Comments on: East River Mystery 3

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:19:40 +0000

I agree with Mike! Definately a photoshop job, That is a deep sea motor ship towing rig also, the bow wave is all wrong, note how far forward of the forefoot it is. When you rig a tall ship, all standing, for towing you use a chain bridle from the main chains, strike the dolphin striker and rig preventers on the bridle thru the forefoot wire eye. We have moved Eagle Danmark and Christian Radach at Norfolk several times and escorted the Deutchland in Bremerhaven several times. (Army Tugs)

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:12:16 +0000

I was a volunteer at The South Street Seaport Museum in the late 1970′s and early 80′s. I worked on the restoration of Wavertree. She was painted in her current scheme at that time. That is the paint scheme used by the Leyland Bros. on their ships. Wavertree was dismasted off Cape Horn in 1910, then used as a warehouse in Chile and then as a sand barge. At that time her fore and main masts and main deck were removed, and her sides cut down to the level of her ‘tween decks. That is the condition she was in when she came to NYC in 1969. The museum was founded sometime around 1966.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:26:28 +0000

Will,

I showed your post to a very knowledgeable source at a party this weekend, and he felt that the photo was a fake. A photoshop, actually. I pointed out that you received it by mail, not online, but the fake proclamation stood.

Examples:
* A ship her size would never be deadshipped with all her masts up.

* She could not be towed down the East River in this condition, as she would not fit under the Brooklyn Bridge (as you hinted).

* The harness rig as shown would destroy her headgear upon the first significant wake.

And to the Wavertree comparison, he pointed out that she is clearly a wooden ship.

He passed upon my request that he comment himself, but I am curious enough to forward the quotes. A final point that he made was that the ship itself does not appear to his eye to even be a photograph, but a drawing or painting superimposed.

Is it possible that the photo you were sent was a (pre-photoshop) photoshop, perhaps something that was doctored for use as a postcard?

–Mike

By: Soundbounder

Soundbounder — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:11:57 +0000

In 1976 during Op-Sail, some of the ships came down through the Sound and East River. The very tall ones obviously couldn’t.

Also, what year was South Street Seaport established,,,,late 1970′s???

By: Redwing

Redwing — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Also, the bowsprits are in two diff’t places, so…

By: Redwing

Redwing — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:20:50 +0000

Any chance it could be one of the Mystic Seaport boats coming to a NYC boatyard for work?