I’ve written about my fascination with small submarines before. Well, at the Boats Afloat Show here in Seattle, I got to climb around inside a real, working mini sub.

This is the U.S. Submarines S-101, a two-person diesel electric submarine. It’s for sale; just reduced to $480k. There’s a PDF info sheet you can look at. It’s 32 feet long, it weighs 4.2 tons, and can operate as deep as 300 ft for over 8 hours.

That may not seem like a long time, but keep in mind there’s no head aboard. “How long can you hold it?”, asks U.S. Subs Vice President Ellis Adams.

Also, it’s a bit cramped in there. I doubt most sane people would want to spend more than a couple hours inside without taking a break to stand up and stretch. Here are some more of my photos…I think you’ll see what I mean.

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My pal and fellow bluewater sailor Dan Richman has a great piece in the business section of today’s Seattle Post-Inteligencer entitled “Ballard shipyard gives old boats some luxury.”

I had lunch with Dan yesterday, and we shared a chuckle over the opening paragraph he’d come up with: “Forget how the other half lives. Here’s a glimpse of how the other 0.15 percent lives.”

Anyway, the article is about a local boatyard, Stabbert Maritime. They’ve got the 142′ motor yacht Devotion on display at the Lake Union Boats Afloat Show, which is underway this weekend in Seattle. Devotion is easily the largest boat ever displayed at a Seattle boat show.

Even if you’re not in the market for a new boat, you can always see something interesting and learn something new at a boat show.

I spent some time at the show yesterday, talked with some people, looked at some boats, and saw a few items I’ll be writing about here. In particular, stay tuned for items on a tiny two-person submarine, the new Laser “Sport Boat”, and a 23′ powerboat that could be described as the Norwegian version of my little C-Dory.

For readers from far away, Seafair is Seattle’s big summertime festival, with lots of events ashore and afloat. It’s a big deal around here.

I’m gonna do it again. I’m going to reveal that I’m a hopeless, shameless fan-boy when it comes to the United States Coast Guard. If you throw a square-rigged sailing ship into the mix, I’m absolutely defeated. I have no defense against this sort of thing.

If traditional sailing ships hold even a little bit of attraction for you, perhaps you’ll spend a few minutes looking at a selection of photographs I took today.

First, here’s a picture from the Coast Guard website. If you look very carefully, you can actually see me. But you’ve got to know where to look. More on that later.

(Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle, U.S. Coast Guard)

Here’s Eagle’s Captain, Chris Sinnett.

I’m not sure this is the right term, but I would call this the “quarter deck”, where all the important stuff happens:

But important stuff happens everywhere aboard a large sailing vessel. These cadets are sanding a companion ladder. It’s a steel ship, but it’s got plenty of woodwork to maintain.

This gives me an idea, though. I mean, gosh, with four or five of these cadets at my disposal, I’m pretty sure I could tidy up my own boat, Two Lucky Fish, in short order!

Then I went belowdecks where the officers’ quarters are. I took some shots of the “fancy bits”. Trust me, it ain’t all like this. Mostly, the Eagle’s interior looks like, well, like the interior of a steel warship. But there are some portions that express a bit more grandeur and formality.

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After being ferried out of the Port of Edmonds marina aboard a TANB (Trailerable Aid-to-Navigation Boat), a small group of visitors (part of a much larger group), climbed up the side of US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle.

Once on deck, we were officially greeted by Cadet First Class Craig Johnson.

We got a tour; thanks to our guides, cadets Ted Borny and Carl Luxhoj. Here are some pictures I took.

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She’s on her way to the Tall Ships Tacoma festival, July 3-7 in the Foss Waterway. She’s coming down Admiralty Inlet today, bound for Seattle, and will stop in Edmonds to pick up several “Distinguished Representatives of the World Press”. Oh, and me, too, by the way.

So until I get a chance to post something about my trip, I’ll assign some background reading to the class. Be sure to do the reading…the vessel’s Nazi history is fascinating, and the fact that she was “taken a prize” at the end of World War II harkens back to traditions from the age of sail.

Eagle’s home page at the USCG Academy

Eagle info page at the USCG website

USCGC Eagle article at Wikipedia

I’m aboard Two Lucky Fish at Port of Edmonds, my home marina, and I’ve met several members of the Minnkota Cruising Club. They held a small Memorial Day service this morning, and I was invited to participate.

What a great idea. While it’s wonderful to be out on our boats for the long weekend, it’s also enriching to remember the reason for the holiday.

One of the club members, Bill Guthrie, is a bagpiper. His performance gave the service a bit of fanfare and a sense of ceremony.

Don Spinar delivered a short but powerful message, during which he read the poem “In Flanders Fields”. If you aren’t familiar with it, and even if you are, take a moment and read it.

After that, Bill played Amazing Grace on the pipes and we made a short procession to the end of the dock, where each of us dropped a poppy in the water.

I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

Thanks, Minnkota Yacht Club, for letting me join in your tradition!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Have a PFD Protocol! The Coast Guard and the Safe Boating Council seem to agree.

[Thanks to Captain Richard Rodriguez for pointing this out...I didn't even know it was National Safe Boating Week!]

SEATTLE - In preparation for the 50th Annual National Safe Boating Week, May 17-24, the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary along with boating agencies from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana are asking boaters and beachgoers to take special precautions before getting into the water as the boating season begins and summer temperatures rise.

To encourage the mandatory use of life jackets by children, Dairy Queen has teamed up with the Coast Guard and the state boating programs as well as other state and federal agencies to reward children wearing lifejackets with coupons for free ice cream. Dairy Queen has been a staunch supporter of boating safety for eight years and will again provide safe junior boaters with a Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cone if they are 16 years old or younger and wearing a lifejacket while boating.

With record temperatures forecasted for the weekend anyone who chooses to beat the heat at a local river, stream, or pond should be very cautious as they could be entering a very deadly situation.

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Aboard Vessel Assist Remedy, Captain Richard Rodriguez is consulting with Arwen about a particularly tricky maneuver.

Look at the concentration. I tell you, it’s an honor just to witness this kind of synergy.

Another perfect day in paradise…

And dang, but that’s a lot of C-Brats!

I finally met BitterEnd’s Captain Richard Rodriguez in person. More later!