. Right now I worry about running the small 12volt battery that is supplied with most rigs down with just daily living.
For this photo I have basically turned around from where I was when taking the first one. This is the ferry slip, without a boat. We were catching the next one to go to Pt. Townsend so I was taking photos before we walked over there to catch the boat. They were running late all day because of a lot of fog in the morning so our trip scheduled for noon didn't leave until almost 13:00.
Washington is known as the Evergreen State so it isn't surprising that there are a lot of evergreen plants around here. This is a closeup view of some of the needles and cones on one that was right beside our RV.
A view showing most of the campground, taken from on board the ferry. The first RV that is partially visible near the right side of the photo is ours, with D & B's to the left of it in the photo. This probably gives a better idea of how much space is available here although all of the campsites are not occupied.
There are large bumpers made up of many pilings driven into the bottom that help guide and hold the ferry in place in it's slip. The top of these are popular sites for sea birds to perch on and even build their nests. One of these on the other side of the boat had a nest that was used to hatch babies earlier in the year and I guess they were a very popular thing for the passengers to see.
The name of our boat was the "Klickitat" as you can tell from this photo taken from the passenger deck and looking up toward the superstructure on the top of the boat. These are diesel powered and really don't need those large smokestacks but they all seem to still have them.
Our two RVs in their campsites as seen from the ferry while we were leaving the slip.
This photo is a bit out of order as it was taken when we returned home that night. It was a very eventful return but I'll go more into that later in another post. Suffice it to say that you really can't see the fog in this view! It does show the size of the ferry and this is one of the older & smaller ones in the fleet. I have heard that Washington State operates the largest fleet of ferry boats in the country. They are considered as a part of the highway system as they extend the roads.
I have other photos taken in Pt. Townsend but will save them for another post soon. This pretty much shows the campground and that was my first intent. Check back for the next installment that will cover over there. There are also some photos that I took on this same trip last October when I met RV friends G & J in Pt. Townsend to spend a day with them.
Wow, I discovered that I mislabeled one of the photos I had wanted to put into this set so will now edit the post and add it, a few hours after writing most of the post. It is a photo of my favorite lady about to enter our motorhome.
This does give a bit closer view of the rig and shows the front jacks down to level the rig. Because of that we are using the portable folding extra step on the ground outside. It also shows the leatherette cover over the cab windows. There is an inside curtain that hangs on Velcro that came with it but with that one the heat from the sun comes inside, heating up the curtain thus adding more heat to the rig. We don't need that in hot weather. Plus this one being white reflects a lot of the heat. The door of this rig has that opener at the top which also limits where the door can go. Our Sea Breeze door folded 180 degrees, then hooked in place. I kind of like that better as it is more out of the way but will probably get used to this one.
Labels: Boating, Friends, Pat and I, Photos, RVing
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A lunch time visit to La Conner, WA
Pat and I decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch today. It is located in the quaint little town of La Conner, about 15 miles from home and on the waterfront of the Swinomish Channel that separates the mainland from Fidalgo Island. Lunch was good as usual and I took advantage of great weather and a beautiful area to take some photos. Artists and photographers alike like to go here to record some of the beauty of the area.
Our restaurant has an outside deck on the water side. While I was waiting for our lunch to be prepared I took the camera out onto that deck for a few photos. Here is one of the artists with her painting and another just beyond hers. The bridge in the background is called the Rainbow Bridge. My lighting for these photos isn't the best at about noon but with the sun starting to move back to the south (late summer) there is a bit of side lighting, so I guess the photo works.
This shows the scene the artists were painting. I have dialed up a bit of a telephoto view (zoom lens) so things are not really quite as close as they look to be here as the lens compresses distance somewhat. As you can see this is quite a boating area.
Here is a medium size power boat heading south through the channel. The tide is a bit low at this time. The land in the background is Tribal land on the Swinomish Reservation, across the channel from La Conner.
Sail boats are about as popular as power boats and here is a fair size one moored alongside a small one on the same pier.
This scene is just a little south of the others and shows a bit more of the waterfront, boats and the Rainbow bridge. The boats on the other side of the channel are mostly fishing boats belonging to Tribal members.
