Welcome to Newport!

It’s time for a new article as the last one was six months old! Back to sailing again after being on medical hold for most of the year. Are there any new adventures on the horizon that may be worth writing about? Not enough that would cause any sort of excitement. I did get my first assignment after being reinstated and that was to………NOAA Ship Shimada in Newport, Oregon. Last time I was in Newport was nine years ago when the announcement was made that Marine Operations Center was moving from Seattle. I am tasked with taking the Shimada to dry-dock to Mare Island Shipyard in Vallejo, California. This is my first time sailing the Shimada and the first time in 18 years that I have sailed on a ship not based in Hawaii.

The Shimada is a fisheries survey vessel homeported in Newport, Oregon. Her area of deployment is the west coast of the United States. The Shimada is a Dyson-class FSV, Fisheries Survey Vessel. She joined the NOAA fleet in 2010 after being launched two years before. Shimada’s major projects include fisheries assessment, climate research and algae bloom studies.

Newport, Oregon is a city on the Oregon Coast and has a population little over 10,000 people. It’s like living in a Norman Rockwell painting of Americana. Restaurants and souvenir shops align their historical Bayfront. Yaquina Bay Bridge towers over the bay. The main road through town is the Oregon Coast Highway 101 with mom and pop businesses lining up the thoroughfare. Fishing boats are docked in the marina. People are welcoming and smiles greet you at business establishments. Mai’s Asian Market, the owner is more than happy to walk you through of what she has. My experience with Newport was very pleasant. There are unfortunate aspects though and much like large cities in America; there are homeless issues in a small town as well. I did have a conversation with a homeless lady and she wanted to make sure that I was respected and treated right.

It rained immensely on the first days I got here along with robust winds and the air was wintry! The sloping rain along with fog clouding the roads made driving the afternoon with headlights! I lived in Seattle for 14 years and found it hard to re-adjust to Pacific Northwest weather after being away for nearly nine years. With the rains and perpetual cloudiness you get the tendency to believe there is no such thing as sunshine here. Unlike locals I could not wear shorts or wander around in a t-shirt when temperatures reach 60 degrees! I did experience nice days in Newport where the sun shone but the intensity would blind you as the eyes adjust to the brightness. Who can complain as the sun is a welcome sight after day after day of rain and or cloudiness. One trait of the Pacific Northwest when it rains is the lack of umbrellas. During the winter, hoodies are general piece of clothing and its head covering protects you against the rain. No umbrella stands or cellophane wrapper to cover a wet umbrella exist in stores. I first noticed this when I spent much time in Vancouver, British Columbia over two decades ago.

This weather makes coffee taste good! Oregon’s famed coffee chain “Dutch Brothers” constantly has a congested drive thru. Wherever my travels send me I try to eat foods or find establishments that I cannot find back home. That usually means avoiding fast food chain restaurants if it can be helped. Local mom and pop places are my preference. In Newport, it would be Mo’s Seafood and Chowder or Newport Café to name a couple. Places you find on the mainland that is a bit of “Americana,” traditional breakfast or home style meals for lunch and dinner. One item I try to get as much as I can while I am here that I definitely cannot find back home is clam chowder. 

      

The last blog I wrote a “Requiem for the Hi’ialakai.” She is docked in Newport and I did go over to take a look at the old ship. This may be the last time I will ever see her. They were taking items out. To see what was once an active lab that was now motionless was sad. Rust was creeping everywhere and you could tell she was disregarded while TLC was lacking.

This will be my last weekend in Newport as we are slated to leave Monday for Mare Island. This will be my second trip to Mare Island as I was there three years ago with the Sette. The worst seas I ever sailed in were off San Francisco with the Sette when we left Mare Island. We’ll see what’s in store this time.