Crew of live bait catching fishing boat Cougar works to transfer an immense net onto the G Street Pier at Tuna Harbor.
Late this morning I went down to HarborFest in Chula Vista. I’ve got to sort through a couple hundred photos–so I’ll blog about that cool event later. But first, here are some interesting pics which I took during a walk along San Diego’s Embarcadero this afternoon. As I strolled along Tuna Harbor, between Seaport Village and the USS Midway Museum, I noticed a lot of activity beside one of the live bait boats which docks at the G Street Pier. So I investigated.
Turns out, fishermen were removing a huge seine net from the Cougar, a commercial fishing boat which catches live bait. The bait is then distributed to local sportfishing vessels. I don’t claim to be an expert on these matters or to thoroughly understand what I saw, but I believe the captions I wrote are correct. I hope so! If a correction is required, leave a comment!
A crane is utilized to help transfer the heavy net from the boat’s big cylinder-like winch drum at its stern to the pier.Lots of seagulls were attracted to this picturesque scene on San Diego Bay. Perhaps they expected to spot some fish.Wrestling with the huge live bait encircling seine net, which is lined at the edges with yellow and white floats.Commercial fishing requires a lot of hard physical work on both land and water.Winch and crane operators work in tandem to keep the net moving from boat to pier smoothly and neatly.Working with a smile on a sunny summer Saturday on San Diego’s busy Embarcadero.Just a great photo of nets, gulls and human activity on a working public pier.
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Another easy, carefree day of fishing at the Embarcadero Marina Park Pier in downtown San Diego.
I have lots of favorite places. One is the small public fishing pier in downtown San Diego, located at Embarcadero Marina Park South. I walk there quite frequently. When I stand on this short pier, leaning against the rail above the bay’s gently lapping water, I feel my mind and spirit expand.
I walked past the pier last Saturday morning. I’d seen a sign announcing a Kiwanis fishing tournament, and thought it might be fun to take a few photos. But when I arrived, nobody seemed to be there. Perhaps I was too early.
When I got home and reviewed all the photos on my computer, I figured I’d blog about the pier anyway!
I casually know a few of the regulars. Back when JJ’s Sunset Deli by the Bay was open, we’d eat, sit and talk on JJ’s patio at the foot of the pier. Jim had the best ribeye steak sandwiches. I even blogged about it. But I deleted that post when he shut down and retired at the end of last year. It’s a very big shame a new tenant hasn’t taken over the cafe. It’s a small gem that adds unique charm to San Diego and thousands of fond, priceless memories.
The Embarcadero Marina Park Pier extends less than a hundred feet from the shore, but the T-shaped end is about 300 feet long. At times many fish can be caught here. It’s possible to catch mackerel, bass, croaker, halibut, guitarfish, bat rays, leopard sharks and many more local species. Kids love the place. There’s grass nearby and picnic benches, and curving paths for running and riding, and rocks to climb down that are covered at the waterline with tiny, quick crabs.
There are homeless people scattered about the park. But they’re generally just hanging out, talking, sleeping, trying to enjoy the sea breeze, some shade or warm sunshine.
Know what’s really cool? No fishing license on the pier is required! That’s the case with all public pier fishing in San Diego.
Across the bay from the pier (which is located behind the San Diego Convention Center) lies beautiful Coronado Island.The small pier is a favorite spot for fishermen and families. It’s an affordable way for many locals to enjoy their beautiful (but sometimes expensive) city. The pier is most popular on weekends and during the summer.This friendly pier regular drags the bottom of the bay hoping to snag lost fishing poles and other sunken treasure!Someone caught a small mackerel, which flops around on the wooden pier.Another wonderful San Diego day on the Big Bay. The modest pier is located at Embarcadero Marina Park South.Two brown pelicans perch on a rail hoping for a handout from sympathetic fishermen.Fishing poles in a line on a hazy day. Across the gentle water to the south stretches the long San Diego–Coronado Bridge.Joggers, bicyclists, skaters, city residents, tourists, people attending Summer Pops concerts nearby…almost everyone likes to visit this pier for great peaceful views.Just spending some time on the pier, relaxing, talking, enjoying life among friends and fellow fishermen.Birds are plentiful on San Diego Bay…And so are boats, of every kind!Walking along the path that encircles Embarcadero Marina Park South. The small structure which housed the pier cafe, unfortunately, has been vacant this year.Kids look excitedly into the blue water. Maybe the big one is down there just waiting to be caught!
