Like Groundhog Day 6

It’s day 24 for Blue Marlin in the the ever-fascinating sixth boro, and I had NO intention to pick up this thread again, since I’d gone down to the Narrows today expecting a story about a certain three-masted schooner, which I hope to get to soon . . .   as that story emerges from the haze . . .  .  By the way doubleclick enlarges and MSC vessel departing is Rachele, Baltimore-bound.

But at 6:43 this morning, I had finally positioned myself on the sunny through more distant Brooklyn side.   The load looked fine to MY eyes, and when

at 7:45 McAllister Girls and Amy C McAllister showed up, I imagined they would assist the loaded Blue Marlin up to OwlsHead or maybe out to sea.

Then Charles D showed up at 8:11 and –to the astonishment of the spectators, including me, on the Brooklyn side–

at 8:35 offloaded the aftermost three barges!

After stemming the tide a bit under the  VZ Bridge, at 9:19ish the three tugs re-loaded

the shuffled barges from the starboard side.  This foto taken at 9:25 shows the task nearly done.

The sixth boro . . . as I’ve referred to these waters since early 2007, when the concept emerged for me, offers endless delight:  a scene like the one below has never before aranged itself.  That’s Jerko in tow;  you might remember seeing the other side of Jerko–then moored in the Gowanus Canal– in the eighth foto of this post.   Jerko, now gallivanting the harbor and bound for cleaner waters, shows a more photogenic side.

By now I had to go, because I really had other things to do, but I decided to stay for a money shot, Blue Marlin spinning with the tide around midday, showing off its load.  This foto shows what might have been the logic of the reload:  now the seven barges all have their notches on Blue Marlin‘s starboard side.

In my June 3 post, I shared comments I overheard over on the Staten Island side here (scroll down a bit).    Today I overheard the following Brooklyn conjecture:

“I’ve never seen barges like those . . . they’re catamarans or something.”

“See those oranges buildings in the water over there . . . they must be testing something.  The buildings go up and down in the water.  I’ve never seen anything like it.”

And my favorite:  ”They’re checking something under the water, I think.  Maybe they’re even looking for oil.  Imagine that, oil right here in New York harbor.”

12:37 . . .  this is what I’ve waited for, the “overhang shot.”  The aftmost barge–RTC 501–is 338′ loa;  Blue Marlin is 200′ abeam.  This is what 138′ overhang looks like.

It’s only my perception, but I’m thinking of RTC 501 like Philippe Petit‘s balance pole.

I started this post referring to a three-masted schooner.  This isn’t it, but the sea’s gift is all manner of surprises . . like this two-masted schooner Corsair that entered the Narrows . . . this shot at 12:42.  Anyone know where Corsair‘s bound?

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who’s been enthralled by Blue Marlin but now wishes it would just evolve away.

PS:  Blue Marlin will leave . . .when she’s ready.  What is this all about?  Marine businesses… like any other businesses… outgrow and upgrade  equipment.  There’s a market in used marine equipment, just as there’s a used car, used agriculture . . .etc.  market.  Reinauer has sold off this equipment (and has more equipment to sell) to a company in Nigeria, although I’ve heard people mention another, farther destination also.   A heavy lift vessel facilitates the move.

PPS:  Although I’d love to catch a boat ride to get close-ups of Blue Marlin, people’s comments about the huge orange vessel fascinate me.  I’d love to hear your comments . . . what tall tales have you heard?  I’d especially like to hear . . . even anonymously . ..  from folks involved in the loading process, either aboard Marlin or on either Miller or McAllister boats.

Rowfari to Gowanus Canal

(Doubleclick enlarges most fotos.) When I visited Village Community Boathouse (VCB) late last winter, we discussed a “photographic rowfari” to the Gowanus, come spring.  Spring has arrived, and so . .. yesterday, John Magnus and JML

constructed by volunteers at VCB were lowered into the north River at Pier 40 and

after some adjustments, the hearty crews rowed toward their destination,

making a stop to greet the folks at Red Hook Boaters near Valentino Pier before

heading farther south.

Once past Erie Basin, we turned into Gowanus Bay, past the Loujiane, the grain elevators,

part of the Vane fleet, docked where the previous tenant’s name still graces the wall,

past the experiment vessel Jerko

with its famous tender Mare Liberum. . . floating above all manner of artifacts there for the collecting . . . farther up the canal untl we reached it . . .

huge bubbles?  Reverse maelstrom?  Vortex reversus?  Belch of sludge lusus naturae?  Maybe it’s just evidence that the flushing canal actually functions in spite of its sisyphean task of cleaning what has been rendered most foul?

In spite of Gowanus‘ uberpolluted condition, an ecosystem exists, with feral cats,

mussels,

an intrepid canoe club,

predators and prey.

Is the intention of this sign (above a novel use of tires) to invite us back?  See the VCB version of events here.

Questions I have are . . .  how soon might the Canal’s Superfund status show results?

Unrelated but possibly good news related to South Street Seaport   . . .  we all who pledged may have the pleasure of sending in our Benjamin Franklins . . . .

And a heads-up for next week . . .  Hudson River Pageant, involving some of Village Community Boathouse’s rowing gigs!

Related and very important . .  . if you’re in a human-powered and relatively small vessel, be aware that you are difficult to spot for huge cargo vessels of all kinds that travel fast and have limited maneuverability.  Read Towmasters post here

Something Different 4

This foto comes compliments of Lauren Tivey, a poet from Vermont College of Fine Arts.  Question:  where/what?   Note the person in doorway just behind the lion “figurehead.”  Answer below.

Since my goal here is to post unexpected fotos, enjoy this shot of the befigured Patty Nolan, a unique tug itself towing something different last summer.

Behold the sixth boro’s own Dal Lake or Sausalito or Lake Union.    Guess where?

Behold the glorious Gowanus!

And some of its exotic fauna.

These last three fotos come compliments of intrepid paddler Vladimir Brezina, whose fotos have appeared here, among other places.

Lauren’s foto at the top is a restaurant on a barge on West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province . . . just south of Shanghai.

Night Light

The artist Naima Rauam painted the watercolor below, “Docking a Freighter.”   At the end of this post I explain why the image is here.  Many of my favorites among her watercolors she did in the wee hours at the (old) Fulton Fish Market, a place that lives on only in her work.

Thanks to Jed for these night fotos, all taken in the vicinity of Gowanus Bay, industrial water fed by the canal that received Superfund status this past week.

I played with the color a bit for the foto above.  Below is the original.

Vincent van Gogh, who knew the night well, said, “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”

I agree.  The foto directly above and below show the Red Hook Grain Terminal, empty now but built in 1922.  See fotos inside the silos here and here;  each has multiple links embedded within.  Dozens of conjoined siloes once held grain shipped through the Erie Canal and down the Hudson to feed the New York brewing and distilling industries.

And the watercolor by Naima Rauam, it’s being raffled off as a fund raiser for the Working Harbor Committee.  If you wish to support WHC and possibly win this watercolor, you have until Thursday, March 11 to get your ticket.   Info here.

Thanks to Jed for the night  fotos.

Here is a foto essay from the March 7 NY Times on the Gowanus Canal.