Comments on: Government Boats 23 http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/ scenes from the sixth boro and gallivants beyond Sat, 25 May 2013 13:29:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: HT http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19410 Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:27:05 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19410 Wil, back in the early 90′s Bob (Henry) took the Shelby and ran…there was a article in the advance. I think it was titled A Mans love for his Tugboat, Anyway Bob was going through a divorce at that time with Dorothy and did not want to give her the boat…so he took it. He was a sweep boat operator at the Fresh kills (Yacht club).

]]> By: tugster http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19397 Sat, 10 Nov 2012 23:49:42 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19397 i tried . . . with a rapid-fire camera, i could have done it.

]]> By: Ken http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19395 Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:51:44 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19395 About a second sooner and that helo pic would’ve been really cool

]]> By: tugster http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19394 Sat, 10 Nov 2012 15:02:21 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19394 thanks, klyde. there has been a large cluster of donjon equipment at the bulkhead at the battery directly over the brooklyn/battery tunnel. that may be the answer.

]]> By: Klyde http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19393 Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:24:08 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19393 >”Unrelated question:” “folks wearing Smit apparel working in lower Manhattan. Anyone know who brought Smit into the “unwatering” and cleanup?”<

http://www.donjon-smit.com/

I do not have a real answer. The above relationship might be a possible start.

]]> By: Harold E. Tartell http://tugster.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/government-boats-23/#comment-19389 Sat, 10 Nov 2012 04:13:31 +0000 http://tugster.wordpress.com/?p=26859#comment-19389 It’s Veteran’s Day Weekend, & having served in the U.S. Coast Guard, & seeing USCGC GALLATIN WHEC-721 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Gallatin_(WHEC-721) arriving in New York 45 years ago on her maiden voyage was very fitting. The second of eight HAMILTON class 378 Foot High Endurance Cutters, USCGC DALLAS WHEC-716 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Dallas_(WHEC-716) arrived in New York in the Spring of 1967, and was based at Governors Island. I was stationed aboard USCGC MACKINAC WHEC-371 at the time, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Mackinac_(WAVP-371), http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/43/4313.htm which was based at St. George, Staten Island, NY. Eventually in 1968, the Coast Guard gradually moved all vessels from Base St. George to Governors Island. GALLATIN was the second 378 to arrive in New York in December, 1968, followed by USCGC MORGENTHAU WHEC-722 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Morgenthau_(WHEC-722) in 1969. All served tours of duty in Vietnam. I left MACKINAC in May of 1967 for Coast Guard Training Center Groton, Ct. Shortly after, DALLAS left New York for Vietnam. I returned to New York in October, 1967, and was transferred to USCGC MANITOU WYTM-60 http://www.76fsa.org/cgta/manitou.htm in November. In December, USCGC MACKINAC was decommissioned, and we assisted USCGC TAMAROA WMEC-166 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Tamaroa_(WMEC-166) in getting her underway as a “dead ship” from Base St. George to be towed out to sea by TAMAROA and sunk for target practice. This was a very sad day for me assisting a ship that I was formerly stationed on, and was destined for doom.

What was once new (MACKINAC 1943) got old, I’m getting old when I look back at these memories which were also once new (DALLAS, GALLATIN, & MORGENTHAU) and are now also old. Three of these ships have been sold already foreign. USCG HAMILTON WHEC-715 (first of this class) was sold to the Philippine Navy http://www.mikeinmanila.com/2011/05/15/philippines-us-coast-guard-cutter-hamilton-now-in-philippine-navy/, & has been renamed GREGORIO DEL PILAR, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRP_Gregorio_del_Pilar_(PF-15). USCGC DALLAS WHEC-716 was also sold to the Philippine Navy, & renamed RAMON A. ALCARAZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRP_Ramon_Alcaraz_(PF-16), http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/259514/pinoyabroad/news/us-coast-guard-ship-turned-over-to-phl-navy, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120523/PC16/120529691/cutter-dallas-turned-over-to-philippine-military. USCGC CHASE WHEC-718 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Chase_(WHEC-718) was sold to the Nigerian Navy, & renamed NNS THUNDER http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/nigerian-navy-acquire-the-warship-uscgc-chase/, http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/nns-thunder-f90-how-the-philippines-navy-have-upgunned-her-sister-sister-ship-brp-gregorio-del-pilarpf-15-max-montero-a-filipino-beegeagles-blogger/

Five more of these cutters are soon due to be decommissioned and phased out. It is very possible that they may end up in Nigeria or the Philippines. Time will soon tell.

In photo # 9, it appears that the Tug SHELBY ROSE has a small bunker barge alongside the GALLATIN. I see a small hose up, and it’s possible that GALLATIN is replenishing bunkers either Diesel fuel or Jet A for her gas turbines.

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