Making Waves

BY RANDY WOODS

[ ‘TIS THE SEASON ]

Deck the Yawls: Christmas Boat Parade Returns December 17

It’s been wafting on the sea breeze for a while now, but you knew it would arrive—schooner or later. Seattle’s favorite maritime holiday tradition, the Christmas Boat Parade, is back to spread yuletide cheer to Lake Union on December 17. This annual celebration is a chance for the boating community to strut their stuff and deck out their vessels with the brightest, most innovative holiday pageantry. Taking part in the parade also gives boaters a chance to give back to the less fortunate by donating to the Toy Drive charity in support of Seattle Children’s Hospital. Toy donations for the drive can be dropped off at West Marine in Ballard. While the toy drive is the main reason for the seasonal parade, there will be prizes for the boaters, of course. Judges at the parade will evaluate all participants and designate awards for best in show (the people’s choice award), the best Santa and reindeer theme, best and biggest Christmas tree and lights, best Christmas snowman (winter wonderland theme), and most overall Christmas lights. Competition is expected to be fierce. The parade route will encompass the full loop of Lake Union, starting from Fremont Tugboats’ site and sailing clockwise around the lake shore, turning south at Buoy 12 near the I-5 bridge, and ending up at Morrison’s North Star Marine’s fuel dock on Westlake. Leading the parade will be a tug from Western Towboat Co. The parade start time is set for 7 p.m., with registered boats lining up by 6:30. For more information about registering your boat, visit: seattlechristmasboatparade.com, or check-in with “Salty Dog” on VHF 68. Don’t miss it!

MAKING WAVES

BY RANDY WOODS

Photo by Nitesh Jain

[ A QUIETER SOUND ]

Shhh! Keep It Down: Coalition Asks for Vessel Noise Reduction to Protect Orcas

In an innovative effort to protect endangered Southern Resident killer whales in Puget Sound, a consortium of environmental and maritime organizations is asking vessel operators to temporarily reduce transit speeds in North Puget Sound to lessen engine noise deemed harmful to dwindling marine mammal populations. The zone involved in the “Quiet Sound” program roughly covers the waters between Admiralty Inlet off Port Townsend to the northwest, Randall Point to Mukilteo to the north, and Apple Cove to Edmonds to the south. Hood Canal is excluded from the zone. This plan was devised to help reduce the acoustic noise in busy shipping lanes that interfere with the orcas’ ability to hunt for food and communicate with each other through echolocation. The time frame of the program is set to last from late October through late December, when orcas return to Puget Sound in search of Chinook salmon, one of the staples of the whales’ diet. Quiet Sound is the brainchild of a coalition of federal, state, tribal, port, maritime, and environmental organizations intent on protecting the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales, a locally based population that used to number in the hundreds, but now has shrunk to an estimated 73 individuals. The group is also affiliated with the state’s Washington Maritime Blue program to promote sustainable efforts and technologies in the maritime sector. The voluntary program, which began on October 24, has earned strong support from some local maritime businesses, specifically the Puget Sound Pilots association, which represents pilots who guide large ships in and out of Puget Sound ports. But Quiet Sound has also generated friction over the plan’s effects on shipping schedules, most notably from Washington State Ferries (WSF). Run by the Washington State Department of Transportation, WSF has flatly rejected participation in the program, as the slowdown zone affects three busy ferry routes in the system (Port Townsend-Coupeville, Edmonds-Kingston, and Mukilteo-Clinton) and would drastically impair its route schedules. Those participating in the voluntary effort are asked to slow down to no greater than 14.5 knots, when operationally feasible, for large vehicle carriers, cruise ships, and container vessels. Other ships such as bulkers and tankers are asked to reduce their speed to 11 knots or lower. Quiet Sound said this represents an estimated speed reduction of 30% to 50% over a distance of 20 nautical miles, adding between 10 to 20 minutes of transit time through the restricted zone, depending on the vessel type and water currents. Inspiration for Quiet Sound came from the ECHO program, an effective six-year-old Canadian noise-reduction program run by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The Canadian quiet zone lasts through the summer months and covers shipping through the Haro Strait in Boundary Pass, next to the San Juan Islands, and the Swiftsure Bank, a popular orca feeding ground. To date, participation in the ECHO Program has reached 93%. This first application of the voluntary Quiet Sound program will end this month on December 22. The group said it will reassess data at the end of the project and decide whether to repeat or expand the program in 2023. For more details, go to quietsound.org.