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A pleasure boat, two sailboats, one catamaran–everyone is out on glorious, blue San Diego Bay.
Here are some photos taken today during my walk. Nothing too earth-shattering. Just sunshine, birds, people, water, boats, music, love, life . . . and Chewbacca, Tom Cruise and Captain Ahab. Ordinary stuff.
Gull takes flight near fishing pier at Embarcadero Marina Park South.Folks relax as they listen to a small concert by a Seaport Village fountain.These talented kids playing classic rock tunes in Seaport Village form the band Gen-X!Chewbacca is hanging out with a Star Wars buddy near the USS Midway Museum.Looks like Tom Cruise has shore leave after landing his Top Gun fighter jet on that big aircraft carrier docked there behind him!Two enjoy the sparkling water beside the Cruise Ship Terminal.Students prepare to board the Star of India. A cool Moby Dick Marathon Reading is coming next weekend to San Diego’s historic tall ship.Throwing a rope as Maritime Museum of San Diego’s restored Swift Boat returns from a harbor cruise.
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San Salvador, a close reproduction of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s historic galleon, undergoes final preparation at Spanish Landing in San Diego.
San Salvador’s masts and bowsprit have been installed!
I swung by the amazing ship’s build site this morning after doing a couple errands in Point Loma. Additional work was underway on the bowsprit, and the hull appears almost finished. One gentleman was painting white Roman numerals on the bow which will indicate the ship’s depth.
Complications and unforeseen difficulties have delayed the launch of the Spanish galleon, but now the full-scale, seaworthy replica of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s historic ship is almost ready to be placed into San Diego Bay!
As I write this, very little updated information can be found concerning the upcoming launch of San Salvador. When the ship was weighed some months ago, it came in at 20 tons more than expected. Due to logistics, plans to use a crane to transport the ship to Broadway Pier were necessarily altered, then ultimately discarded.
I received some info on the museum’s new plan during a short conversation with Al Sorkin, aka Captain Swordfish, a few days ago while I was walking along the Embarcadero. He indicated the San Salvador will be turned, then rolled over a temporary bridge onto a barge behind Harbor Island. The barge will then transport the galleon to a local shipyard, where a crane will finally hoist San Salvador into San Diego Bay.
The plan, as I understood it, is to add ballast and complete the ship’s rigging while it’s docked by the Maritime Museum. I also heard that the museum hopes San Salvador is ready to lead other tall ships into San Diego Bay for the ceremonial parade at this year’s Festival of Sail! That would be very cool!
Maritime Museum of San Diego volunteers work on the bowsprit, before San Salvador is eventually moved onto a barge, then hoisted at a local shipyard into the bay.A temporary “bridge” will be built across this path in the coming weeks to allow the large San Salvador Spanish galleon to be rolled onto a barge.While the masts are now in, yards are still being prepared. As I understand it, they’ll be installed along with the ballast, once San Salvador is afloat near the Maritime Museum.Guys work on the bowsprit in early July. The hope is that San Salvador leads the 2015 Festival of Sail’s parade of tall ships into San Diego Bay!
UPDATE!
As of 7/29/15, the San Salvador is afloat on San Diego Bay! A week ago a barge transported the replica galleon to Chula Vista in our South Bay, where today it was lifted into the water. I learned this afternoon that in fact the ballast will be added and rigging completed in Chula Vista, in a place that is closed to the public. The ship will have to undergo extensive testing by the Coast Guard before being declared seaworthy. It’s still hoped everything will be completed in time for the Festival of Sail, which takes place in a little over a month!
Flags are already out up and down San Diego’s Embarcadero the day before the Fourth of July. This gentleman was taking a break near the fishing pier behind the convention center.
