Columbia River Tugs

I’m not confusing the Columbia with Colombia, but here’s what I found when I mistyped, on purpose.  Colombia seems to be getting some new vessels.

But on the Columbia, Sommer S seems to be the most powerful vessel of the Shaver fleet.

Here’s the land office with Willamette and Columbia at the dock, as well

as Vancouver and Lassen.

On the far side of Sommer S are Deschutes and Tidewater’s Betty Lou (1950).  Closeup, it’s Mary B.

Kathryn B is Bernert Barge Line’s sister to Mary B.

Click here for Bernert Barge Line’s plea to save the dams that make the Columbia navigable for as far as it is.

Foss recently announced it was withdrawing from the Columbia.  A few days ago, Betsy L, Pacific Escort, and PJ Brix were parked at the dock on the Willamette.

Betsy L

Lindy Marie (1952) has unusual house lines.  Note in the background the bow of the black mystery tug to the left and USACE’s Redlinger, maybe the fastest survey vessel on the seven seas.

This is an escort tug built in 1947 with obsolete technology just because it was effective.

When Portland II was service, it was operated by Shaver.  Click here for a narrative of its operation and transformation to museum vessel.  Click here for a foto of the vessel Shaver replaced the steam vessel with in 1981.

Yup, I gotta see the movie.

Parting shot, it’s part of the Brusco fleet.  Nearer vessel is Sharon Brusco.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Cast Closeups 1

I’m slowing this down;  yesterday I posted a record-setting 32 fotos, if I counted right.   And I’m making this personal, dedicating this to my wonderful Colombian and Ecuadorian students and to my Indonesian relatives.

Gloria is the official flagship of the Colombia Navy, based in Cartagena.  Yes, we’ve heard too much about some malfeasance there recently.

The population of Colombia is 46 million; the size of the Navy is 35,000.

Here’s view from astern of barques Gloria and Guayas, looking toward Coney Island.

The population of Ecuador is 14 million, and the total personnel of the Navy is a bit over 7200.   The logo on the “sail” between the foremast and mainmast promotes Ecuadorian tourism.  If I had limitless funds and time, I’d go everywhere, but Ecuador includes Amazonian forest, high Andes, the Galapagos, and so much more.

You might know this, but the population of Indonesia is over 240 million, the fourth most populous country, with many cultures and some 700 languages!

Click here for Dewaruci’s itinerary on their round-the-world voyage.

As an archipelago nation made up of more than 18,000 islands, it’s not surprising it has a navy of 150 ships and 74,000 sailors. In the distance, that’s Buchanan 1 moving rock through the archipelago of the sixth boro.

As to my relatives . . . I did have four uncles who fought there against Indonesian independence a half century ago.

I’m eager to see the wood carving closeup;  as a kid, I was scared to visit my grandmother’s house because of a frightful Balinese mask hanging on her wall.

If you have the chance, visit these and other vessels around the sixth boro this weekend.  Click here for further info.  I’ll be working a dock of Staten Island Saturday morning and Brooklyn Sunday and Monday morning.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

When I see foreign mariners, whether on modern cargo vessels or on tall ships, I recall reading that Ho Chi Minh (scroll through to the paragraph “In the USA”) traveled to the US aboard a ship 100 years ago exactly and lived here for a  number of years.    Too bad that story doesn’t have a happy ending.

Unrelated:  Check this list of nations with tall ship/sail training vessels.  It’s interesting to think of which do not . . .

Finally, thanks to all who voted for Peagus and LV-79;  unfortunately they were not in the top four.    We tried.