Future Nostalgia

Looking Forward To Remembering Today

08/26/07 - Tacoma Concrete Ship

Tacoma Concrete Ship

I am currently back out in Olympia on business. Today I planned to visit Seattle but the Greyhound buses were all booked up. Instead I took a local bus to the port city of Tacoma to walk around and photograph the exteriors of several old theaters. I also remembered that a few years ago a visitor to my concrete ships website informed me of a WWII concrete ship used as a breakwater at Tyee Marina in Tacoma. I spotted the ship from across the harbor and took a taxi to the marina. I finally reached a dock directly across from the ship and took some photos. I talked for awhile to a nice gentleman who owned a boat near the ship and told him about the history of concrete ships and my website. Afterwards he gave me a lift to downtown Tacoma so I could catch the bus back to Olympia. According to the man I spoke with, this ship is not grounded but is actually still afloat! That makes this ship the first and only floating concrete ship I've seen in person. (The remaining floating ships are up in Canada.) Perhaps sometime I can make a trip back out to the marina and get someone with a boat to take me over to the ship so I can climb aboard and take more photos. UPDATE: After comparing my photos with others, I think this was not one of the self-powered concrete ships, but rather an engine-less concrete barge. I'm a little disappointed, but it's still an impressive find.