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Lake Union News

26 Apr 2021

MARAD Awards $20 Million in Shipyard Grants

(Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Monday awarded $19.6 million in grants aiming to help 31 shipyards modernize, increase productivity, and expand local employment opportunities while competing in the global marketplace.The grants were awarded to shipbuilding and repair yards in 15 states throughout the U.S. as part of MARAD's Small Shipyard Grant Program. Since 2008, the program has awarded $262.5 million to nearly 300 shipyards in 32 states and territories.

04 Jan 2018

EPA Provides $650K for Diesel Engine Refits

© Cliff W Estes / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) with $650,000 to reduce diesel emissions from engines on up to eight vessels operating in the Puget Sound region. The project will provide vessel owners with incentives to scrap and replace 12-19 old Tier 0 engines with newer, more-efficient and lower-emission Tier 3 engines on six to eight harbor vessels operating in Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington. Combined with the mandatory match of $891,000, the total project cost is $1,541,000.

01 Mar 2017

Washington Sells Its Oldest Ferry

Evergreen State (Photo: WSF)

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has sold its oldest ferry, Evergreen State, for $300,000 to Jones Broadcasting, LLC., who plans to use the 63-year-old vessel for ferry service in the protected waters of the southern Caribbean. “The Evergreen State is a special ferry. It was the first vessel custom built for Washington State Ferries in 1954,” said Ferries Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa. The first of the three Evergreen State class auto/passenger ferries, the 87-car, 854-passenger Evergreen State features surplus drive motors from World War II.

07 Feb 2017

Retired Ferry Gets a New Lease on Life

Hiyu (Photo: Washington State Department of Transportation)

A 50-year-old retired Washington State passenger ferry will get a refit, and with it another life as a floating entertainment space. Washington State Ferries (WSF) has sold its smallest retired ferry, Hiyu, for $150,000 to Menagerie Inc., who plans to repurpose the vessel as a floating entertainment venue. “We make every effort to keep our retired ferries operational, instead of being sold for scrap,” said WSF Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa. At 162-feet-long, the ferry is considered to be the among "cutest and most cherished" in Washington history…

01 Oct 2013

'Leisure' Tugboat Sinks on Lake Union Berth

Site of the sinking:Photo credit USCG

The 72-foot tug 'Iver' lies in approximately 16 feet of water after sinking at the pier at Mariner Properties on Lake Union near Seattle. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received notification from the vessel’s caretaker at 7:30 a.m., reporting that the Iver had sunk and that there was a fuel sheen in the water. The Iver is no longer used as a commercial tug and has been converted for private use. The owner told the Coast Guard that the tug is capable of holding up to 1,700 gallons of fuel, however, the exact amount on board is unknown at this time.

30 Aug 2011

Kadey-Krogen 52’ Hull Scheduled for Debut

Krogen 52' Hull

Kadey-Krogen 52’ Hull Number One Scheduled for World Debut in Seattle Boats Afloat Show, Sept. 14-18. Hull number one of the new Krogen 52’ departed Asia Harbor Yacht Builders in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on August 22 and is set to make its international debut in the Seattle Boats Afloat Show on Lake Union from September 14-18. The premiere comes just 18 months after the announcement of the new model. Testimony to the Kadey-Krogen tagline “At Home on Any Sea,” this first Krogen 52’ has…

13 Jul 2010

New Music CD Tells the Stories of Northwest Tugboats

Image courtesy Maritime Folknet

Until now there have not been many songs about West Coast tugboats, but the release of a new CD, “Northwest Tugboat Tales,” helps correct this gap. This CD contains seventeen songs that tell the stories of tugboats from Alaska down to California, with a focus on Washington and British Columbia. Most of the songs are based on true incidents, and all reflect the dramatic lives of the hard-working men and women who operate West Coast tugboats, whose stories are seldom heard by the public.

19 Aug 2009

70 Shipyards Awarded ARRA Grants

The Department of Transportation has announced 70 grants totaling $98m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that will be used to improve small shipyards throughout the United States. The funds, awarded through the Maritime Administration’s Assistance to Small Shipyards program, will help create and preserve jobs, provide valuable employment training and make much needed improvements to shipyards across the country. The Small Shipyards Grant program provides up to 75 percent in ARRA funds for a project and requires the remainder be matched by the shipyard. A detailed list of the grantees is as follows. •    Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc.,  Philadelphia, PA: $2,312,614, for the first year of training program.

16 Jan 2004

Boeing Connexion Moves to the High Seas

As use of communications at sea expands rapidly, evidence that this trend has entered hyperdrive was signaled recently as corporate Goliath Boeing announced its plans to roll out is high speed satellite capability to the marine business. Connnexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company, announced an expansion of its service offering to include high speed satellite broadband capability for the maritime industry. "We're actively engaged in discussions with several of the leading maritime operators…

08 Mar 2004

Feature: Losing Contact ... Not an Option

Maritime communications is an estimated $1 billion industry, encompassing ship operators, merchant fleets, governments and private yacht owners. There is arguably no more quickly evolving technical sector in the maritime market than the satellite communications niche. Safety, operational efficiency and quality of life onboard vessels of all type and size today more than ever depends on clear, reliable and cost effective satellite communication services and products. The following reports on recent advances from major service, product and system suppliers. The year started with news that Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company, would roll-out its high speed satellite broadband capability for the maritime industry.

