West Seattle, Washington
30 Wednesday
6:34 PM: Thanks for the texted tip! MarineTraffic.com confirms that’s the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), southbound toward Alki Point right now. Four weeks have passed since the Bremerton-based aircraft carrier headed out.
7:44 PM: Added a photo, texted by a reader who was on the Bremerton ferry when it passed Nimitz. (Thank you!)
P.S. A search for recent news about the Nimitz reveals the Navy has initiated the “deactivation” process, looking ahead to decommissioning it in 2026.
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of today’s sunrise over downtown, with fishing boats out on the bay. It’s the first of four consecutive days in which inner Elliott Bay is open to Chinook salmon fishing, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is posting fishing-season updates here. This next photo, taken, a bit later, is from Brian Moore:
Brian says the Don Armeni Boat Ramp parking lot “was full by 5:00,” so apparently this was an exception to Parks’ earlier statement about the 6:00 am lot-opening time. (Update: Don Armeni’s website says it’s opening daily at 4 am through Monday.) According to WDFW, fishing is supposed to end (corrected) by noon Monday.
(Photo by Gary Jones – USS Sampson passing Alki)
12:32 PM: As noted in our daily event list, today’s the day for Seafair‘s downsized Parade of Ships, this year featuring one U.S. Navy destroyer and several U.S. Coast Guard boats. The official “parade” is along the downtown waterfront, but the participating ships sail eastward along Alki and the rest of West Seattle’s north-facing shoreline along the way, so we’re watching from Luna/Anchor Park, as the ships approach Alki Point for their eastward turn. In addition to the ship announced this morning by the U.S. Navy, USS Sampson (DDG 102), online tracking identifies the USCG participants as including Terrapin, Osprey, Sea Lion, buoy tender Henry Blake, and newly commissioned David Duren. (Seattle fireboat Leschi is heading out to greet them.)
(Photo by Javier Fosado – SFD fireboat Leschi with USS Sampson)
The Sampson and some of the USCG vessels will be open for tours on the downtown waterfront Wednesday-Sunday; see the schedule here.
12:54 PM: Now passing Duwamish Head, with the Sampson leading the way.
1:39 PM: The ships have moved on to downtown.
2:42 PM: Here are our pics with a closer look:
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
As we’ve been chronicling since the weekend, the Duwamish Tribe‘s canoe family is joining this year’s scaled-down regional Tribal Journey – but had to change plans today because of stormy weather. Instead of paddling from Suquamish and landing at Alki on the way to tonight’s Tribal Journey stop in Des Moines, the Duwamish canoe launched this afternoon from Don Armeni Boat Ramp.
Though this year’s Canoe Journey focus is on youth paddlers, the participating canoe families are bringing paddlers of all ages, with the elders serving as menors. Among those on the Duwamish canoe is one of the tribe’s longtime board members, Ken Workman, a descendant of Chief Sealth:
After tonight’s stop at Saltwater State Park (Alki was not an official stop this year, but the Duwamish were going to make a ceremonial visit), canoe families head to Tacoma tomorrow.
The Puyallup Tribe is this year’s Canoe Journey host. A different tribe hosts each year.
(WSB photo, July 2023)
The first of this summer’s two major human-powered-boat racing events at Alki is happening tomorrow! Dozens of outrigger-canoe paddlers from around the region are expected for the annual “Da Grind” races, hosted by the Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club. The event will last much of the day, starting with registration at 7 am and continuing until awards are presented around 3:30 pm. Paddlers will race on one of two courses – 4 miles (along Alki) or 12 miles (out to Blake Island and back); see the maps on the race page.
P.S. The other major human-powered boat racing event is Sound Rowers’ Great Cross-Sound Race, coming up August 24.
Thanks to Mark Daughhetee for the photo of tall ship Lady Washington off Alki today! Two months ago, another reader caught it headed southbound for a stay in Tacoma; today it’s in transit from Port Orchard to Everett. The 35-year-old replica of an 18th-century sailing ship is homeported in Aberdeen but sails around the region (and beyond) offering day/evening sailing trips and tours (see its schedule here).
(Courtesy Mark B. Bauschke Photography)
Thanks to everybody who asked, and sent images, of the U.S. Coast Guard operation off Alki this past hour. We called District 13 Public Affairs to ask; they told us it was a “rescue demonstration.”
(Video sent by Eli Barlag)
(Photo sent by Thomas Bach)
Early warning that you’ll also see USCG non-emergency activity over and off Alki on July 30th – that’s the date for this year’s Seafair Parade of Ships, and the USCG will be participating along with the US Navy and Canadian Navy.
(Added: Photo by D, via X/Twitter)
Thanks to Andrea for the tip! As confirmed by MarineTraffic.com, the Bremerton-based aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is northbound in Puget Sound right now, sailing across the mouth of Elliott Bay.
(Added: Photo sent by Kevin)
Thanks to Gary Jones for the photo! The historic former Coast Guard Cutter Comanche passed West Seattle today, northbound from its home in Tacoma, headed for South Lake Union, where it’s scheduled for an open house at Lake Union Park. It’s owned by a foundation that’s been raising money to restore it; the ship’s history is on this website – it’s 80 years old and served as a tug after its decommissioning in 1980.
Thanks to Robin for the photo! She and others mentioned the tall ship Lady Washington passing West Seattle this afternoon. The Aberdeen-homeported ship was heading to Tacoma, where it’ll be offering day sails and dockside tours for several weeks starting Thursday. The Lady Washington is a replica of an 18th-century ship of the same name, built in 1989 (here’s the history), and has been featured in movies including episodes of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Trek” series.
