The Northern Leader

OK gang, now that we've covered the preliminaries,let's move into the ship for a closer look at some of this 'magic.' First - if you're like me some of this stuff won't be too recognizable but we're starting with electrical stuff. (Of course we had to have Breanna along to explain things. Who else but a teenager??)

There are panels, screens, switches and buttons everywhere but keep in mind, this vessel is highly "electronic". It is powered by two 1,250 horsepower electric "Z-Drives" and a 400 hp "bow thruster enabling the ship to turn on a dime or even move sideways!


The generators supplying the power are driven by seven massive Diesel engines and together they generate over 3,500 kilowatts of electricity. In addition, the power will be supplying an astonishing array of equipment used in handling the forty-five mile "long-line" with 80,000 hooks, automatically baited at a rate of six per second), an entire production line of computerized fish processing, freezing, packaging and storing equipment and hundreds of other devices necessary to sustain a crew of up to thirty three at sea for months at a time. As the lines are retrieved with the attached catch, automated systems remove the fish, identify them by size and begin the process of preparation assisted by their human colleagues.




At the end of the line the now "store-ready" fish and by-products are sent into deep freezers, with more than one and a half million pounds capacity, awaiting their trip to the customers.



Of course, even with the advanced technology on Northern Leader, the key to a successful voyage will always lie in the hands of the crew; so ensuring their comfort, safety and health is crucial.








The ship's galley where meals are prepared and served is a masterpiece of culinary technology that would be the envy of any five star restaurant. The dining space is extremely comfortable and attractive and ensures the right environment for a relaxing, nutritious meal. Getting ready for work or finishing a demanding shift at sea is quite different from a day at the office and the needs of a fishing crew are unique.

Lockers for gear and dressing areas are designed for efficiency and devices such as "boot dryers" keep the crew working in the best conditions possible. After a strenuous shift nothing is more important than being able to clean up and head for a comfortable sleeping space. The Northern Leader has probably gone farther than any vessel before it in making that available. The living spaces are spacious and well appointed for a ship this size and are attractive as well as comfortable. Computers, flat screen televisions and even a well equipped fitness room keep the crew in touch and in shape.




The Captain's stateroom and those of the ship's officers are also state-of-the-art and would rival the amenities of most upscale lodging facilities.



And then ... there is the bridge!! Folks, I've gotta tell you, if you haven't seen this, it is really difficult to get your mind around. When you walk onto the bridge of this ship you keep blinking - expecting that at any moment Lt. Uhuru, Spock, Sulu, Scotty or Kirk will appear.
It is simply astonishing! The navigation equipment, First Mate's station and Captain's Chair provide unheard of levels of control, contact and command.  Through the miracle of computer electronics the captain has visual and voice contact with virtually
every inch of the ship while maintaining an unparalleled degree of physical control.  Screens, gauges, telephones, microphones, computer mouse, "joysticks" and exotic control wheels are all at the skipper's fingertips. All of this goes together to create a fishing craft that is absolutely awesome in every way.


Being able to see the ship progress virtually from conception to reality is truly the opportunity of a lifetime and we can't express how enjoyable our opportunity to experience it has been. We hope you've gotten a feel for this amazing vessel; we sure are glad you joined us for the tour. We'll stop for a brief rest and then come back with more from Seattle. See ya.

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Big Day in Seattle

Well, it's already Wednesday, gang, and we're getting suited up for the christening of the Northern Leader, the newest vessel in the Alaska Leader Seafoods fleet. We'll be heading down to Pier 91 at the Port of Seattle an into an adventure we've never had before. It ought to be quite interesting. Along the way we will pass a couple of spots we hope to take you to during this trip if we can. The first is the L. C. Smith tower built by one of the most remarkable entrepreneurs in the history of our country. (Think "Smith & Wesson, Smith-Corona and others.) I'll add a photo taken yesterday

(look to the far right, the little building with the white, pyramidal top to the right of the dark, square tower)

.... and then one from around 1914 when it was one of the tallest buildings in the country. We'll get back to it later. We are also hoping to visit the Olympic Sculpture Garden and a couple of other spots we think you'll like. But that's for later. For now, though, despite some substantial construction-site challenges the city gave our struggling GPS, we made it to Pier 91, parked our trusty steed and wandered over to the dock where "Northern Leader" was tied up,


just forward of her sister ship, "Bering Leader" one of the older members of the fleet. The entire area was decked out for a real party with seating for hundreds, some of Seattle's signature flowers, and at least a half-dozen huge 'food-trucks' dispensing complimentary meals of every sort you could imagine.

