As illustration of decay, see this foto I took late winter 2008, and
this . . . earlier this week. Details about this vessel, Bayou Plaquemine, were given a few days ago . . . here.
Excuse the blurry foto below that shows an unidentified vessel to Bayou…’s starboard, seen
closeup here. A puzzle to me it is, as
is the wooden vessel resting along the bow portside of the red tugboat below and in these fotos (see the 5th and 6th ones) from a few days ago.
Compare my fotos here (2011) with Tom Kirsch’s from a few years back (2005?). Time and weather yield annihilation, eradicating identity,
obliterating memory, and creating puzzles occupied by mute ghosts. Anyone recognize starboard (to the left of PC-1217 portside engine detail lower center ) or
bow or
more starboard of this many-riveted vessel? Or the stern of the nearer one?
Or this one . . . bow and metal house once defined a single vessel here.
The change of design is such that I can’t recognize the parts here, not surprising given how recently I’ve come to these puzzles, but is this a cylindrical coaming for a barge and
are these chains on rods part of a dredge? Can you assist in any identifications here?
Or these three
along Hila’s portside
or this one, stern view . . . beyond where–I believe–Abram S. Hewitt once lay–along Hila‘s starboard side?
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
8 comments
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August 20, 2011 at 7:01 pm
D Merritt
I’ve really enjoyed this series of fotos.
August 20, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Anonymous
Will, if a wheelhouse topples in a deserted salvage yard, does it make a sound?
Dave Boone
August 20, 2011 at 9:21 pm
tugster
a sound captured by timelapse fotos, and images captured in the brains and along lateral lines of fishes who’ve settled into the old engine rooms mebbe? let’s interview the fishes.
August 21, 2011 at 7:21 am
jeff s
three wooden guys together….left to right ST.CHARLES, MAREN LEE and LION.
left of 1217 might be JANE McALLISTER. hull off her bow might be SPARTAN….could be more accurate if relative positions were more evident.
all that wooden wreckage off the HILA’s port bow was where HARRISBURG, WILMINGTON , OLEAN and others sat….inland from them was WALTER R MESECK’s hull.Jeff S
August 21, 2011 at 7:24 am
tugster
hi jeff– my plan is to create a labeled map, fitting fotos into a map soon. hope you’re well.
August 21, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Mage Bailey
Are more details available on a satellite view? There you should be able to see hull outlines as you can for the America/Australis.
August 22, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Bob
Hi
The chains and shafts look like parts of a dump scow. See “tugboats of New York” by G. Matteson, p. 89.
Great photos, keep them coming.
August 24, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Bill
Checked with my pal Red McDonnell, A scowman with GLDD before they did away with scowman and went to automated, radio controlled dump scow.
Red say’s, “Yes thats an old wooden pocket scow . The chains were attached to that bar which would wind the doors up.”