No. 126 Lake Union park

Lake Union Park
860 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA

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Lake Union Park, located on the south west corner of Seattle’s central lake, is a new 12-acre park that provides the Queen Anne neighborhood access to open green spaces, a restored shoreline, a pedestrian bridge, a model boat pond, a history trail, a 300 foot long interactive fountain of water jets, a beach for launching small boats, a footprint for The Center for Wooden Boats' new Education Center (future facility), a grove of trees, a great lawn, footpaths, park benches, and infrastructure that can support large events. Lake Union Park also has a station for the South Lake Union Streetcar, which began operating in late 2007.

Aerial view of Lake Union Park in south end of Lake Union

Future Site of Museum of History and Industry

Morning Sunrise at Lake Union Park

Docks at Lake Union Park

Pedestrian Foot Bridge

Model Ship Builders bring out their artfully crafted vessel to the Model Boat Pond

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No. 184 Watch Sailboats Duck and Dodge on Lake Union Tuesday Nights

Seattle Duck Dodge Races are back May 14th
Tuesday Nights on Lake Union starting at 7PM

website: http://www.duckdodge.org/
Gas Works Park
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Duck Dodge is a weekly Tuesday evening sailing event on Lake Union in Seattle.  It's a sight to behold as dozens of sailboats duck and dodge each other by sailing around the lake in a large circle. Sailboats ranging from dinghy, day sailors to cruisers and race boats head out on the water around 7pm Tuesday Nights through out the summer. You can't miss the large contingent on Lake Union from I-5 or any shoreline. 

Depending on the wind speeds you might see a fast pace duck and dodge with tacking and colorful spinnakers if the wind is up. On low wind days the boats seeimgly crawl or even sail backwards.

Tuesday Night Racing

2013 Duck Doge Race Schedule 


May 14th        Funky Hat Night
May 21st        Sam Garvin Memorial Night 
May 28th       Viking Night
June 4th          This Theme Intentionally Left Blank
June 11th        Thrift Shop Night
June 18th        Wild West Night
June 25th        Pirate Night
July 2nd          Red White and Blue Night
July 9th           Egyptian Night
July 16th          No Duck Dodge - Race Week
July 23rd         Pick Your Own Theme Night
July 30th          Prom Night
August 6th       Show your Team Spirit
August 13th     48 Parallel Tropical Night
August 20th     Pajama Night
August 27th      Toga Night
September 4th   Committee Re-Appreciation
November 2rd    Rum Run

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No. 258 Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Hiram Chittened Locks
3015 NW 54th St, Seattle, WA 98107
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Looking west towards Puget Sound from the Small Lock

The Hiram Chittened Locks, named after Army Major Hirman Martin Chittenden, opened to boat traffic in 1917. The locks are located on the western corner of Salmon Bay along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Locally they are also known as "Ballard Locks" although there is a pathway that connects Ballard with the Magnolia Neighborhood to south.

Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lock infrastructure stretches nearly 400 feet across one of the widest bodies of water along the ship canal. Lake Union freshwater table is 20 feet above the salt waters of the puget sound. To prevent saltwater intrusion from the tidal puget sound entering the fresh waters of Lake Union and Lake Washington and disturbing the freshwater ecosystem a 40 foot tall dam was installed. 

The purpose of the Hiram Locks is to maintain the freshwater table of Lake Union at or above 20 feet above the saltwater puget sound table. This main function is done by a 235 foot long spillway with 6 hydraulic gates that are 32 feet long and 12 feet tall. They can be open or closed depending on the amount of drainage required. The Lake Union and Lake Washington water table has to be maintained within certain tolerances because of infrastructures east of the locks such as floating bridges, moorings, channel markers, and vessel clearances under bridges need to be accurate. 

During the summer time the spillway openings are reduced to raise the lake levels for recreational boaters and also store fresh water in case of drought conditions. 

In order for boats to pass to and from the lakes into the puget sound there are 2 ship locks at the north end. The large lock is 80 feet wide and 825 feet in length, and the smaller lock is 30 feet wide by 150 feet in length. Both locks can raise or lower boats in under 15 minutes. Everything from canoes, kayaks, pleasure yachts, sailboats to commercial fishing boats and container ships pass through the locks transporting over 1 million tons of cargo, fuel and seafood.

