Thursday, October 24, 2013

Seattle Fall 2013, Not "Normal"

We started out with what the locals say was a pretty average Fall: Lows in the 40's some rain, some sun, highs in the 50-60 range. I would rather take a 40 minute fast walk on the water front than 30 minutes on a Elliptical trainer in the Gym any day, so this after noon the sun came out and I got this shot with Mt, Rainier in the background

Then after the first several days of Fall we got this, here the tops of the fog are well below 1000', but it is often over 1000', the tallest building in this pic is the Columbia building and has the highest observation deck on the West Coast at 1000'. 

This is the Columbia building, my son in Law Russell used to have his office here. I thought it would be a great idea to go up to the Observation deck and try to get a pic of the fog over Seattle but he advised to call down there first since often the whole building is buried in the fog. 

Well, come to find out Fog like this is not NORMAL here, it usually comes and then goes, it does not camp out for 10+ days straight. 

The fog is restricted to the Gray areas you see along Central and South Puget Sound on this fog map

We broke through the fog one day and walked to the International district AKA China town just South of Downtown Seattle.

This Square had a musician playing a Chinese Fiddle by the Pagoda.

Wisdom in the Square

Fall leaves were changing colors everyday in all of Seattle

We waited our turn, of course the Admiral beat me. I was only interested in losing once. 

All the signs are bi-lingual in this neighborhod

If I see a sign like this I have to go in there. 

The Asian girl eating next to the Admiral had three of these
Chicken Feet....Yum!

These pics are taken from Baby Drew's Room where we spend a lot of time, his rocking chair looks out this window Here the Gray sky's and fog are heavy but at least you can see across the sound to West Seattle. 

within a Few moments the fog creeps across Elliot Bay and you can barely see the Ferry go by.

Window Washing goes on Year round. These guys do not use scaffolds, just two climbing ropes hanging from 14 stories up, anad he is sitting in a bosun's chair. Yikes I get Nervous just at 61' up our mast!

Now the fog has the Bay completley socked in, with less than  2 blocks of visability. 

That afternoon the fog receeded and the Sun came out.

We left our Grandparent duties to run up to Seattle Center to take a Free Walking Tour of Seattle, again here are the Fall colors.

The cool tour guide believes this to be the best vantage point to get a pic of the Space Needle since yu can get the International Fountain going off in the foreground...Whoops, I think the fog is returning? 
The EMP or Experience Music Project Museum inspired by my favorite Jimmy Hindrix, look at the sun shine against the colorful building shaped like a melting Hendrix Guitar http://www.empmuseum.org/ We were lucky to have this hour of sun for the Walking tour. 


Our Tour ends at the Front door to the Armory, the Center piece and Cultural Center of Seattle Center. 

Seattle Center was built for the 1962 World's Fair but the Armory has been here since 1939. 

Seattle Fall 2013, Not "Normal"

Well how could you expect to have a Normal Fall when Seattle had just experienced the Best Summer ever with a record number of sunny and record breaking warm days?. The Rainy fall has not materialized yet, but the Foggy Fall has. They expect 20 days straight with no rain....but you have to deal with a Fog that is definitely a living organism. The Fog moves around, you can see it clearly from 11 or 12 stories up where we live and where we care for Baby Drew. You can see it moving about South Puget Sound and Elliot Bay, sometimes it completely envelopes you and you can just see the closet building 20 feet away across the alley. Sure glad we walk everywhere, driving in this would be not fun. In Texas the Fog comes in late in the evening or overnight and as the Sun heats up the morning Air the Fog goes away since everyone knows that fog exist only when the Temperature and the Dew points match. Well Puget sound has it's on Temperatures since the water is 46 degrees in the winter and 56 degrees in the Summer. The normal weather patterns usually of wind and rain blow away the fog after a while and then it may return later but it's not "Normal" and this  Inversion layer has set up shop for a couple of weeks so if you want to see a full day of sun you have to drive to an elevation of 1500'. We live around a Elevation of 167' so we would have to find a pretty big hill to climb if we wanted to enjoy a few rays.It is already 1300 here and I can just see the edge of the water in the Bay and what looks like 4-5 block visibility, We might have some sun this afternoon but No One Knows.That is why you just put on a jacket, and if you are a Texan you add gloves and a knit cap, perhaps a scarf to protect your neck from the 40-50 degree damp a bit windy temps and just get out and Do It!
I'm wondering if anyone is having Normal Weather?
PS:
The Seattle Weather bloggers have called this "Fogtober" and

'Fogmageddon' grips Seattle: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fogmageddon--grips-seattle-194612028.html

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

John N Cobb NOAA Research Vessel

 John N Cobb NOAA Research Vessel

My sailing students did not show up so I walked over to look at some of the old wooden vessels docked behind MOHI http://www.mohai.org/exhibits/item/8-maritime-seattle and The Center for Wooden Boats docks. 

Some old salt was aboard this vessel and invited me aboard to see the Vessel. He explained that this was a NOAA Research Vessel and was important in Marine life reasearch. the Vessel's crew included the Captain, 1st Mate, Cook, Chief Engineer, Deck Hand  and 4 scientist, he was one of the scientist that worked aboard this vessel. 

Turns out this vessel built in 1950 is the last of it's kind and is under restoration here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOAAS_John_N._Cobb_(R_552) 


This 93' long Research Vessel is known as a "Workboat" common name to any vessel that does work in the Pacific Northwest including fireboats, lighthouse boats, tugs, utility vessels of all sorts. This was a big Friggen boat!

After walking the main working deck I took these steps up to the Wheel house.

Add caption

The bridge deck is pretty high, bet it can get rockin up here.

The Scientist said he was never interested in going up to the Crow's Nest

Huge aft working deck

Diesel stacks from the main engine and the generator

Need a big wheel to turn a big boat

Slow Astern

Notice the Wind Speed goes to 100

Plenty of room to spread out full size charts, the NAV room is just aft the Wheelhouse.

The Captains Quarters are right next to the Nav room

4 bunks for the Scientist, two to a stateroom. 

6 Cylinder Diesel

BIG 6


This is one cylinder, the cylinder head is bigger than a dinner plate When I saw this I could only think of my Florida Friend and Gulf Crossing Crew Buddy John Furlinger who spent his career as a Chief Engineer in Ocean going tugs and his workday was in similar but just bigger engine rooms.  

Tall Boy water separator, diesel filters

remote oil filters oil change station

Not long ago the shaft and this bearing cap to a piston rod broke. 

It has Port and Starboard walk in Freezers

Big Deisel Generator

Not sure how many KW?

Big electric Panel

Had a long work bench with lots of these parts and tool drawers

Ground tackel for deep water. 

This vessel was also pressed on duty to help manage the Exxon Valdez Oil disaster

 After seeing this I realized how much more The Wooden Boat Center has to offer those interested in boats. After I walked out I saw that this was a special day, all the "Workboats" were open for viewing as it was the "Workboat Festival" I had fun on each one and the next few post will feature each one. Each boat has it's own foundation to raise funds to restore and recruit volunteers to help in the restoration. I will not have time for more volunteer work now but it is a good opportunity to acquire some new skills.