Here was the first one, two years ago.  Actually . . . this post should be called “waiting for Pioneer, ”  one 1885 steel and iron schooner, said to be transiting through the Kills back to South Street Seaport.

But in the unpredictable ways of the sixth boro, this is the first Pioneer that showed up, stern first and

made securely to a McAllister–Michael J.–one I’ve never seen before.

Anyone know from whence?  Actually Crowley Mars also arrived that way midday today . . . stern by bow of Bruce A. McAllister.   More fotos of the Crowley visitors tomorrow.  Anyone know what the plans are?

About an hour after Mars and Pioneer transited to the west, I saw the unmistakeable lines of a schooner . . .

the Pioneer I was expecting.

In the next month, volunteers will sweat and tie spars and sails onto the poles and

this vessel–so absent all throughout 2011–will again gallop or wallow across the Upper Bay.

This Pioneer had an Anacostia-escort for a few minutes before the schooner took the tug’s stern and

made for Manhattan.   Meanwhile . . .

this vessel, Katherine G, a liftboat–not a tug–whose foto I took about a year ago here–had

a mishap over on the north side of Liberty Island and ended up like this.  This foto was taken at 10:16 this morning.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.   Thanks much to eastriver for the heads up . . .  .

For more on Katherine G, see what Newyorkology has to report.

And this Halifax-centric tugboat blog to check out . . .