UPDATE: Seafair Parade of Ships 2024 passes West Seattle

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(Photo by Gary Jones – USS Sampson passing Alki)

12:32 PM: As noted in our daily event list, today’s the day for Seafair‘s downsized Parade of Ships, this year featuring one U.S. Navy destroyer and several U.S. Coast Guard boats. The official “parade” is along the downtown waterfront, but the participating ships sail eastward along Alki and the rest of West Seattle’s north-facing shoreline along the way, so we’re watching from Luna/Anchor Park, as the ships approach Alki Point for their eastward turn. In addition to the ship announced this morning by the U.S. Navy, USS Sampson (DDG 102), online tracking identifies the USCG participants as including Terrapin, Osprey, Sea Lion, buoy tender Henry Blake, and newly commissioned David Duren. (Seattle fireboat Leschi is heading out to greet them.)

(Photo by Javier Fosado – SFD fireboat Leschi with USS Sampson)

The Sampson and some of the USCG vessels will be open for tours on the downtown waterfront Wednesday-Sunday; see the schedule here.

12:54 PM: Now passing Duwamish Head, with the Sampson leading the way.

1:39 PM: The ships have moved on to downtown.

2:42 PM: Here are our pics with a closer look:

Jim July 30, 2024 (1:50 pm)

Very disappointing that they scaled it back this has to be one of the most disappointing parade of ships I’ve ever seen and this is year six with no aircraft carrier

WSB July 30, 2024 (2:34 pm)

I’ve been trying to get the advance info for a couple weeks – they’d been including the Canada Navy and at the last minute that component vanished and the Navy news release finally sent this morning just mentioned the destroyer. But things have changed over the years … looking into our archives of coverage dating to 2010, in 2013 the Parade of Ships and Blue Angels were both canceled because of federal budget cuts!
https://wsb.blackfin.biz/2013/04/another-seafair-update-no-u-s-navy-fleet-this-year-either/
- Mr Henry July 30, 2024 (4:56 pm)
  
  The first photo of the USS Sampson is last years photo flying the Hawaii state flag. GO NAVY !
  - WSB July 30, 2024 (5:32 pm)
    
    No, that was a photo sent today by Gary Jones.
    The Sampson wasn’t in last year’s parade
    https://wsb.blackfin.biz/2023/08/happening-now-seafair-parade-of-ships-2023/
    the USS Barry was, and it flew the Hawai’i flag until it got close in. The USS Sampson didn’t fly the Hawai’i flag.
    - Mr Henry July 30, 2024 (5:47 pm)
      
      Thanks for the correction, my mistake.GO NAVY ! GO Seafair
  - Gary July 30, 2024 (6:08 pm)
    
    Here is the DDG from last year that initially flew the Hawaiian state flag.