12:10 PM: That’s a U.S. Coast Guard file photo of the Eagle, a tall ship the USCG uses for training. It’s on the way to visit the USCG station on the downtown waterfront, so you’ll see it in Elliott Bay later today (we just checked Vessel Finder, and it’s in the North Sound, about to turn southward along Whidbey Island, traveling at 11 knots right now so likely a few hours out).
3:18 PM: And that was the last time it visited here, according to this USCG news release which includes info about public tours the next two days. Meantime, VesselFinder shows that the Eagle is just passing West Point right now, so it should be in Elliott Bay soon.
4:42 PM: Thanks to Steven Rice for the photo as Eagle sailed into the bay:
One day after Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth returned to three-boat service after almost three years, another milestone for Washington State Ferries – a builder has been chosen for its next three new boats. From the announcement:
Governor Bob Ferguson today announced he has selected the $714.5 million bid from Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group to build three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries. Washington State Ferries (WSF) will move forward with the contracting process, following the first competitive bid for ferry construction in more than 25 years. …
The contract award comes after a comprehensive year-long process of advertising, pre-qualifying shipyards, and answering shipyard requests for clarification. Two shipyards submitted bids. Eastern’s bid was 6% lower than WSF’s own engineer’s estimate, and significantly lower than the other bidder.
The shipyard bid is only part of the new build process. There is an additional approximately $150 million for the first vessel for owner-furnished equipment, construction management, WSF crew training, and risk contingencies. This brings the cost of the first vessel to approximately $405 million, the second to $360 million, and the third to $325 million, as contingency risk decreases with lessons learned from each previous construction. …
According to its website, Eastern Shipbuilding Group has built more than 350 vessels, including ferries. It was one of two bidders; the other was Nichols Brothers Boat Builders on Whidbey Island. State law was changed to allow ferries to be built out of state.
1:22 PM: Just a note in case you’re hearing the cannon fire: The Seafair Pirates, aboard the landing craft Prudhoe Bay again this year, are on their way to storm Alki Beach. Updates to come.
1:38 PM: The Pirates have arrived. Lots of cannon fire preceded. We’re told they’ll seize the key to the city from a deputy mayor.
2:06 PM: Still awaiting that.
2:49 PM: All the antics and ceremony aboard Moby Duck – with Queen Alcyone (former SPD Chief Carmen Best), King Neptune (former TV news anchor Eric Johnson), and Deputy Mayor Greg Wong – has concluded. Separate report later with pics and video! (Update: See all that here.)
A few hours into today’s air-and-sea SWAT drill off West Seattle, we had the chance to visit the staging area on Port of Seattle property, where participating officers were boarding helicopters. The “helipad” used for the occasion was a big empty lot just south and uphill from the port-property entrance across from the Harbor Island 7-11.
Three law-enforcement helicopters were coming and going, delivering officers to participating vessels off both the north and west shores of West Seattle, including the King County Water Taxi‘s M/V Sally Fox:
Officers also were deployed from law-enforcement boats:
We asked King County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division Chief Jeff Flohr, who’s in charge of SWAT and other teams, about the drill scenario and who was involved:
KCSO had three of its four helicopters participating – two were Guardian Twos (the Hueys with the unmistakable low and loud chopping sound – listen to our short clip)
Also participating, one of KCSO’s two Guardian Ones, the newer one; these are the helicopters most seen in crime-related responses, the only law-enforcement helicopters in the region, so they assist other agencies including Seattle Police,.
Though the original announcement had the training running as late as 7 pm, Chief Flohr said the flights will be over no later than 3:30.
We’ve been hearing from people about police-boat activity seen off West Seattle shores, involving various commercial boats (Kitsap Transit, Victoria Clipper among the sightings reported). Turns out that the type of drill we got warning of for tomorrow, involving the Water Taxi, apparently are happening with other agencies today, although the time frame in this representative tweet is a little off.
We haven’t been to Don Armeni Boat Ramp for a look but on this day every year it’s usually full of trailers, and the area will be busy once the closing time is past this afternoon. The state says spot shrimp are the largest shrimp in Puget Sound and can grow to nine inches long.
That’s one of our photos from a law-enforcement tactical drill off West Seattle shores in 2016. The King County Sheriff’s Office has sent this advance alert of something similar planned for this Thursday:
The King County Sheriff’s Office TAC-30 and Seattle SWAT teams will be conducting a maritime training exercise in West Seattle in support of our regional transit partners on May 22nd, 2025 from 7 am-7 pm. There will be Officers and Deputies near Jack Block Park and the West Seattle Water Taxi Terminal (1660 Harbor Ave SW) wearing SWAT equipment and uniforms. There will also be several police helicopters and vessels operating in the area. There will be no interruption to the normal Water Taxi schedule for commuters. We have made every effort to ensure aircraft flight paths stay over the water as much as possible to minimize any disruptions. King County’s TAC-30 and Seattle SWAT are constantly training to provide the citizens of King County with quality police services.
Thanks to the texter who points out that a former Navy submarine under tow is soon to pass West Seattle this morning. The vessel under tow by the Gary Chouest is reported to be the “moored training ship” MTS-635, formerly the USS Sam Rayburn. It’s being towed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton to be scrapped and was inactivated in Norfolk – this story has an abundance of background.
Thanks to Bob Spears for the photo of Norwegian Bliss as it headed out on this year’s first Seattle-to-Alaska cruise this afternoon. As previewed here Thursday, this is the first of 298 expected cruise-ship calls at Seattle’s three berths (two in Magnolia, one downtown) between now and mid-October. According to the season schedule, the second one is Monday, when Carnival Spirit sails from Pier 91. It carries up to 2,100+ passengers, about half the capacity of Norwegian Bliss.
(Norwegian Bliss arriving in April 2024 – photo by Lynn Hall)
The Port of Seattle sent a reminder today that cruise-ship season starts this Saturday (April 12) – here’s the full-season schedule, with the last scheduled cruise-ship call to be on October 19th. The port says it’s expecting 298 sailings with 1.9 million “revenue passengers, which comes out to more than 900,000 unique passengers.” The headline for today’s announcement (which you can read in full here) is that this is the first season with shore power available at all three of Seattle’s cruise-ship berths. (Update: We followed up to ask how many of the visiting ships are expected to use it. Port spokesperson Chris Guizlo told us 71 percent of the calls are shore-power-capable.) The berth closest to West Seattle is Pier 66 downtown, and that will host mostly Norwegian Cruise Line ships this season, including the one that starts the season on Saturday, Norwegian Bliss (also the first ship last year, as shown above). Among them will be a Seattle first-timer – the port notes, “This June, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth will spend its first home port season in Seattle. The vessel will offer eleven sailings this season, with 7- to 11-day itineraries from June to September.”
Thanks to Chris Frankovich for the photo! Northbound off West Seattle right now, that’s American Constitution, operated by American Cruise Lines, which trackers show headed out from Tacoma this morning. Looks like you’ll see it around our area for a while, as its upcoming schedule starts with a cruise around Puget Sound and the San Juans, round trip from Seattle starting Saturday.
Thanks to Chris May for the photos of the Olympic-class state ferry M/V Chimacum being towed past Duwamish Head around 9 am today. It appeared to be bound for the Vigor shipyard on Harbor Island – where it was built less than a decade ago – and Washington State Ferries spokesperson Dana Warr confirms that’s indeed where Chimacum was being towed.
Warr told us, “This is part of its planned maintenance and Coast Guard-required inspections that must occur every several years. That includes a hull inspection and other things that can only be done when the vessel is in drydocks out of the water. It’s also getting some new paint.” It’s been on the Bainbridge/Seattle run.
Multiple texters – including the one who sent that photo – told us about Washington State Ferries‘ M/V Tacoma under tow off Alki. No, it’s not another ferry breakdown. We checked with WSF, and spokesperson Dana Warr explained, “The Tacoma has been in drydock at Vigor Shipyard and today is moving to Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility for continuation of planned preservation work. The vessel is expected to return to service late March or early April.”
4:29 PM: Thanks to Steven Rice for the photo! Seen from West Seattle late this morning, a submarine and NOAA ship Oscar Dyson, an “ultra-quiet fisheries survey vessel” currently at Terminal 46 downtown. (That’s West Point Lighthouse in the photo.)
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: We sent a note to the Oscar Dyson’s general email address, asking about their Seattle visit, and Commander Emily Rose replied, “The ship is in Seattle for a few more days before heading back to Kodiak after completing some repairs in the Puget Sound area.”
5:34 PM: If you’re noticing the emergency-response boats off Beach Drive north of Lowman Beach, here’s what it’s about: SPD and Coast Guard crews are helping a sailboat that needs assistance. No injuries reported, so there’s no shoreside response at this point (aside from SPD, which has since cleared).
7:08 PM: Thanks to James Bratsanos for the photo added above.
Thanks to Kathleen Fueger for the photo of a U.S. Navy submarine in view as it passed Alki this morning. That’s the second submarine sighting in less than a week, though we don’t know if it’s the same one; the Navy told us they generally don’t comment on specific submarines’ movements, though they did offer an explanation of last week’s steam emission.
Thanks for the tips and photos! Also seen on Alki this afternoon and getting a lot of attention, the SS Cape Intrepid. No, it’s not a U.S. Navy vessel – the Cape Intrepid is a U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve ship that can support the Navy, and has been moored in Tacoma. Trackers say the Cape Intrepid is out on “sea trials” right now, passing the south end of Whidbey Island.
9:58 AM: Thanks for the tips and photo. A U.S. Navy submarine was in view off Alki Point a short time ago, with surface escorts. It’s not identified on the public tracking service we use, but a tugboat with it is tracking and continuing to head north.
10:05 AM: Another reader just sent the closer look we’ve added above. We have an inquiry out to USN Public Affairs to see if there’s anything they can tell us about the submarine.
1:12 PM: Lt. Zachary Anderson from Submarine Group 9 at Bangor didn’t identify the submarine, but regarding the attention-getting steam, he told us that “there are numerous routine submarine operations that may result in steam. The most likely is that the submarine was practicing using its diesel engine. When the boat does so steam and exhaust is released at the surface through its sail.”
The photo is from Timothy Oliver (thanks!), who just saw the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) from Alki Point, noting it’s his first time seeing one so close-up. The Nimitz is currently headed northbound in Puget Sound, according to VesselFinder.
2:48 PM: Thanks to Chris Frankovich for the photo! That Matson cargo ship (Manulani) is one of the vessels that have sounded horns in the past hour-plus as they navigated through sailboats participating in today’s Duwamish Head Race, organized by the Three Tree Point Yacht Club. While Chris’s photo showed a view from west-facing southwest West Seattle, VesselFinder shows about 20 racers currently off Alki.
ADDED 4:36 PM: Thanks to David Hutchinson for this closeup view of one of the participating boats:
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