More Tsunami Debris off the PNW Coast

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

I have wondered for years how water got into those balls, pulled a few out of the ocean myself, that is a great theory and makes much sense.

Only question...so the marine life dies of, but that doesnt mean the protein detaches from the net and surfaces?

All the edible bits will be eaten by the life on the sea floor. There's some neat time lapse video of a whale carcass many thousands of feed down being stripped to bone.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Wow, you've actually done real live beachcombing!

I'm glad to hear that a lot less logs are being lost these days. Still tons of them out there, but maybe they're primarily being floated off the beaches in storms and King tides?

I did a quickie delivery of a neighbor's power boat from Whidbey to Seattle last week.
Saw 3 widowmakers in only 20 miles.
King tides and winds shifting to the NW from prevailing Southerlies will certainly do that...

[John A]

Here's a video simulation of the debri location as of last Feb 2012. As yon can see the main body of stuff is about halfway here. You'll need to put up with the commericial,sorry.


Japan Tsunami Debris: Current Location & Path - Bing Videos=

[Richard5]

Cpt Phil reminds me of my friend who has lived on Whidbey since the Earth cooled except for a stint in something called SE Asia. As an A&P he kept many customers happy keeping their aircraft in top condition for the AK summer season. He would wander the islands in his skiff looking for big Spruce to chain off the beaches. He never had to go too far to get all he needed to mill his own. A true artisan, his work was/is spectacular in fit and finish.

Also, I do remember a barge ran into some trouble just south of San Francisco. It spilled 2 million bf of milled Cedar, Hem Fir and Doug Fir. Boatbuilders had won the lottery.

[DeepFrz]

Interesting that a fishing boat has reported a large dock off one of the Hawaiian Islands. The coast guard can't find it either.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I did a quickie delivery of a neighbor's power boat from Whidbey to Seattle last week.
Saw 3 widowmakers in only 20 miles.
King tides and winds shifting to the NW from prevailing Southerlies will certainly do that...

Heck, had one here in the Everett marina (estuary) under the neighbors boat just last week. I pushed it out so the tide would take it up stream where it probably came from (log booms). It wasn't quite straight up but more like 45º.

[delmarrey]

Can you believe this? Let's hope the environmentalists use it properly!
Japan donates $5M for tsunami debris cleanup>>>> Japan donates $5M for tsunami debris cleanup | NWCN.com Washington - Oregon - Idaho

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by vientoman

If one were to locate and board the concrete behemoth, wouldn't it be great if someone were to mount a pole with a simple radar reflector on it. a few lag bolts with big honking lead inserts maybe. That would be a kind thing to do.

You go first.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Are you sure? Have you ever been to Japan? Their toilets are microprocessor controlled and robotic. Why wouldn't their docks have AIS?

Actually I have been to Japan. I love their toilets! They even have warm blow dry after the warm water wash!

"Concrete doesn't show up on radar worth a damn, nor does a submerged container. This being logging country where logs are still moved and stored via rafts, there is always the possibilty of floating logs far at sea."

This is just pure BS. Try turning your radar on in a marina. You DO need to know how to adjust it. Heck, mine picks up good size white caps if I want it to.

[CarinaPDX]

OTOH why would a dock have AIS? It is not intended to be moved - an unintended consequence of the (unplanned) tsunami. I realize there is a move to mark some ATONs with AIS, but a dock? I think not...

Greg

[mbianka]

My boat was originally based in the PNW lucky for me the previous owner had it shipped to the east coast before I bought it. I did visit Vancouver a few years ago and was amazed at the amount of prop destroying wood "deadheads" floating in the the waters around the marinas. Prop business must have pretty steady work up there. The waters certainly don't need anymore debris floating in from Japan!

[Cheechako]

If they're floaters, they usually just go bump and slide along the side. if submerged some.... watch out! I avoid them all.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If they're floaters, they usually just go bump and slide along the side. if submerged some.... watch out! I avoid them all.

Well, that's one way to help keep the bottom clean. I think I'd be more nervous motoring at night than sailing in those waters. Especially since it would be harder to see the wood debris in the dark. Is that the feeling of the local sailors there?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by John A

It appears that you've turned off the private message feature of this forum.

Please try to be less judgemental of us unenlightend,who can only rely on personnel experiences.

kind regards

Sorry John A, my comment was not meant to be personal.

Radar detection in this thread went from:

1. Cement Properties
2. Floating logs with seagulls
3. Vertical deadheads.

For 20 years I sailed the PNW commercially and learned a few tricks to help detect low aspect targets like floating logs by radar.

It is something you need to practice with your own radar during daylight when you can actually see the floating logs (not deadheads)

• Set Range at 1 or 0.75nm/
• Turn off all auto settings
• It is a combination of turning up FTC (Rain Clutter), turning down Sea clutter to suit actual conditions, while slightly de-tuning radar for that short range and adjusting gain and brightness for solid log return.

Log Detection is in the outer third range and you can reduce range to keep detecting the log as you get closer so as to avoid.
Sometimes target stretch helps, other times not, depending on conditions.

When running large Tug and Tows…I have used similar techniques to identify position of strong back-eddies, when making the S-Turn towards Ripple Rock at Seymour Narrows in zero visibility.

Hope this helps you guys in the PNW to avoid the tsunami debris and again, my apologies for any offence taken.

Kind regards!

[John A]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Actually I have been to Japan. I love their toilets! They even have warm blow dry after the warm water wash!

"Concrete doesn't show up on radar worth a damn, nor does a submerged container. This being logging country where logs are still moved and stored via rafts, there is always the possibilty of floating logs far at sea."

This is just pure BS. Try turning your radar on in a marina. You DO need to know how to adjust it. Heck, mine picks up good size white caps if I want it to.

Maybe I should have quailified the thingy about concrete. An object built of concrete floating low in the water covered with marine life will be almost impossible to appear on a normal small radar on a typical sailboat when the radar is tuned to display ship traffic. That it is mostly riding in the trough of a sea swell will only make it more difficult.