Control Light for the Small Lock 

Large Spillway to control Lake Water 

Boat exit the large lock into Lake Union

Between the large and small locks

West Larg Lock Gate closed

Control Tower for the lock system 

Looking down the 825 foot long large lock

Spillway from Ballard side

Salmon Waves," artist Paul Sorey

Salmon Waves," artist Paul Sorey

USCG Crew prepares the 45 FRB for the lock

USCG 45' FRB takes a ride on the boat elevator

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No. 270 Seattle Maritime Events May 2014

May 1st 12pm to 5 pm
First Thursday at Lake Union Park 

May 3rd
Opening Day of 2014 Boating season
Lake Union, Ship Canal, Lake Washington 

May 3rd
Opening of Cruise Season
Pier 91

May 3rd 10am to 8pm
Center for Wooden Boats Member Day 

May 7th 6pm to 9pm
Charting Practices of NOAA
Ivar's Salmon House 

May 8th 1:30pm to 3:30 pm
Fishermen's Terminal Walking Tour

May 8th 11am to 12pm
Tugboat Story Time
Lake Union Park

May 10th 11am to 5pm
Harbor Open House
Pier 66
Seattle Waterfront

May 11th 4pm to 5pm
Mother's Day Cruise on Lake Union
Virginia V, Lake Union

May 11th 11am to 5pm
Family Fun Day at Lake Union Park

May 16th 12pm to 7pm
NOAA Open House

May 16th 7pm to 10pm
Adventure: Two Years around the Pacific Ocean
Center for Wooden Boats

May 19th, 20, 21st 1pm
Behind the scenes tour of Lightship Boats
Historic Ships Wharf

May 22nd 11am to 12pm
Tugboat Story Time 11am to 12pm
Historic Ships Wharf

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No. 103 Duck Dodge Races

Gas Works Park
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Duck Dodge is a weekly Tuesday evening sailing event on Lake Union in Seattle.  It's a sight to behold as dozens of sailboats duck and dodge each other by sailing around the lake in a large circle. Sailboats ranging from dinghy, day sailors to cruisers and race boats head out on the water around 7pm Tuesday Nights through out the summer. You can't miss the large contingent on Lake Union from I-5 or any shoreline. 

Depending on the wind speeds you might see a fast pace duck and dodge with tacking and colorful spinnakers if the wind is up. On low wind days the boats seeimgly crawl or even sail backwards.

http://www.duckdodge.org/

There are 2 more Race Days left for 2012   September 4th and November 3rd

Tuesday Night Racing

2012 Duck Doge Race Schedule 

May 9th (Wednesday )      Kick off Party
May 15th        Committee Appreciation Night with Wig and Funky Facial Hair Night                     May 22nd       Black and White Night 
May 29th       That 70's Night
June 5th          Show your Team Spirit Night
June 12th        Pirate Night
June 19th        Duck Dodge Salute to the Coast Guard Night
June 26th        Prom Night
July 3rd           No Duck Dodge - Have a Happy 4th of July
July 10th         Dead Celebrity Night
July 17th          No Duck Dodge - Race Week
July 24th          Toga Night
July 31st           Pick your own Theme night
August 7th        48º North Tropical Night
August 14th      Pajama Night
August 21st       Ducktoberfest
August 28th       Dirty Downton Abby Night (Saucy maids and naughty lords)
September 4th   Committee Re-Appreciation
November 3rd    Rum Run

Gear Kit
Nikon D7000
Nikon 70-300mm
ThinkTankPhoto Speed Freak

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No. 127 Historic Ships Wharf

Historic Ships Wharf at Lake Union Park

Lake Union Park
860 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA

The Historic Ships Wharf, located behind the  old Naval Reserve Center, is home to several historic vessels that have been awarded National Landmark Status, including the steamer Virginia V, the tugboat Arthur Foss, the fireboat Duwamish, and the lightship Swiftsure.
The Historic Ships Wharf also hosts a steady stream of historic visiting vessels, from square riggers to schooners to workboats.

The Arthur Foss, built in 1889, is one of the oldest wooden-hulled tugboats afloat in the United States. In 1898, in response to the Alaskan gold rush, she transported barges full of gold seeking miners and supplies up the Inside Passage. There are no other Alaskan Gold Rush vessels still operating today. She was cast by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio to play in its 1933 production Tugboat Annie. In World War II, Arthur Foss journeyed south to join the war effort. Before the Battle of Wake Island began in late 1941, she was the last vessel to get away. After the war, she served the economy of the Northwest by working in the timber industry.

Lightship 83, now called Swiftsure, was built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service as the Blunts Reef, California lightship. She is the oldest surviving example of an American lightship with its original marine steam engine. She weathered severe storms and heavy damage from ramming by a steam schooner during her first six years of service. She later rescued 155 survivors from a stranded coastal steamer. Sails were used to help keep her on station in the early years. Replaced at Blunts Reef in 1930, she became the San Francisco lightship. Swiftsure was decommissioned in 1960, after 56 years of continuous duty, and purchased by Northwest Seaport in 1966. The Swiftsure can be viewed at Lake Union Park in Seattle.

1933 Salmon Troller "TWILIGHT"

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