Click image once or twice to show detail and see a man working at the top of the forward mast. Olympic Mountains behind him.
Out for a walk on the beach. Just south of the observation tower at Westport.
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Hauled Out
Westport, WA
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Out for an afternoon beach walk on Monday. We started at the Westport observation tower, near the boat basin. We walked south on the beach to the end of Halfmoon Bay, then up to Westport Jetty.
Excellent info on Westhaven State Park posted by willhiteweb.com:
Westhaven & Westport Light State Park
We looked back at views of the Olympic Mountains, surf, and Bulk Carrier LA TONDA anchored off Westport.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Ship above looks like CEBU ISLAND
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Possibly of interest:
98569 Coastal Erosion Attitudes
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Ship on the right looks like AGONISTIS
Ship on the left looks like CEBU ISLAND
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Ship above looks like CEBU ISLAND
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Possibly of interest:
98569 Coastal Erosion Attitudes
Ship above looks like AGONISTIS
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Possibly of interest:
98569 Coastal Erosion Attitudes
Part One of this blog: 98569 Coastal Erosion Attitudes
No longer Here – Ferry to Westport – Fell Apart on the Ocean Shores Side
Ocean Shores to Westport: Remembering the El Matador Ferry
By Douglas Scott
“Sadly, the ferry service shut down in 2008, but not due to lack of popularity. While the ferry service had seen closures in previous years, the service would always pick back up and be celebrated by residents and visitors alike. Sadly, after too much sand and silt built up around the Ocean Shores marina, the El Matador was forced to cancel trips across the harbor. What was once a family-friendly boating experience and adventure across the harbor is now relegated to fond memories.”
Public access for beach walkers at Damon Point (Once a State Park)
Public access for beach walkers at Damon Point – For a town that promotes visitors, tourism and good times at the beach, things are piss poor over at Damon Point.
Today, beach walkers moving toward the water from the parking area at Damon Point are channeled to a choice between an eroded/unsafe former road drop-off and private property that is posted, telling walkers that they are not welcome. WTF?
Photo above – Winter 2022/2023
Two photos below: Nov 12, 2023
Is there an attitude related to climate change/sea level rise that is used as an excuse to back away from maintaining the shore?
Other Parts of the Beach are Maintained Year Round
Think of Ocean Shores beach entry points at Chance A La Mer, Pacific Blvd, Ocean Lake Way and Taurus Blvd.
The black top ends and the sand is cleared out of the way on a routine basis. Concerns Re: tsunami zone, global warming, sea level rise, climate crisis, king tides, coastal erosion, El Niño/La Niña and winter storms do not get in the way of keeping things maintained between the blacktop and the beach. Thanks go out to the people who do this work. We appreciate it.
Imagine telling the fishing boat captains over at Westport that their access to a 100 year old armor-plated harbor was going to be let go because too much sand and silt built up around the marina. Imagine letting the people of Westport know there will be no more lodging out there, shops, restaurants, etc.
A 100-year old jetty used to protect Ocean Shores. Can new technologies save its south end?
Any federal money for ports and coastal improvement?
Plenty of cash for Ukraine/undeclared/unwon wars and here is what you get back home:
$6.3 million in federal cash for a used hotel.
Any questions from newspeople?
December 8, 2022 The Daily World
Dept. of Ag invests $6.3M to purchase Ocean Shores hotel
$6.3 million “to fund the acquisition of an existing hotel. Marathon Enterprises Inc. is located in Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor County, Washington. The project is expected to result in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job.”
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
Possibly of interest:
Federal Cash For The Coast – 98569
Out to Damon Point on Monday morning.
Looking from Damon Point over towards Westport.
The ship above looks like JAN OLDENDORFF.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Above – Looking towards North Jetty.
Some sandy beach out there:
Dec 17, 2019 YESTERDAYS TRAILS
“SS818: Wreck of Union Steamship Co’s. SS CATALA at Ocean Shores, WA – July 1967.”
“On January 1, 1965, a severe storm drove the ship from her moorings hard aground on shore at Damon Point, WA with a starboard list.”
Sep 14, 2007 S.S. Catala – Ocean Shores, WA – Shipwrecks on Waymarking.com
“Cause of Shipwreck: Storm while it was docked”
SS Catala
Source: Wikipedia
Tonnage 1476 gross; 851 registered tons
Length 229 ft (70 m)
Beam 37.1 ft (11.3 m)
Questions:
In 2023, If you go to the area where the ship was moored, it is hard to imagine a ship of this size in that location.
Maybe at one time, there was much more in the way of a pier that was appropriate for docking a ship of that size. Do any historical photos of this pier exist? Did other ships of this size make use of the pier? Did large yachts make use of the pier?
Catala breaks loose? Did the mooring lines fail? Did the pier fail? Was the pier later repaired if it failed?
Was any investigation conducted? What could have been done to prevent this?
It is hard to find much in writing or old photos to help answer these questions.
December 2, 2019 Washington Our Home
There is a photo of an old postcard here, showing the pier where SS Catala was moored.
“a hotel for charter fishermen complete with poker games and prostitutes.” Materials at the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center claim that “guests had their choice of staying in the overnight accommodations, enjoying dining and the activities of several lounges, and fishing for salmon, all aboard the beautiful refurbished ship.”
