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cwyckham · 18-12-2012, 17:28

You can see back eddies? Max props for that.

Pelagic · 18-12-2012, 17:56

Currents at Seymour Narrows can get pretty dramatic.
Currents at Seymour Narrows, British Columbia
This guy timed things a bit wrong.

Seymour Narrows - YouTube

This guy did a bit better

Seymour Narrows, and more! - YouTube

What the Radar can detect is the strong line of opposing current in the large back eddies.
When you are towing a 5,000 ton barge with a 500 ton tug in fast water, you need to keep the Tow out of the back eddies!!

Capt Phil · 18-12-2012, 18:20

This thread is turning into a trip down memory lane for me! I remember Seymour Narrows before they dynamited ripple rock by drilling from shore side under the rock in the middle of the narrows... great footage of that on TV which was pretty new at the time.
Pelagic's comment on dialing in radar to pick up deadheads (widowmakers) must be a new feature on the radar. We could never dial them in back in the 60's or 70's. Probably something to do with the operator!! (Me!)
Pelagic, do they still make the run from Indian Arm with black oil, bunker C, out to Uclulet and Tofino for their power plant or have they hooked into the Vancover Island grid? Used to pick up a barge at either Shell or Texaco (now Petrocan, I believe) and drag that sucker around Cape Beale in the middle of winter.... snow, winds about 50 knots and breaking seas! Interesting trip for a youngster like me at the time. Worked for Texada Towing on contract with the townships. Cheers, Phil

Capt Phil · 18-12-2012, 18:29

Cwyckham... yes, Bruno Gerussi was the actors name... got to know him fairly well. Nice guy but no seaman! We used to hang out aboard the boat for a couple of pops of rum that we used as a secondary towboat for some of the shooting scenes. Boat was named the Texada Fir and owned 50/50 between me and a guy in Pender Harbor. When we weren't being paid by CBC, I went beachcombing. Had to be licensed which was around $500/year at that time. The work with CBC was easy compared to doing real beachcombing because they had to set up the cameras, background scenes and extras for one piddly little pull. But I made more $ doing that than a couple of days real work beachcombing. The story line as I recall was pretty far from the real world but entertaining for folks in Toronto or Saskatoon, I guess. Cheers, Phil

HappySeagull · 18-12-2012, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Can you believe this? Let's hope the environmentalists use it properly!
Japan donates $5M for tsunami debris cleanup>>>> Japan donates $5M for tsunami debris cleanup | NWCN.com Washington - Oregon - Idaho

Wow! Good on them! but why? A Tsunami is an Act of God,ain't it?... but I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth! Maybe Canada will get $ too.
I'm wondering how a cleanup will differentiate between the Tsunami stuff and the mass of trash from offshore fishboats and shipsthat constantly piles onto the outer coast, but anything that would help clean it up has to be ok .

Cheechako · 18-12-2012, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbianka

Well, that's one way to help keep the bottom clean.

I think I'd be more nervous motoring at night than sailing in those waters. Especially since it would be harder to see the wood debris in the dark. Is that the feeling of the local sailors there?

Motoring at night? Surely you jest!

60 MPH winds predicted tonite......

Pelagic · 18-12-2012, 19:29

Hi Phil,
My commercial experience in the PNW, ended in late 80’s other than a few trips up to Alaska with Super Yachts, so no recent update.

I am sure we knew many of the same people in the towing business,

I was good friends with the Bill Dolmage family who pioneered towing on west coast and ran Kingcome Navigation and I worked for their 2 sons, John and Bill Jr. Those were fun times up in the jungles and I loved the old wooden tugs like Ivanhoe.
IVANHOE photo - Ed Whitebone photos at pbase.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovPolMIAypQ

Just to clarify, could never pick up deadheads with radar (unless a seagull was standing on it) but floating logs came thru ok.

mbianka · 18-12-2012, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Motoring at night? Surely you jest!

60 MPH winds predicted tonite......

Doh! That's right I heard the PNW is in for a blow. Sounds like a good night for the wind turbine to charge the batteries.

Hope everybody stays safe and secure out there.

Capt Phil · 18-12-2012, 19:44

I recall the Dolmage Family well, Pelagic, all gentlemen as I recall. Kingcom Nav was one of the real forces in towboating on the west coast and did alot to improve the safety aboard for those who worked the water. I remember the Ivanhoe very well. She was a really fine old towboat and I spent a few evenings sitting pouring back a few with the crew when we were weathered in behind Trial or Broken Islands. I was aboard the Scotch Fir in those days skippered by Doug Rust and worked for the Fielding family out of Pender Harbor towing booms around Jervis Inlet, Egmont, Nelson Island and further north up Johnson Straits as far north as Bute and Toba inlet down to the coast. Also did barge work on the west coast of Van Isld and as far north as the Charlottes. Commercial fished with the Silvey family out of Old Egmont for several years as well. Miss those days and sounds like you do too, Pelagic. Nice to hear from someone who was there in the 'old days'. My grandkids want me to write a book! Cheers, Phil

eliems · 18-12-2012, 23:12

Just got back a couple of hours ago from a sail down Indian Arm. (Right in my back yard from Reed Point Marina).

Woke up to 4 inches of snow on the boat! Water is full of debris right now, lots of logs, pieces of docks etc from the big wind we just had.

You really have to love sailing to be out there right now for no particular reason!