We spotted our niece and her daughter just getting ready to take some friends on a tour of the ship and quickly joined the group. Right off the bat you can tell that this is not a "run-of-the-mill" boat; the paintwork, the gleaming high-tech fittings, the powerful LED searchlights and even the sky-blue mooring lines let you know this is something special. Utilizing the most creative engineering minds to be found and the most advanced technology in existence the ship will definitely have a huge impact on fishing in the Pacific/Bering Sea waters for a long time. My narrative might get a little choppy here because there is so much I want you to see that I'll err on the side of pictures vs words where necessary. First, let me briefly talk about the preliminary program.

Like just about any big event these days the politicians and press were very well represented and the friends and partners of the company spoke in glowing terms about the ship. The Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, was there and talked about the 21st century shipbuilding challenges facing the maritime states.

But for me, the highlight of the program was the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, Mead Treadwell, who spoke with eloquent passion about the urgency of combining technology, ecological awareness and human compassion to forge a new future in the fishing industry.

The reason his comments were special was because it seemed to be one of those almost unheard of instances where the opposing views of the two main political branches were briefly merged for the betterment of all of us. We can still hope! Then it was on to the big moment. Of course Shaun, one of his engineers and the wife of the managing partner try to pick just the right spot for the event!

And then, with blessings from Father Seamus Laverty and a mighty whack of the champaign bottle by Hattie Albecker from Ugashik, Alaska, the Northern Leader takes her place in the fleet.

My pictures for this aren't too great because the were taken from behind rather than from the pier but we didn't want to miss the chance to be with Kimberly and Shaun for an "up-close" view of the christening.

The ship is really beautiful and the entire ceremony was extremely well done but now I want to take you through some of the unique spaces on board. We'll take a look at some of the things outside and then go to the heart of the vessel. Even the traditional "smoke stacks", normally a recognizable part of a ship are certainly not what you would expect.

From the emergency craft - ready for immediate action - to the mighty cranes used for hoisting stores aboard and fish ashore ........



.... from the highly automated system for bringing in the 'long line' to even the mooring lines in exotic "Alaskan Leader blue", everything about this vessel is truly 'world class'.


I'm going to try to keep things grouped into four areas - the engineering stuff and propulsion system, the fish processing stuff, living spaces and the nerve center of the ship, the bridge. You're gonna be amazed. But - rather than put you into sensory overload I think it would be a better idea to close this post and come back later with the "tour". So - that's what we'll do. Don't stay gone long; I really want you to see this stuff!! See ya.
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Chief Seattle's Home

Well, gang, we had expected this to be a good day but It wound up exceeding our expectations all the way around. When we sent our last post we had just gotten underway to Blake Island, home of Chief Seattle and the location of Tillicum Village, a unique Native American heritage site. Along the way we were incredibly lucky to have as our 'tour guide' a guy by the name of Jim Sullivan, one of the most informative folks I have ever met on an excursion like this. His knowledge of Northwest American history, the natural history of the Puget Sound and his deep

appreciation for Native American culture was very impressive. He truly made this an exceptional experience.

Leaving on Argosy cruise vessel Good Time II we immediately learned a key feature of Elliott Bay (the body of water immediately below Seattle) and of the Puget Sound (adjacent to and west of Elliott Bay.) They have two exceptionally high "high tides" and two exceptionally low "low tides" each day!! (??) That contributes directly to both their amazing richness and their unusual coldness. We also learned much about the original settlers of the area and of the events that shaped the development of Washington state. Oh, one of the things I learned was that a "Seahawk" (as in the Seattle football team) is actually what we know as an Osprey back home!!!

As far as the residents go, I'm not going to even attempt to unravel the convoluted name usages found in this area. There are scores of tribes and many have multiple spellings and even more pronunciations. It is generally agreed, though, that Chief Seattle was of the Suquamish tribe (although it is also felt that he was affiliated with the Duamish people as well.) Regardless, Seattle was one of the most brilliant statesmen, teachers and leaders - of any race - in the 19th century.

His understanding of the inter-connectedness of all parts of the ecology of the area was remarkable and his burning desire to see all humans live together in harmony was so compelling that it led to relationships between the European settlers and the indigenous people that were unique. He really deserves our respect and appreciation.



Upon our arrival at Tillicum Village we were greeted with wonderfully tasty cups of steamed clams in hot broth. We proceeded through the main Lodge filled with Native American art and craft displays - and smoldering cedar fires where beautiful Salmon fillets were smoking - to the main hall where our meal would be served.

The enormous hall, constructed mainly of huge spruce, pine and cedar timbers was really beautiful, seating well over three hundred, with an expansive stage at the eastern end. Our meal consisted of outstanding salads, wild rice, bison, elk, venison and beef stew, fresh fruits of all kinds, steamed vegetables and, of course, that excellent Sockeye Salmon steak topped off with a small, individual apple pie.

Following what could only be described as a "feast" we were introduced to a troupe of very attractive young Native Americans who would be performing for us.


I really can't recap all the performances we saw because it would take far too long but I can tell you that the authentic costumes were beautiful, the performances flawless and the audio-visual effects very impressive. It's something you really want to make time for if you're visiting the area for several days.

Following the meal and the show we had the opportunity to visit the various shops, gardens, trails and beaches associated with the facility. We had a "walking lecture" on Totem Pole art and had the chance to chat with some of the performers. It was a great excursion and I haven't touched on a fraction of all the stuff we learned.

Please take time to learn more about Chief Seattle, about George Smith Blake for whom thie island was originally named, about William Pitt Tremble who developed the island as his home and about the fascinating events leading up to the 1962 World's Fair that resulted in the wonderful facility and learning center that exists today. But, all too soon Captain Lindsey blew the ship's mighty whistle and we re-embarked for the eastward voyage back to Seattle. I reall wish I could have covered more stuff for you but hopefully this will whet your appetite. We'll be back soon with more from Seattle. Tomorrow, the christening!!! See ya.
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Across The Water and Back In Time

G'mornin' Gang,
As we talked about yesterday, we're in Seattle for a special event - but - since this is one of the SCTravelerX3 all-time favorite places, we hope to take the opportunity to take you to some cool spots while we're here. Today we are going to try to take a cruise out to "Tillicum Villiage" on Blake Island, birthplace of Chief Seattle for whom the city is named.


I visited the Island some years ago and have always wanted to take Linda there. I really regret that Sherwood won't be along but maybe we'll get another chance on a future journey.


Soooo ... we got up early for a great breakfast at our current home-away-from-home and headed for Pier 55, our point of departure.


Along the way we stopped to visit with our old friend Elliott the Otter


... and Linda supported the local economy (and the Starbuck's empire. It's kinda hard to see but the street sign in the background says "Alaskan Way" ... Yet another reason for stopping here.



Pier 55 is located just below amazing "Pike's Place Market", another of our favorites and we hope to visit later this afternoon. Of course Seattle has tons of fascinating buildings and the waterfront is a great place to visit for many reasons but we were kinda excited to be crusin' this morning!!


I added a shot of Seattle from the boat (SS Good Times II, no less!) but I wish you could be here with us in person!!! We just got underway from the Central Waterfront and I'll try to add pics along the way.





Whoa!!!!!! I just realized that I have too much to show and say to try to put it all in one post. I'm going to send this one on it's way from right down here at the waterfront and will start another one to cover the village in greater detail. Don't forget to come back. It's gonna be awesome!! See ya.

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A Very Special Event Out West

Well gang, it's been a while since we last hit the road; lots of stuff going on around Ridgeway this summer!! And, we're still not heading out for a new SCTravelersX3 adventure but we wanted to share a short but special trip with you. Sherwood is holding down the fort in Columbia while Linda and I join some family folks in Seattle for the christening of "The Northern Leader," a brand new fishing ship built by our neice's husband and his partners. It is an amazing vessel and for those of you who joined us for our trip to the Olympic Peninsula, you might recall our visit to the Martinac Shipyard in Tacoma where we got to tour the construction site for the ship. I'll add a couple of photos as a reminder.

The first shows the early stages of construction of the hull and the second show one of the massive 'thrusters' that will work in tandem with the revolutionary engines being installed to give the ship incredible maneuverability.

The third is an artist's rendition of what the ship was expected to look like. As phenomenal as the painting is, the actual ship is even more beautiful.

We will get some photos of the 'real thing' to show you but. If you just can't wait, Google "Northern Leader" and you'll find several articles that provide pictures and a ton of technical info. Presently, we are winging our way westward on the 'great silver bird' so when we get to Seattle we'll get this posted and also bring you up to date on a couple of excursions we're planning that we think you'll enjoy.

Before we go, I wanted to add the latest view from the window, Mt. St. Helens!! Magnificent. See ya.
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