I noticed today that folks are already in the Fourth of July spirit. During my walk along the Embarcadero, I saw flags everywhere. Tomorrow the waterfront will be jammed with hundreds of thousands of San Diegans and tourists, especially during the Big Bay Boom fireworks show which takes place at 9 o’clock. I’ll be watching, too! Don’t expect any photos of fireworks, however, because my modest camera isn’t quite up to that task!
Should you happen to stroll through Seaport Village on Saturday, Alamo Flags will be handing out 1000 actual American flags for free! I was once honored to receive one, and they’re great! Giving away flags is a tradition carried on by the owner, Mike Ismail. Because of his personal experiences, he’s very grateful to live in the Land of the Free.
Port of San Diego’s Big Bay Boom, an Independence Day Spectacular, will take place at 9 o’clock July 4. Several barges on the bay will launch synchronized fireworks.American flag on a pedicab. The driver is waiting for passengers on the Embarcadero, near the USS Midway Museum.Flagship’s Patriot speed boat is about to take folks on a thrill ride! Get ready to be splashed!A street performer wears the Stars and Stripes. Looks like he’s ready to go this Fourth of July weekend.Window at Alamo Flags in Seaport Village has a patriotic display. Mike Ismail, the owner, is proud and grateful to be a free American.Banners near front of Alamo Flags. The shop will give away 1000 actual United States flags on the Fourth of July!Tourists wearing Old Glory have disembarked at Seaport Village from a San Diego SEAL Tours cool Hydra-Terra vehicle, after taking a bay cruise.
USS Midway visitor takes photograph with selfie stick next to aircraft-launching Shooter mannequin.
I hope you enjoy a few photos I took recently of planes and people (and helicopters) on the flight deck of San Diego’s USS Midway Museum. The historic aircraft carrier served longer than any other American carrier in the 20th century, spanning five decades from 1945 to 1992. Countless amazing stories have been lived by thousands serving aboard the USS Midway, and many of those stories continue today as docents and volunteers relate their personal shipboard experiences to visitors from around the world. San Diego’s unique aircraft carrier museum, now over ten years old, hosts over a million visitors a year.
Midway’s large flight deck, enlarged from 2.8 to 4 acres in 1966, today features a couple dozen restored aircraft that represent different eras of modern military history. The internet is jammed with pages showing and describing these aircraft in detail, so I thought I’d just provide a quick flavor of what it’s like to walk out on the flight deck on a typical San Diego day. If you’d like to take the cool self-guided tour of the ship, which I highly recommend, plan to spend at least an hour!
Lady walks past F-14 Tomcat fighter jet on USS Midway aircraft carrier’s flight deck.Tourists at USS Midway Museum walk out onto one of the two horns that project over San Diego Bay.Sign describes how to read Navy flag signals.Man lingers near F-8 Crusader, the US Navy’s first supersonic fighter.People sit on benches listening to a docent talk about launching airplanes from Midway’s two steam-powered catapults.Guy checks out A-7 Corsair positioned to be launched from powerful catapult, which accelerated aircraft to 170 mph in about 3 seconds!Young couple takes a look at E-2 Hawkeye, an Airborne Early Warning aircraft.Looking south from atop the flight deck. Seen are the Unconditional Surrender statue, Tuna Harbor, and the Coronado Bay Bridge.USS Midway visitors enjoy a sunny San Diego day near EKA-3 Skywarrior.Visitors find out what it’s like inside a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter.Peering through cockpit of HO3S utility helicopter at the nearby HUP Retriever.This HO3S Dragonfly, first helicopter aboard the USS Midway in 1948, is undergoing restoration.Docent veteran talks about how aircraft landed on the flight deck using a tailhook and multiple arresting cables.Exhibit on Midway’s LSO Platform shows how Navy pilots landed in difficult conditions, relying on optical guidance.Navy pilot mannequin in flight suit stands near FA-18 Hornet, painted as a TOPGUN enemy aircraft.A-6 Intruder bomber on display near USS Midway’s superstructure.Volunteers work to restore SH-2 Seasprite, beyond orange nose of H-34 Seabat.The huge flight deck of the USS Midway Museum hosts visitors from around the world, special military-related events, decades of history, and never-ending activity on San Diego Bay.
