L.A./L.B. Harbor Excursion for local RCG members?

[Kmot]

How many local to Los Angeles would be interested in getting together some Saturday or Sunday to ride the water taxi, and any other harbor rides available? Plus maybe take in the Maritime Museum, LAFD Fireboat Museum, etc? Then cap it off with dinner at the Port's of Call in San Pedro, or if we are in Long Beach at a grog and grub joint down there?

The Aqualink water taxi runs until Sep 16. Maybe we could set a date in the next few weeks?

Saturday August 4th?

Let's see a show of hands!

1) Kmot and Mrs Kmot
2) u163665 and kid
3) Horrible Harry and main squeeze

[Kmot]

Some of the tentative sites we will be able to see if interested:

Ports O' Call, San Pedro (LA Harbor)

1) American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial
2) Fireboat #2 Museum
3) Fishing Industry Memorial
4) LA Maritime Museum and Tug
5) Ports O' Call Village
6) SS Lane Victory
7) USS Los Angeles Naval Memorial
8) World Port


Long Beach Harbor

1) Aqualink Water Taxi
2) Aquabus Water Taxi
3) Shoreline Village
4) Harbor Cruise
5) Aquarium of the Pacific
6) Queen Mary

[Kmot]

BTW, I don't mean to sound exclusionary by suggesting this is only for local LA area people. Heck, if anyone wants to travel to LA and meet up please join in! :)

[green-boat]

I'll be there........... in spirit. LOL

Sounds like a fun time, wish I could be there but it's a little too far for me. Take plenty of pic's for us.

[smart_racer]

Have, and sounds like fun!

[Kmot]

My wife will have to remain home on this trip in order to let the tile guys finish up.

Matt and his son, Harry and his girlfriend, and myself are confirmed. Still waiting to hear from Cap'n Bob. All the others have bailed out.

[keith S]

Be there with you in spirit, but not in person. :( :) Take photos for those of us who have to miss the boat this time so we know what we missed in person. ;)

[green-boat]

It's August already :eek: :eek: :eek:

How time flies.

[Kmot]

I told the tile guys "forget it, Saturday no work" so my wife will be coming with me. :)

[Kmot]

A lot of the Irregulars really missed out on a very pleasant day trip. Oh well!

Cap'n Horrible and his 1st Mate Melissa met me and my 1st Mate Holly at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum at 10AM this morning. Shortly afterward Cap'n Matt and his 3 year old son arrived. We all walked around the displays in the front of the museum. Torpedo, anti-aircraft gun, huge props, steering wheel, the bow of the USS Los Angeles, cannon barrels, anchors, bollards, etc.

Then we went inside the museum. It has a slowly curving incline from the first floor to the second floor. Along the way there are model ships in glass cases. Dozens, and dozens of them. Mostly civilian types. Incredible, museum class models just all around you. And huge photographs from the old days, and huge paintings adorn the walls. Nautical flags hang from the rafters. The railing along the way is covered in tightly woven rope that has years of 'patina' on it from the visitors. Unfortunately, at around this point, Matt had to leave early.

Some of the model ships are staggering in their size. One was a fully working sailing ship large enough to carry a person. And then there were also some very small and delicate models. Needless to say, it is a boat modelers paradise!

Along the walkway are two wooden boats, and one has a single cylinder engine. The woodwork is amazing. Labors of love....

One of the featured displays was the tuna canning industry history. A very large part of the San Pedro and Los Angeles harbor area was the tuna industry, before it went overseas. And all the jobs were lost, and all the canneries were closed down.

Another featured display was the deep sea diver gear. 200 pounds of gear on a fully suited up diver with the huge brass and copper helmet. There was an older gentleman there today whos job was a deep sea diver. He was a tall man, and one of the suits on display he told me was a "#4" and would fit him. He was 6'4" tall and the diving suit and helmet would have made him look 7' tall. Like a monster!

Further along the first floor is the remaining ramp area where autos would drive up to load onto the Terminal Island ferry. In this area are the military models. Cap'n Horrible sized models! :p

Outside was the Angels Gate tug, a WWII Army tug. In mint condition, well not shiny but in perfect health I guess would be a better description. And then there were the Crowley tugs and the LAFD fireboat #2 right outside. One of the Crowley tugs started up and motored away. It was named Scout and at first I thought it said Scoot!

After touring the museum the four of us drove to Long Beach harbor and parked our cars at the Queen Mary. There is also a Russian submarine there now as well. Anyway, we boarded the Aqualink water taxi and took a ride. Wow! That boat is awesome! It is sooo stable and smooth. And powerful and fast! It has very comfortable seating on the interior, and ice cold A/C. And ice cold beer and wine too! :p

Up top on the foredeck you get the massive breeze when underway and it felt soooo good. When it pulls into one of three ports you must disembark while they do a 'layover' and then you get back on. At some point you must also pay the fare again. But it ends up costing only $6 for a round trip and about an hours worth of actual on the water time.

When the Aqualink catamaran is up to speed, the pilot just steers around the slower boats. Jet skiers flock to the wake so they can play in it. Lesser powerboats just move over! :cool:

After completeing the Aqualink water taxi ride we boarded the Aquabus. It is a smaller, open air boat and it is really quite pleasant to ride in and only costs $2 for a round trip. We rode it to Shoreline Village and walked from the dock to Bubba Gump's and had shrimp dinners. After filling up, we walked back to the Aquabus and rode it back to the Queen Mary. From there we got our cars and headed home.

It was a really nice day! :cool:

Lots of pictures forthcoming.......

[Kmot]

Here are some pictures, tip of the iceberg. All photos inside the museum have to be taken without flash, so some are blurry.

[MILLERTIME]

Thanks for the pictuers Tom.
I wish I could have been there.

Don M.

[Kmot]

Don, you would have loved it. The guys who bailed out for whatever reasons missed a 'perfect' day.

I am going to post more photos later. But I have a lot of work to do. 248 pictures were taken and have to be resized for uploading.

[Kmot]

Here are the first batch of photos. Remember, no flash allowed. If you look past the model ship, you can see the museum behind it.

[Mrs. Toe's]

Yes, it looks like everyone had a grand time--and a lot cooler than the day Toe's Up and I had.

But then, we couldn't turn down a gig to play pirate and fire cannons and blunderbuss, having sword-fights and carousing/terrorizing the guests... :D It was bloody hot, 109.....Insanely Hot, I should say!!! We kept ourselves well-hydrated, though. We were fed by the production company and given a comfy room for the night. After the gig, we pirates met for a post-party, and Toe's later asked, "Don't pirates know how to speak quietly?"

To which I giggled and answered, "Not unless they're planning a mutiny!" :D :rolleyes:

[Kmot]

Next batch of pics: