NOAA Vessels to Moor in Seattle

The Port of Seattle announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will moor vessels in Seattle this winter. The agency announced that its ships will be docked at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 30 facility, which is leased and operated by Cruise Terminals of America. The vessels will moor at the facility from November through March of 2008. NOAA's Marine Operations Center - Pacific has been located on Fairview Avenue East on the shore of Lake Union since 1963. In July of 2006, two piers on the property were damaged in a fire. Since that time, the federal research agency has moored its four vessels at Sand Point, on Lake Washington, and at Federal Center South on the East Duwamish Waterway. The agency was considering temporary moorage sites outside of Seattle for the coming winter, and the Port of Seattle worked with NOAA to find local moorage for the vessels. The Terminal 30 site is close enough to NOAA's Sand Point facility to be practical and large enough to allow moorage of up to two vessels at once.(While only two vessels can moor at a time, up to four overall may moor at T-30 during the course of the contract.) The terminal also has paved areas that can be used for parking as well as for staging equipment and gear. "NOAA is important to the entire maritime community," Hara said. "Their presence provides work for local maritime industry vendors, suppliers and workers. It also supports research conducted at the University of Washington. The Port of Seattle is very pleased to partner with them."