Thanks for sending the photo! A reader noticed the SS Cape Island passing West Seattle, northbound, this afternoon. We’ve shown it two previous times in the past 12 years; it’s a Tacoma-based Ready Reserve Force ship, 45 years old, 685 feet long, steam-powered. It’s still headed north in Puget Sound right now, passing Whidbey Island per MarineTraffic.com, destination not listed.
You make it seem like the ship is an old relic: Reserve force, steam power, 45 years old. So old it apparently can only go to sea once every 4 years. I guess it isn’t sail/oar powered so luckily it doesn’t qualify as ancient… But that ship is still younger than me… LOL
While looking around for current information, I did find a story from a few years ago about how the Ready Reserve Force fleet is aging and difficult to crew because finding people certified in steam-powered ship operation is ever-tougher … TR
This is a turbo activation and is done to test readiness of the vessel in time of need or emergency.
Steam is still the basis of propulsion in nuclear “powered” vessels.It all winds up in a steam turbine to a reduction gear to turn a propeller shaft.The National Defense Reserve Fleet is similar to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet that my company & fleet is being deployed on short notice to transport refugees from Afghanistan to various places around the world.
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