We needed to head back home so this was a short visit. Pat and a neighbor wanted to go to one of the local Farmer's Markets that operates on Wednesday afternoons from something like 2 to 7pm, so we hopped in the car and headed back. We went a different way and stopped at the Rexville Store because of a sign saying they had fresh berries. The stand selling them was closed as I guess the girls operating it have gone back to school, but there was a fascinating out house right in front of where we parked our car.
In this view it looks pretty much like any other porta-potty but I really enjoyed the sign posted on it.
Here is a closer view of that sign. Have you ever seen a better name for a company with this product? Seeing something like this really gives one an appreciation for advertising people. "Wizards of Ooze - Portable Restrooms." Something everyone needs. I don't think this is one of the VIP models!
Our restaurant has an outside deck on the water side. While I was waiting for our lunch to be prepared I took the camera out onto that deck for a few photos. Here is one of the artists with her painting and another just beyond hers. The bridge in the background is called the Rainbow Bridge. My lighting for these photos isn't the best at about noon but with the sun starting to move back to the south (late summer) there is a bit of side lighting, so I guess the photo works.
This shows the scene the artists were painting. I have dialed up a bit of a telephoto view (zoom lens) so things are not really quite as close as they look to be here as the lens compresses distance somewhat. As you can see this is quite a boating area.
Here is a medium size power boat heading south through the channel. The tide is a bit low at this time. The land in the background is Tribal land on the Swinomish Reservation, across the channel from La Conner.
Sail boats are about as popular as power boats and here is a fair size one moored alongside a small one on the same pier.
This scene is just a little south of the others and shows a bit more of the waterfront, boats and the Rainbow bridge. The boats on the other side of the channel are mostly fishing boats belonging to Tribal members.
We needed to head back home so this was a short visit. Pat and a neighbor wanted to go to one of the local Farmer's Markets that operates on Wednesday afternoons from something like 2 to 7pm, so we hopped in the car and headed back. We went a different way and stopped at the Rexville Store because of a sign saying they had fresh berries. The stand selling them was closed as I guess the girls operating it have gone back to school, but there was a fascinating out house right in front of where we parked our car.
In this view it looks pretty much like any other porta-potty but I really enjoyed the sign posted on it.
Here is a closer view of that sign. Have you ever seen a better name for a company with this product? Seeing something like this really gives one an appreciation for advertising people. "Wizards of Ooze - Portable Restrooms." Something everyone needs. I don't think this is one of the VIP models!
Labels: Boating, Photos, Small towns, Trips to see things
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Memorial Day tour of the USS Ingraham
The house is nearly ready to list and I have finally had enough time to work a bit on the photos from our Memorial Day tour of my son's Navy ship, the USS Ingraham. Pat, her 13 YO grandson B, and I were shown around the ship by my son B, who is a crewman on her. They were not participating in an official open house but we were able to tour with B as a guide.
This isn't the first photo I took but I thought I'd start with it here. We were outdoors looking down onto the main deck and this brightly colored life ring really stood out. It does show the name of the ship.
B doesn't work on the bridge but we were lucky enough to find a Chief who does and he gave us a tour of the bridge. The Ingerham is a fast frigate that was built in 1989 so it is fairly new. It's main mission is to find & destroy enemy submarines so most of it's armaments are things that would fit that use. One of the first things we looked for when we came into the pilot house was the steering wheel. We couldn't find it. Here is why:
That little brass wheel is it. They no longer use cables that directly move the rudder so a large wheel isn't necessary. That one is about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. The gauge above it is a rudder position gauge that indicates where the rudder is pointed. Some of the navigation and communications systems are amazing.
This photo was taken just outside the bridge on the port side. That large container on the left is one of the lifeboat containers. There are at least three ways they can be opened including one that automatically opens & inflates it if the container is submerged to 6 feet or more under water. Someone must make a lot of money from selling gray paint to the Navy. It seems like they know of no other color.
This view is looking up toward the top of the mast. Of course there are no sails here but you can see some of the many antennae that are used with the many communications systems.