23 Sep 2004

Seattle Selects Jensen Maritime to Design Fireboat

JMC will be awarded the contract to develop a complete design and specification for Seattle’s new fireboat. In the 115 years since the “Great Seattle Fire”, the City of Seattle has had just four fireboats built to protect its busy waterfront. The first vessel, SNOQUALMIE, was built in 1891. The DUWAMISH followed in 1909, then the ALKI in 1927, and finally the CHIEF SEATTLE in 1985. The ALKI and CHIEF SEATTLE are still in service, providing fire protection and marine community support functions in Elliott Bay and Lake Union.

05 Oct 2004

Jensen Maritime to Design Seattle Fireboat

In the 115 years since the "Great Seattle Fire", the City of Seattle has had just four fireboats built to protect its busy waterfront. The first vessel, Snoqualmie, was built in 1891. The Duwamish followed in 1909, then the Alki in 1927, and finally the Chief Seattle in 1985. The Alki and Chief Seattle are still in service, providing fire protection and marine community support functions in Elliott Bay and Lake Union. On November 4, 2003, Seattle voters approved construction of a new fireboat to replace the ALKI as part of the nine-year Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy. This new vessel will become the City's primary salt water response vessel. Following a preliminary design competition between three Seattle based and one Vancouver, B.C.

11 Oct 2004

Film Celebrates Golden Age of NW Boats

Motor yacht Kensington on the ways at Jensen Motor Boat Company, circa 1929. For more than a hundred years, the Pacific Northwest has ranked as a center for vessel design, construction and preservation. Beginning with the advent of the Pacific cod fishery in the 1880s, utilizing the raw material afforded by the vast Northwest forests, Seattle-area boat builders began creating one of the world’s great fishing fleets. Soon, they would craft sailing ships to support the lumber and cargo trades, and work boats that sustained Pacific commerce.

12 Nov 2007

New Fireboats for Seattle

In 2004, Jensen Maritime Consultants (JMC) partnered with the City of Seattle’s Fire Department to develop two vessels that will significantly upgrade the City’s marine fire fighting ability, as well as provide a mobile marine command vessel for operations in all manner of catastrophes, including bio-terrorist incidents. Seattle is a city that is almost surrounded by water – built between Elliot Bay, Lake Washington and Lake Union, it has innumerable rivers cutting through it, with more than 190 miles of navigable coastline. However, any vessels going from the salt water side of Puget Sound to the fresh water side of Lake Washington must travel through the Chittenden Locks.

08 Nov 2007

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.

08 Nov 2007

Governor Announces First Innovation Partnership Zones

Governor Chris Gregoire announced the designation of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones in Washington, geographic areas that will promote and develop the state’s regional economies. Innovation Partnership Zones build on the success around the world of “research parks,” such as the Research Triangle in North Carolina and Torrey Pines in California and bring together research and higher education opportunities, innovation and economic activity to be a strong engine for regional economies. “Washington is home to some of the greatest innovations in the world and I am excited to support the continued success of our state’s world-class companies,” said Governor Gregoire.

05 Jul 2006

Fire Damages Three Boats at NOAA Center

The AP reported that a fire swept through an old wooden pier, damaging two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) buildings and three of the agency's boats. The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately clear. The fire started at the NOAA pier on Lake Union, which is linked to Puget Sound by a ship canal, more than two hours after the end of a large Fourth of July fireworks show over the lake, Seattle Fire Department spokesperson said. A 224-ft. decommissioned research vessel and a former Navy ship that NOAA acquired last year with plans to retrofit it for oceanographic research were both damaged, along with a small aluminum boat, a NOAA spokesman said.

24 Jul 2003

Coast Guard Investigates Multiple Boat Fires

Representatives from both the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office Puget Sound and the Seattle Fire Department responded to a early morning blaze involving three boats at a Lake Union marina. The Marine Safety Office is coordinating with pollution response contractors to contain fuel and oil spilled and is removing remaining fuel from the three damaged boats. The Coast Guard will begin its investigation into the cause of the fire once cleanup efforts are complete.

24 Sep 1999

Kaleetan Readies for Fall Return

More than a year ago, Kaleetan was not much more than a shell of a ferry; its interior completely stripped down to the bone as part of a massive stem-to-stern overhaul. Now, some 14 months later, Kaleetan has emerged as a completely renewed figure, shiny and sleek again, both inside and out. After some final touch-up projects are completed at Todd Shipyard, the ferry will be ready to return to service on Puget Sound. It will be assigned to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. The work was formally called an "asbestos abatement" project, and getting rid of those hazardous materials in all the passenger areas and elsewhere was an important part of the overhaul. But much more was involved.

13 Apr 2000

Japan Radio Adds New Staff

In an effort to continue its ever widening expansion program within the marine electronics market in both North and South America, Japan Radio Company has added key personnel to its U.S. headquarters offices, JRC North America, Seattle, Wash. Ray Carter has joined the company as national sales manager, with experience in the commercial fishing electronics industry. Carter had previously served as general manager for Yaquina Bay Marine Supply in Newport, Ore. Matthew Wood was elected as the new Western Regional Manager, responsible for sales administration on the U.S. West Coast, in Central and South America, as well as coordination of JRC projects in the Russian Federation.

14 Oct 2002

Grand Banks Yachts Moves

Grand Banks Yachts has moved its worldwide offices to Seattle while worldwide sales headquarters remain in the company’s long-standing Norwalk, Conn. Facility. Global marketing services, headed by recently-appointed VP Marketing Rob Livingston, are now situated at 2100 Westlake Avenue North, Suite 107, Seattle 98109, located directly on the west side waterfront of Lake Union. Vice President of Sales Ed Roberts continues to manage the Norwalk offices, overseeing worldwide sales along with the American service support staff. Grand Banks also maintains both west coast and European sales offices.