MAKING WAVES

BY RANDY WOODS

[ ELECTRIC CURRENT ]

State Ferry System Charges Up its Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Program

At a time when the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system has faced unprecedented problems with maintenance delays, ferry accidents, and lack of available staff, the system remains committed to its ambitious plan to drastically reduce carbon emissions by overhauling its aging fleet with hybrid-electric ferries. In a November meeting at the FERRIES 2022 conference in San Francisco, Matt von Ruden, WSF’s Electrification Program System Administrator, outlined the current initiative to shift to hybrid-electric propulsion technology in a three-step process: building five new ferry vessels, converting 11 current vessels to hybrid engines, and electrifying ferry terminals around Puget Sound. Currently in the pre-construction phase of the initiative, WSF has secured $1.33 billion to fund the project so far through the 2022 Move Ahead Washington transportation package that the state passed this fall. The total estimated cost of the program will be $3.98 billion. After issuing a request for information for a new design-build contract for five hybrid-electric Olympic class ferry vessels, WSF said in October that it has nearly completed the functional design for the initial five new hybrid ferries through a contract with Vigor ship builders in Seattle. Each of the new vessels will have capacity for 144 vehicles. WSF added that a request for proposal (RFP) for future competitive bidding opportunities to build 11 more hybrid vessels will be issued as part of state law. The system is also accepting bids for hybrid-electric conversion work on three Jumbo Mark II-class ferries set to begin in March 2023. The latest estimate from WSF said one ferry, the Wenatchee, could begin service as a hybrid vessel in 2024, followed by conversions of the Tacoma and the Puyallup. At the same time, WSF will continue working with local utilities and engineering firms to add electric charging infrastructure to 16 existing ferry terminals in Puget Sound. WSF is the largest ferry system in the United States, with 21 vessels that carry about 24 million passengers each year. It is also currently Washington State’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, using 19 million gallons of diesel fuel each year. By reaching its planned 20-year timeline for the hybrid-electric conversion, WSF expects to improve the state’s air quality and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 76% by 2040. For information on the state’s project plans, visit: wsdot.wa.gov/ construction-planning/major-projects.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILSON

Twin Cummins 380 HP diesels with 419 hours, generator, air conditioning/reverse cycle heating, new walker bay dinghy and power davit system, full galley equipped, two staterooms, one head, anchor windlass with anchor kit, satellite TV, fleur night vision, oil change system and much more! Sale Price $639,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866

PREMIERE BROKERAGE MOORAGE AVAILABLE IN EVERETT FOR SELECT YACHTS 50 TO 70 FEET

OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY BY

OWNER DAVE BOYNTON

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY 37 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE YACHT BUSINESS, WHETHER BUYING OR SELLING.

206.949.6866 • DAVE@BOYNTONYACHTS.COM • EXPERIENCED SERVICE, QUALITY BOATS

2000 NAVIGATOR 53 PILOTHOUSE 2016 SEA RAY 400 FLY 1996 SILVERTON 362 SEDAN

Twin Volvo 370 HP diesels, bow and stern thrusters, watermaker, air conditioning/reverse cycle heating, diesel furnace, inverter, generator, new upholstery, newer carpets, full electronics, 3 staterooms, two heads, vacuflush toilets, bimini top, anchor windlass with anchor kit, 3 burner stove with oven, big refrigerator and much more!

Sale Price $349,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866 Twin 480 HP Cummins diesels, V drive system with joy stick and bow thruster control, generator, air conditioning heating, dinghy with davit, Raymarine electronics, two staterooms with two heads with separate showers, bimini top, up galley with tons of storage, transom built in BBQ center, and lots more!

Sale Price $695,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866 Low hour twin Cat diesels, generator, inverter, electronics, anchor windlass with anchor kit, dinghy and outboard, flybridge enclosure, air-conditioning/heating, new salon upholstery, electronic controls, ice maker, two staterooms, separate shower and head, boat house kept!

Sale Price $99,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866

1999 CARVER 530 PILOTHOUSE 1976 GRAND BANKS 36 CLASSIC 2005 BAYLINER 325 SUNBRIDGE 1987 BAYLINER 4588 PILOTHOUSE

Twin Cummins 450 HP, bow and stern thrusters, satellite TV ant, air conditioning/heating, generator, water maker, inverter, upgraded interior, full electronics, full bridge enclosure, ice maker, anchor windlass with anchor kit, three staterooms, two heads with two separate showers, excellent condition!