Thanks to Logan for the photo. Several people have asked about the gathering of boats in Elliott Bay (and trailers at Don Armeni Boat Ramp). It’s the one-day, four-hour spot-shrimp season, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife website – 9 am to 1 pm. There may be an encore during the same hours May 30 “if quota remains,” WDFW says. Spot shrimp, aka prawns, are described as the largest shrimp in Puget Sound; they can grow to up to nine inches long.
Thanks to Mary for the photo taken before the morning clouds cleared. As discussed here, the reason for the concentration of boats off west-facing West Seattle is that recreational fishing season is open for lingcod.
An alert from the King County Sheriff’s Office:
Heads up! Today until 3 PM we are conducting joint training with the King County Water Taxi in Elliott Bay. If you see Guardian One & an increased police presence, there is no cause for alarm.
Guardian One is the KCSO helicopter, which is also used by other law-enforcement agencies including Seattle Police.
Just in from Kersti Muul: “Male elephant seal off Weather Watch Park. Pretty close in.” If you’re not familiar with it, Weather Watch is the beachfront pocket park at Beach Drive/SW Carroll (across from La Rustica). You can see what elephant seals look like in this sighting report from 2021.
(Port of Seattle photo, Norwegian Bliss in 2018)
As commenter CarDriver pointed out below the morning traffic/transportation roundup, Seattle’s cruise season is about to start – you’ll see the first of those giant passenger ships on Elliott Bay by Saturday (April 6), when NCL’s Norwegian Bliss is expected to sail from Pier 66 on the downtown waterfront. The port already offers shore power at its other cruise terminal, in Magnolia, and has been working on it for Pier 66 (see info on the $44 million project here), but it won’t be available at the start of the season. Port of Seattle spokesperson Peter McGraw tells WSB that the shore-power capability at Pier 66 is expected to launch around midseason (which would be midsummer, as cruise season continues until early October). See this year’s ship schedule here.
Thanks to Doug Eglington for sending the photo. Piling placement work continues at West Seattle’s Don Armeni Boat Ramp, one month after the start of the long-in-the-works dock-replacement project. American Construction is the contractor for the work to install new concrete floats and steel pilings, which is expected to continue until mid-March, with one float kept open at all times so the ramp remains usable.
If you’re missing a 12-foot-or-so length of dock, that might be it in Angela‘s photo above (thanks also to Pam for a similar report). In the wake of this morning’s 13-foot “king tide,” the wayward wooden structure was seen by Luna/Anchor Park on Duwamish Head.
12:03 PM: No photos yet but thanks to Tiah for asking via a comment – all those sailboats off west-facing West Seattle are part of the year’s first race, the Three Tree Point Yacht Club‘s Duwamish Head Race. 65 registrants, according to the TTPYC website. The route (mapped here) goes from Des Moines to, of course, Duwamish Head, and back.
(Reader photo)
12:23 PM: Thanks to those who have since sent pics!
(Reader photo)
(Photo by Gene Pavola)
ADDED 2:39 PM: Jamie Kinney recorded some aerial video as the boats rounded Alki Point:
The sky was clear, as were the voices of The Dickens Carolers, as the Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship made its first of this year’s three West Seattle stops tonight at Don Armeni Boat Ramp. We recorded the mini-concert of holiday classics on video:
The downtown skyline provided a gleaming backdrop, including the red and green roof lights of the SODO stadiums. This year’s West Seattle schedule is the same as last year, so you have two more chances tomorrow to see and hear the Christmas Ship without leaving the peninsula – 5:35 pm at/near Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW, WSB sponsor) and 8:35 pm at Alki (usually near the Bathhouse, 60th/Alki), with a Seattle Parks-supervised bonfire on the beach.
Thanks for the tips! Six days after it headed northbound, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is headed back home to Bremerton, passing the mouth of Elliott Bay right now before turning into Rich Passage.
8:17 PM: SFD is sending units by land and sea to look into a report of a 30′ sailboat that’s possibly adrift 200 feet offshore, south of Lincoln Park.
8:23 PM: Responders say it’s an anchored vessel, not in distress, so they’re canceling the response.
(Added: Reader photo)
Thanks to Britt for the tip: Less than six weeks after returning to Bremerton, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is outbound again, just about to pass Alki Point.
The West Seattle Water Taxi‘s 2 pm run was delayed a bit today, and the explanatory alert was terse: “Crew of the Doc Maynard rescuing a barge that was adrift along the Seattle waterfront.” We asked Metro spokesperson Al Sanders for more info, and here’s what we received:
(Photo courtesy Metro)
Preliminary details from MV Doc Maynard Capt. Dan Krehbiel:
The Doc Maynard, a King County Water Taxi, was en route to Pier 50 from Seacrest Dock at approximately 1 p.m. when the crew spotted a fully loaded container barge dangerously adrift from Pier 18 near Harbor Island, headed across Elliott Bay.
When the Water Taxi crew didn’t spot a tug next to the barge, they moved to intercept the vessel, which was moving toward the vicinity of the Great Wheel and the Seattle Aquarium, and attempted to push the barge away from the heart of the waterfront.
Captain Krehbiel was able to use the Doc Maynard’s bow to push and direct the barge north, where it eventually landed in the vicinity of Pier 66. Tugs arrived to pin the ship to the terminal until the barge owner could arrange transport.
The Doc Maynard did not sustain any damage to the bow, which steered the wayward barge away from the waterfront. Water taxi service was delayed by approximately 15 minutes as a result of this incident.
A Twitter/X user got it on video – watch here. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the barge mishap.
(USCG photo)
ADDED 6:49 PM: Kevin Freitas shares this time lapse from one of his cameras on this side of the bay:
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