Here we are walking across the main deck, with B, Pat and my son B, left to right. This ship is fairly narrow and I guess it tends to rock pretty strongly when the seas are striking her from the side. They carry two helicopters on the aft deck and will turn into the weather to help stabilize the platform for them to land or take off from.
We were able to see the crew living quarters. It isn't quite like a room in a Hilton Inn. That lower bunk, called a coffin bunk, is B's. There are some that are a little larger but they do not have the built in storage under the mattress so he would rather have this style. Just be careful to not sit up too fast!
Here is the aft deck, where the helicopters land when the ship is deployed. While in port it is the area where the gang plank ends and you step off onto the ship. You can see another of the ships that are home ported at Naval Station Everett in the background, tied up to another pier.
The tour was fun and Pat's grandson really enjoyed it. You don't realize how tight the quarters are on these ships until you actually tour one. They try to have things to occupy free time and do have crew rooms with large LCD TVs, DVD players and satellite TV. Internet email is available while in port or at sea. B is assigned to this ship until later this fall when he finishes four years of sea duty and starts three years of shore duty. This is the third ship he has been assigned to in his a bit over ten years in the Navy. I guess there will be at least one more if he gets to finish a twenty year career with them. Our tour was fairly short as he was to be on watch at noon, but it was fun to see where he spends his time. Like I said, it isn't like staying in a Hilton or on a cruise ship, but they do make good use of all the space they have. I was in the Army myself but is is fun to see another branch of the service at work.
This isn't the first photo I took but I thought I'd start with it here. We were outdoors looking down onto the main deck and this brightly colored life ring really stood out. It does show the name of the ship.
B doesn't work on the bridge but we were lucky enough to find a Chief who does and he gave us a tour of the bridge. The Ingerham is a fast frigate that was built in 1989 so it is fairly new. It's main mission is to find & destroy enemy submarines so most of it's armaments are things that would fit that use. One of the first things we looked for when we came into the pilot house was the steering wheel. We couldn't find it. Here is why:
That little brass wheel is it. They no longer use cables that directly move the rudder so a large wheel isn't necessary. That one is about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. The gauge above it is a rudder position gauge that indicates where the rudder is pointed. Some of the navigation and communications systems are amazing.
This photo was taken just outside the bridge on the port side. That large container on the left is one of the lifeboat containers. There are at least three ways they can be opened including one that automatically opens & inflates it if the container is submerged to 6 feet or more under water. Someone must make a lot of money from selling gray paint to the Navy. It seems like they know of no other color.
This view is looking up toward the top of the mast. Of course there are no sails here but you can see some of the many antennae that are used with the many communications systems.
Here we are walking across the main deck, with B, Pat and my son B, left to right. This ship is fairly narrow and I guess it tends to rock pretty strongly when the seas are striking her from the side. They carry two helicopters on the aft deck and will turn into the weather to help stabilize the platform for them to land or take off from.
We were able to see the crew living quarters. It isn't quite like a room in a Hilton Inn. That lower bunk, called a coffin bunk, is B's. There are some that are a little larger but they do not have the built in storage under the mattress so he would rather have this style. Just be careful to not sit up too fast!
Here is the aft deck, where the helicopters land when the ship is deployed. While in port it is the area where the gang plank ends and you step off onto the ship. You can see another of the ships that are home ported at Naval Station Everett in the background, tied up to another pier.
The tour was fun and Pat's grandson really enjoyed it. You don't realize how tight the quarters are on these ships until you actually tour one. They try to have things to occupy free time and do have crew rooms with large LCD TVs, DVD players and satellite TV. Internet email is available while in port or at sea. B is assigned to this ship until later this fall when he finishes four years of sea duty and starts three years of shore duty. This is the third ship he has been assigned to in his a bit over ten years in the Navy. I guess there will be at least one more if he gets to finish a twenty year career with them. Our tour was fairly short as he was to be on watch at noon, but it was fun to see where he spends his time. Like I said, it isn't like staying in a Hilton or on a cruise ship, but they do make good use of all the space they have. I was in the Army myself but is is fun to see another branch of the service at work.
Labels: Boating, Grandkids, Pat and I, Photos, Trips to see things