Sale Price $349,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866 Twin John Deere diesels, new Garmin electronics package, diesel furnace, updated custom wood headliner, generator, inverter, custom radar mast, new flybridge upholstery, new updated toilets, all outside wood in fantastic condition, transferable covered moorage in Everett.

Sale Price $99,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866 Twin 5.7 Ltr. MerCruiser engines with 135 hours, bimini top with full enclosure, Raymarine C-120 radar/gps plotter/fish finder, anchor windlass with anchor kit, set up for fishing with two scotty electric downriggers, microwave, 2 burner stove, transom staples, enclosed head with shower, clean and shiny! Sale Price $54,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866 Twin 220 HP Hino diesels, full electronics, newer dinghy with outboard, upgraded heads, ice maker, bimini top, diesel furnace, generator, new bottom paint and zincs, boat is ready to go!

Sale Price $99,000 Call Dave Boynton at 206-949-6866

MAKING WAVES

BY RANDY WOODS

[ REVIVING MARINE HABITATS ]

Blue Heron Slough Estuary Restoration Project Nearly Complete in Everett

Good news for sportfishing fans in North Puget Sound: After more than 30 years of effort to restore damaged habitat for local salmon and trout populations, the Port of Everett and its projects partners have launched the final phase of the Blue Heron Slough estuary project. The 353-acre saltwater estuary, located between Everett and Marysville, had been cleared, diked, and drained for agricultural and industrial purposes since the 1880s. Working alongside an environmental organization called Wildlands and contractor Dungeness Construction, the Port of Everett removed many of the old impeding dikes and man-made structures this summer, replacing them with channels, marshes, and mudflats to increase natural water flow. The aim of the $20 million project is to re-flood old riparian land and return it to a more natural estuarian state directly impacted by tidal rhythms of Puget Sound. The slough, currently home to deer, coyote, ducks, frogs, owls, cougars, heron, and many other bird, tree, and fish species along the lower Snohomish River, is now expected to bounce back as a thriving habitat for Chinook salmon, bull trout, and steelhead species that are key to the area’s commercial and recreational fishing industries. According to findings from the 2005 Snohomish River Basin Salmon Conservation Plan, the restored Blue Heron Slough will also benefit endangered orca whales in the Sound that feed primarily on migrating salmon. The nine miles of restored river channels in the slough project will also improve water quality through improved wetlands filtration, provide a natural buffer to absorb periodic flooding, and capture greenhouse gases more efficiently. For more details on the restoration, go to: portofeverett.com/environment/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT OF EVERETT

The Krogen 50 Open heads out for another adventure.

GO BIG.

With trans-oceanic range, superb seakeeping ability,

SHOWN HERE: The Krogen 50 Open heading out on the next adventure. This is what it’s all about.

and a dedication to liveability, a Krogen will effortlessly take you on your next adventure. Whether you’re considering a trek through the Caribbean, exploring the Inside Passage, taking a Scandinavian adventure, or exploring the Sea of Cortez, Kadey-Krogen’s exclusive Pure Full Displacement hull is a masterpiece of bluewater hull design to ensure these long passages are safe and comfortable. Moreover, what sets every Krogen apart are the unrivaled comfort and attention to the details to fully embrace you once a formidable crossing is complete and it’s time to explore your new destination. What are you waiting for?

LOA: 52’ 9” (16.12 m) LOD: 50’ 5” (15.39 m) BEAM: 17’ 5” (5.33m) DRAFT W/SINGLE ENGINE: 5’ 4” (1.65 m) DRAFT W/TWIN ENGINES: 4’ 6” (1.40 m) DISPL.: 68,000 lbs. (30,844 kg) FUEL: 1,240 gal. (4,469 l) WATER: 400 gal. (1,515 l)

APPROXIMATE BRIDGE CLEARANCE TO TOP OF HARD TOP:

19’ 8” (6.02 m) (plus mast/antennas)

For more information on a new or pre-owned Krogen or Summit yacht, contact KadeyKrogen Yachts West Coast Sales Manager Jonathan Cooper. As the former editor-in-chief of PassageMaker Magazine, Jonathan knows how to identify the best boat for your needs.