Fishing for salmon on the ship?
“It was a cold, wet and blustery New Years Day in 1965 when the winter storm hit and wreaked havoc along Washington’s coastline. Entire beaches changed their shape or disappeared completely as the pounding waves ate away at the shore. New beaches were formed by that sand being deposited elsewhere. And in the tumult of the storm, Catala’s moorings broke loose, setting her adrift in the undulating surf.”
More Questions:
Back at a boat hotel for charter fishermen complete with poker games and prostitutes?
Sounds like a really nice family memory.
Was the ship tied up on the side of Damon Point nearest the ocean, or the side nearest Aberdeen? Photos make it look like it came ashore on the side of Damon Point closest to the Ocean. The marina is on the side closest to Aberdeen. Hard to tell.
Washington Trails Association:
For beach walking: “It’s about four miles to circumnavigate the point.”
Did SS Catala make a trip around the point before landing on the beach?
Wikipedia:
“In Seattle’s Century 21 Exposition she was a floating “boatel” moored on the Seattle waterfront. Later in 1962 she was towed to California and used as a floating restaurant. In 1963 she was brought back north to Ocean Shores, Washington and used as a “boatel” again until she was driven aground by a storm on New Year’s Day 1965.[8]”
Towed to California? Did SS Catala still have working engines at the time she landed on the beach at Damon Point?
The storm that took her to the beach was on New Year’s Day 1965. This is off season in Ocean Shores. No families frolicking at the beach. Probably not many charter boat fisherman present during winter storms.
Was anyone staying or working on SS Catala when she broke loose and landed on the beach? Were people told to leave the ship before it broke loose and began to move towards the beach?
How was the ship heated during winter months?
6:20
Discussion & photos of time in Ocean Shores:
More info:
Sep 4, 2006 Cruising Talk General Cruising Talk Cruise Ships of the Past
“When the World’s Fair came to Seattle, the vessel was refurbished as a floating hotel and moved to the Seattle waterfront in 1962. The engines were removed to make room for a theater.”
“When the World’s Fair was over, the vessel was towed California and used as a floating restaurant. In 1963 the floating hull was brought north again to Damon Point State Park at Ocean Shores, moored at a causeway, and used as a floating “boatel” for charter fishermen. The vessel offered 52 staterooms, a restaurant and lounge. Electricity and telephone service was extended to the ship and a bridge and roadway provided easy access to a parking lot near her bow.”
Possibly of interest:
Any plan to improve public access at Damon Point?
Federal Cash For The Coast – 98569
Photo-
Watching the waves at Damon Point.
Westport Jetty in the distance.
Washington Coast – Westport
Here is a really nice waterfront live cam that is great for storm watching and nice weather days too.
View the live cam here.
Photo above:
Taken from the public viewing tower where the live cam is mounted.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Out one morning after a winter storm.
Looking from Damon Point over towards Westport.
Out to Damon Point on Wednesday afternoon.
Looking from Damon Point over towards Westport.
The ship visible above may be DSI ALTAIR.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Starting a project where I am trying to put together a collection of live web cams showing views of coastal areas in the Pacific Northwest.
British Columbia Coast
Favorite out of BC: Wickaninnish Inn – Tofino, BC
A beautiful scene with the first live audio I have found:
Ocean Village Resort MacKenzie Beach – Tofino, BC
Pacific Sands Beach Resort – Tofino, BC
Boundary Bay, Tsawwassen, BC
Denny Island, BC Cam
Washington Coast
Here is the very best example in WA of what I have found so far:
Port of Friday Harbor Marina Live Stream
What makes this one really nice is that we do not have to go to a host page first to click on it, and we are not looking at fixed images.
Second favorite:
Live Cam – Westport, Washington
We must go to a host page first, then click on the cam.
View live feed here.
Bellingham Bay WebCam
Faithlife Bellingham Bay Cam
Semiahmoo Weather Cam
Friday Harbor Ferry Landing – San Juan Island, WA
Island Marine Center Marina – Lopez Island, WA
Landmark Inn, Eastsound, Orcas Island, WA
Roche Harbor – San Juan Island, WA
Rosario Resort – Orcas Island, WA
Oregon Coast
Seashore Inn – Seaside OR
Pacific City – Pelican Brewing Cam
Cape Kiwanda RV Resort & Marketplace – Pacific City, OR
Possibly of interest:
Washington State Department of Transportation Ferry Cameras
A fun place to look for snow at sea level during part of the year.
Related blog post:
Live Cam – Westport, Washington
Photo-
Years ago at Port Townsend
Westport
FV Miss Danica
From 2011:
The ship here is ASIAN CHAMPION.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
LILA info towards the bottom of this page.
“…purchase your fresh seafood directly from Westport fishing boats!
Call for availability or head down to the docks and markets to purchase.”
MIDNIGHT STAR – Inbound
SCANDIA – Outbound
Looking over towards Westport. The ship here is GENCO PYRENEES.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Out to North Jetty on a fantastic January day.
Looking over towards Westport. The ship here is CORAL GEM.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Mount Rainier
A fantastic October day.
Looking from Damon Point over to Westport.
Washington Coast
The ship in the photo may be this one.
Several sites on the web offer info on ship locations.
Hoquiam
