9/23/2009 6:00:00 AM Hundreds watch launch of Cielo Mare: Sea trials are Thursday for 127-foot sport-fishing boat
It was a tight fit, but Port of Port Townsend employees brought the 127-foot-long Cielo Mare out of Townsend Bay Marine with a few inches to spare all around.
After Port of Port Townsend employees lifted Cielo Mare with the heavy hoist, Townsend Bay Marine employee Shawn Ajax touched up the locations where the hull had been supported during construction.
"A lot of chaos without any mishaps."
David King
CFO and co-owner, Townsend Bay Marine
By Barney Burke of The Leader
It seemed as though everyone and his dog came out to see Cielo Mare (Sky Sea) launched at the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven on Saturday afternoon.
It was a tight fit, but port employees made it look easy, driving the big Travelift into Townsend Bay Marine's building and pulling out the 127-foot sport-fishing boat about two hours later.
David King, CFO and co-owner of Townsend Bay Marine, called the launch "a lot of chaos without any mishaps."
It unfolded in true Port Townsend style, King said, noting that a pickup truck parked in the way of the Travelift had been left unlocked, of course. A dozen men - all of them bystanders - pushed the truck up over a curb and put a block under one of its wheels. Hundreds followed the big lift as it carried the boat to the water.
After the owners christened her, Cielo Mare was lowered into the water. However, a small leak was discovered in one of the "shaft logs," where the propeller enters the hull. It took about 15 minutes to fix that, King said. A key advantage of using the Travelift is being able to pull a boat out of the water during a launch, something that can't be done with rail systems, he explained.
Sea trials are tentatively set for this Thursday. Afterward, the boat will be hauled out for final preparation.
"This is a special boat," King said.
The lucky owners are a California couple who were guarding their privacy, and it's the wife who's the big fishing fan. She especially likes to fish in Alaska and Mexico, she said. He said they had looked at three or four other companies before selecting Townsend Bay Marine for the big job. Both said they enjoy visiting Port Townsend.
The couple has a crew of four to operate the boat.
Meanwhile, Townsend Bay Marine won't have any trouble filling its shop space. "We've got more work than we can handle, as usual," said King. Scapha and Wiley King are coming in for work, and progress continues on Cadenza, he said.
The company has a current workforce of about 80 to 85 people and will likely hire subcontractors rather than hire more employees for the time being, King said.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Article comment by:
Carolyn Murphy
Way to go TBM team! What a beautiful boat. The TBM completes another professional job!
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