If you wondered too: Big white ship in the bay = Olympics-bound

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Sharonn for sending that photo after we mentioned this earlier on Twitter: After a note from Deborra asking about the unusual-looking white ship in the middle of Elliott Bay. We looked it up with a website you should bookmark if you get curious about ship sightings too: marinetraffic.com’s Seattle map. It’s the Mona Lisa, a chartered passenger ship according to this info-page (which also has a closeup file photo). More background here helped indirectly point us to confirmation of what Sharonn said she’d heard – The News Tribune reported last week that Mona Lisa is one of the ships headed to Vancouver to serve as floating hotels for workers coming in for the Winter Games. 3:33 PM UPDATE: Zack shares a closer view – first, the entire photo, then a closer view, since his note to us called attention to the funnel art honoring the ship’s namesake:

B January 22, 2010 (2:25 pm)

Does anyone else find it bizarre that people would waste time reporting ship sightings…

WSB January 22, 2010 (2:32 pm)

Part of our business is answering questions, and sometimes when people can’t figure out where to find the answers, they ask us, and we pursue the info. I could have just responded to Deborra and left it off the site, which happens at least a few times a day regarding questions we answer, but often if the “what’s that?” object is big enough, other people were wondering the same thing. We get ship sightings, police sightings, fire sightings, coyote sightings, quirky-art-outside-house sightings, and many more. That’s part of what this is all about. Sorry if you weren’t interested, but we’re happy to be able to help … TR

timeslid January 22, 2010 (2:47 pm)

I did notice the very large plume of smoke belching out of the beast. Oh, and to top it off it was blowing strait to W.S.! Sweet.

Robert2715 January 22, 2010 (3:01 pm)

I think that cruise ship is on the small side compared to the big ones we get during the Summer. I think most of them “plug in” to our power grid once they dock nowadays so they shouldn’t spew too much smoke once docked.

coffee January 22, 2010 (3:32 pm)

I don’t find it any more strange or bizarre. In contrast, its interesting, and its nice to read something that is not tragic, or that another place has been robbed etc.

hopey January 22, 2010 (4:00 pm)

Personally, I’m happy this was posted just for the link to marinetraffic.com . I live with a view of the commercial/shipping lane down to Tacoma, and often wonder what some of the more strangely shaped vessels are. Now that I know about the marine traffic website, I will always be able to find out! Thanks, TR!

cjboffoli January 22, 2010 (4:05 pm)

The marine traffic link is super cool. I’m not surprised to see they’ve avoided posting ship locations in the maritime corridors around Somalia.
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Seattle has a great maritime tradition. I think it is completely relevant to post an item about something out of the ordinary in Elliott Bay. The post drew MY attention.

miws January 22, 2010 (4:21 pm)

Does anyone else find it bizarre that people would waste time commenting on topics that apparently don’t interest them?

Mike

JayDee January 22, 2010 (4:45 pm)

I think the Marine Traffic Link is tres cool. I see ships from the house all the time and always wonder about them. I think it is cool that somebody cares enough to even take pictures of them.

Seattle is a maritime town still, and I am glad it is–it means we still have a connection to the sea and rely on it for more than tourist nostalgia. Thanks WSB.

LAP January 22, 2010 (7:28 pm)

We were checking out this ship today from our office windows and when no one could figure out what it was or why it was here I said “I’ll go home and check the West Seattle Blog – betcha it’s been reported on and discussed there today.” and….ta-da…..here is the story. Thanks for being there when we need you for even odd/offbeat things like this!

bridge to somewhere January 22, 2010 (8:05 pm)

i saw it on my drive home from UW today. i was actually curious about this ship, as it was all rusty and 60s looking. it’s interesting that i thought on my drive home, “i’ll never know what that was all about” and then a few hours later, here it is! WSB is great.

22blades January 22, 2010 (9:34 pm)

Great link to the vessel traffic site! Thanks so much. As for the Mona Lisa, it’s a bit tired but hey, it’s only for the help, right? Ugh… Can’t see it right now though, I’m in Tokyo.

strieker January 22, 2010 (10:44 pm)

I keep seeing these ships all day. They’re white and green with a big hole in the front and back. I think I actually saw somebody drive a car onto one of them, right through that big hole in the front. Can somebody please tell me exactly what is going on with these ships? OMG! There are a whole bunch of them now.

Drew January 22, 2010 (11:51 pm)

This ship is an old classic…a bit past her prime, but still cool to see. Thanks for the post.

Leroniusmonkfish January 23, 2010 (6:23 am)

Miws :) That cracked me up! And that marine traffic link will come in real handy down here in AZ… :)

sa January 23, 2010 (7:11 am)

Thanks for that link. It looks like the boat has moved on. Probably an older cruise ship, perhaps used in the Mediterranean?

ccdceb January 23, 2010 (10:55 am)

Thrilled to see the great ship coming in yesterday from Harbor Island. Former Swedish American Line Kungsholm of 1966. Probably the last time a transatlantic liner will be seen in Elliott bay.

Boatguy January 24, 2010 (7:47 am)

In regards to the comment “…anyone else find it bizarre…” Ship sighting (This for some who have no sense of Seattle’s maritime heritage) should not be construed as a waste of time, time I’ll never get back reporting that fact.

condoresident January 24, 2010 (1:41 pm)

Thanks for posting this information. I knew it was familiar to me, but the viaduct (I will mourn when its torn down!) was a bit too far away to identify it. The paint job has deteriorated since I last saw it in the summer of 2004 in Norway. I think the Mona Lisa is marketed towards the european audience when it is sailing.

ccdceb, you’re right, it’s probably the last time we’ll see a ship like it in Elliot Bay. Holland America Line got rid of its 1959 ss Rotterdam because it was too expensive to refit it up to today’s maritime fire safety codes and clean up the asbestos. That ship is currently being transformed into a museum/hotel in Holland. Pity we are stuck with the big “boxes” of today. Even HAL is falling in line with the box “fashion” started by RCCL and others.

George January 24, 2010 (6:15 pm)

Thanks for this article and the thoughtful comments. There is a lot of interesting stuff on the waterfront for those who are willing to open their eyes. I have always been interested in that old ferry that I see down by Ivar’s, is that planned to become an exhibition someday? (You might only be able to see it from the water.)

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