Maritime news and resources in and around Puget Sound

MIKE SIEGEL has this great photo in THE SEATTLE TIMES: Workmen are dwarfed by the Navy destroyer in dry dock as they put the finishing touches on its seven-month restoration. The Shoup will be relaunched this week and leave for its home port in Everett. See the entire photo gallery here.

Deborah Bach has this announcement at Three sheets Northwest: The Hiram M. Chittenden locks in Ballard will be closed during the day next Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 6 and 7. The locks will be closed to all vessel traffic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, but will remain open between 6 p.m. Feb. [...]

This Associated Press story appears in the Seattle Times: Washington wildlife officials say eight sea lions have been found dead in the Puget Sound region in recent weeks – all apparently shot. KING-TV reports (http://is.gd/s1aYqA) that both the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are investigating the deaths. [...]

Phuong Le of the Associated Press has this story in the Everett Herald: [K.Wilkinson / NOAA: A ribbon seal is seen Friday on a dock in Marysville.] SEATTLE — A ribbon seal commonly found in the frigid waters off the coasts of Alaska and Russia has been spotted twice in the Seattle area. It’s quite [...]

John Gillie has this story in the Biz Buzz blog at the Tacoma News Tribune: The Port of Tacoma’s dominant business eked out an increase last year, new statistics show, but that business volume remains far below its pre-recession highs. The port’s terminals handled 1,488,799 cargo container units last year, figures released by the port [...]

Deborah Bach has this story at Three Sheets Northwest: Two bills proposed by Washington legislators would take money from an account dedicated to boating infrastructure around the state and charge boaters higher registration fees, using the funds to study and establish a marine innovation center in Anacortes. Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Anacortes) is sponsoring House Bill [...]

The ferries were bought at a high price and have some odd characteristics: the tendency to list, the engines that seem to waste fuel, and tight quarters for vehicles. They are very comfortable, but the state is looking at a potentially bleak future for ferry service finances. C.B. Hall has this story at Crosscut: As [...]

David Sellers has this story in the Peninsula Daily News: Dan Kauffman of Port Angeles recently asked me the following questions: How many ships can safely anchor in Port Angeles Harbor? Are all ships entering and exiting the harbor required to use a tug? And are the anchorages controlled by the Coast Guard? Ron Winterfeld, [...]

Fishing, or jigging, for squid has become a popular winter sport on fishing piers around Puget Sound, as anglers dream of tasty ways to prepare their catch (as calamari, adobo, and more). Tan Vinh has the story in the Seattle Times: [MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES] At midnight on the Des Moines Fishing Pier [...]