Three Japanese warships are visiting downtown San Diego’s waterfront.
This afternoon I spotted three ships of the Japanese Self-Defense Force in San Diego. They were docked at the downtown Cruise Ship Terminal on the busy Embarcadero. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force must be training with the US Navy off our coast, although I find nothing about any joint naval exercises when I do a quick search of Google News.
A year ago I spotted three warships belonging to Japan docked in the same spot. I see the big training ship Kashima, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, has returned. (Last year an article I researched referred to it as a landing ship.) I suspect the other two are destroyers, like last time.
It’s an interesting sight you don’t often see up close, so I took a few pics!
A sailboat on San Diego Bay checks out an unusual sight on a cloudy day.Bow of big training ship Kashima, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
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Grossmont High School NJROTC Ceremonial Color Guard waits for an important event to begin.
This morning I attended a moving ceremony. Americans who fought in World War II, members of The Greatest Generation, were honored in a special Veterans Wreath Ceremony on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum. It’s one of several events taking place on the USS Midway this Memorial Day weekend. San Diego’s popular aircraft carrier museum promises to be a very busy hub of activity.
I took a few photographs of the ceremony. It was short, but very meaningful.
People cross flight deck of USS Midway aircraft carrier museum to attend a special Memorial Day weekend event. (Chairs are for a Wynonna Judd concert later this evening.)Looking south over San Diego Bay from upper deck of USS Midway Museum. Unconditional Surrender statue can be seen below.Pomerado Community Band plays music before start of short ceremony that honors World War II veterans.God Bless America sung with a deep, resonant voice. Many in the crowd listen with emotion.Guests are ready for the special Memorial Day weekend Veterans Wreath Ceremony to begin.There are two wreaths. One commemorates those who fought in the World War II Pacific theater. The second wreath is dedicated to those who served in Europe.This honored vet performed his duty in the Pacific during the Second World War. With him are two other generations.Also honored was energetic Stu Hedley, who is a Pearl Harbor survivor.Vintage World War II P-35 fighter aircraft from Air Group One (San Diego Wing of the Commemorative Air Force) flies over during the ceremony.The wreaths are presented to the two representative veterans, who will toss them into the water.In a time-honored ritual and tribute, the first wreath takes flight as many watch and The Remembrance Bell is rung.Flowers and memories float on San Diego Bay on this beautiful Memorial Day weekend.A photo from the flight deck of the USS Midway. The historic aircraft carrier is used for many military ceremonies in San Diego.
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People at the annual Plastic Fantastic check out cars of the North County Corvette Club.
Here are some cool pics!
I was walking along San Diego’s waterfront today, with no destination in mind, when I stumbled upon a huge gathering of car enthusiasts! Members of the North County Corvette Club had come together for a fun day at Embarcadero Marina Park North, right next to Seaport Village. Their annual car show, dubbed the Plastic Fantastic, is said to be the oldest and largest all-Corvette show in the Southwest. There had to be well over a hundred perfectly gorgeous Corvettes gleaming in the San Diego sunshine!
This cool event benefits the club charity, the San Diego USO, an organization that serves active-duty, reserve, guard and military families. If you’d like, you can donate to USO San Diego here!
The San Diego USO benefited from the all-Corvette car show near Seaport Village.The King Lives–but he must be laying off the donuts, because it seems he’s shrunk a bit.Shiny metallic American flag inside the hood of a cool Chevy Corvette.Artwork on this slick sports car includes flames and a checkered flag.A racy paint job and a beautiful downtown San Diego backdrop.Lots of Corvettes were on the grass of Embarcadero Marina Park North, right next to San Diego Bay.Another colorful photo, with the Marriott Marina in the background.Corvette owners wait to hear which cars won show awards.It’s two o’clock and time to head home. Drivers are graciously thanked for attending!
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