logs in the water

[Chris Van Gorder]

I live in Shelton Washington. We have a Simpson Timber Company here right on Oakland Bay, and I was wondering why they have the logs floating in the bay. You can see them from Hwy 3. Is there a special reason for floating them in the salt water?

[rreidnauer]

is it's the easiest place to store, sort, and move them around. I doubt any one log spends too much time in the drink.

Wonder what the salinity of the water is there. I bet it's fairly low, not that I think it would have much effect anyhow.

[ajax]

ajax
Hey Rod:

You know that's what makes a Stradavarius (sp) Violin sound the way it does. The wood used was taken from a Salt Marsh I believe. So maybe the sounds within the home will end up sounding that much nicer....lol

John

[Klapton]

Lots of mills have equipment right up next to the water, and still use the water as part of their "yard" because the primary mode of travel for logs used to be rivers. They would tie the logs together into a giant raft, and float them downstream.

They might still do it in some places... That is, unless someone has determined that it might hurt a salmon's feelings or something.

[zato_ichi]

"Sometimes a Great Notion" starring Paul Newman shows how they used to ship logs down river by tying them together, it's a good watch with some great scenery if you like movies filmed in the PNW

[adubar]

Know the area well.

In puget sound it is not uncommon to see logs being moved from one place to another in "rafts" pulled by tug boats.

Most large timber operations on puget sound still use waterways as means of transport (some examples can be seen at Port Gamble, Aberdeen, & etc.).

[akemt]

The "retired" LP pulp mill in Ketchikan, AK floated the majority of its logs, or atleast always kept some in the bay (not a river, but it was in a creek outlet). They used massive barges as well. They made the high-grade pulp too -- think diet food. Turns me off of the stuff; If I wanted to eat wood, I'd eat wood. ;)