Tag Archives: Port of Tacoma

Thinking about the proposed Tacoma Methanol Plant

Leave a reply

 

I was standing in Fireman’s Park looking out over the Port of Tacoma wondering where the proposed methanol plant would be located. Once home I read that it is to be situated on the prior site of the Kaiser Aluminum Smelter on the Blair Waterway. So that would be on the far side of this photo, realistically out of sight. And I added the fog to the image for the drama.

This proposed plant would be the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Plants are also proposed to be located in the Port of Kalama, Washington and Port Westwood, Oregon. Tacoma’s plant could be operational as soon as 2020 and would produce 20,000 tons of Methanol daily. The Methanol would then be shipped to China.

I’m not going to offer an opinion before I know more, but I did find some interesting reading and sites.

I personally think we should all quickly study this issue and act accordingly. Our voices should be heard. To that end, there is a public meeting this Wednesday and it should be well worthwhile.

While I was there I photographed the classic mountain framed in the Murry Morgan Bridge and a lovely tree.

imageimage

 

 

 

 

J. M. Marinac Shipbuilders

Leave a reply

The J. M. Marinac Shipbuilders at 401 East 15th Street in the Port of Tacoma is visually striking. There are two main shipbuilding buildings and they can support buildings 250 feet long and 48 feet wide. Per their website, since their 1924 beginnings they have constructed “300 vessels, including tuna seiners, harbor tugs for commercial and military customers, oceangoing tugs, factory trawlers, ferries, yachts, U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats and a research sailing vessel”. In February of this year, they won a contract to construct 184-foot Northern Leader at a cost of $25 million. The ship will be the largest new fishing vessel to be constructed in the Pacific Northwest in more than two decades. More information about the most recent contract can be found here http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017508024_longlinevessel15.html

The firm’s website can be found here http://www.martinacship.com/location

 

The World’s Tallest Totem Pole

Leave a reply

Firemen’s Park at South 8th and ‘A’ Street in Downtown Tacoma is reputed to have the world’s largest totem pole.  At 105′ long (82′ above ground) the 1903, red cedar totem pole certainly is tall. The park also features a bronze statue, Leading the Way, by Larry Anderson.  Mr. Anderson has several sculptures around town including the one in front of Union Station. Today somebody placed a shawl on the logger, perhaps to help with the cool nights!  The park is rounded out by views of Commencement Bay, the Port of Tacoma, the Murry Morgan Bridge, Mt. Rainier and the Tacoma Dome.

.      

 

The 21st Street Bridge

Leave a reply

The 21st Street Bridge connects downtown Tacoma with the Port of Tacoma and is part of SR 509. The cable stay bridge was constructed in 1996 to replace the 11th Street Bridge (the Murry Morgan Bridge).

I was under the bridge (on the wrong side in this photo!) to attend an arts gathering which was fire dancers at the featured entertainment. How fun is that? Flair’s website is here:

http://tacomaflair.com/tag/tacoma/

Kalakala, is it sinking?

Leave a reply
Kalakala by Gexydaf
Kalakala, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

The newspaper yesterday talked about how the Kalakala was in danger of sinking because it is taking on water. I had just asked my husband last week if the vintage ferry boat was still at the port. We had gone to see it years ago and hadn’t heard much about it since.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/26/1600781/dreams-for-art-deco-ferryboat.html#storylink=misearch

I have no idea about the financial feasibility of restoring this ferry, which is in pretty bad shape, but I’ sure wish it could be brought back to its former glory. It was spectacular!

The website for the ferry has abundant information about it. http://www.kalakala.org/index2.html

I took a couple of shots from where it is docked and then went across the way to photograph it from across the Hylebos Waterway.

 

For a photo of the Kalakala when it was in Tacoma in the 1940s, see this webpage from the Tacoma Public Library.

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=4&pg=1&krequest=Kalakala&stemming=On&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=5000

U.S. Oil and Refinery

Leave a reply

Originally uploaded by Gexydaf

Tonight I found myself in the Port of Tacoma and was attracted to the bright lights of the U.S. Oil and Refinery property. Since I knew next to nothing about the company, I went to their website to learn that “In the fifty plus years since U.S. Oil & Refining Co. first located in the deepwater Port of Tacoma, it has grown to become a consistent supplier of petroleum products in the Puget Sound Region. U.S. Oil & Refining Co. is a industry leader in the production and supply of high quality motor, aviation and marine fuels and asphalt in the Puget Sound market. With refining capacity in excess of 39,000 barrels per stream day and storage capacity exceeding 2.8 million barrels, the company is well positioned to help meet the region’s growing energy needs.”

http://www.usor.com/

Tacoma Fire Department Training Division

Leave a reply

Originally uploaded by Gexydaf

Today I ventured into the Port of Tacoma to the Tacoma Fire Department Training facility. This is a photo of their training tower.

http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?nid=168