Sixth Boro Fifth Dimension 5

Here is just one of the many posts I’ve done on Janice Ann Reinauer, now working in Nigeria under new ownership.  Here’s a post I did featuring her and siblings about to leave almost exactly two years ago, high and dry on Blue Marlin.   Of course, the skyline in the background shows that here–about 30 years ago–she was getting some attention at the drydock over in Jersey City just north of the Morris Canal.

Here’s a closer-up of the yard tug on the shoreside of the drydock.  Can anyone fill in more info on this fairweather vessel?

Here are two shots looking at what is now a very different Jersey City bank.

Only the lettering Bert Reinauer II offers clues here.  Anyone know the vessel to the left?  Bill Lynch speculates it’s pilot  boat New York (1972), and I’m inclined to think he’s right.

And finally, a repeat foto from yesterday . . . in addition to the identification sent through comments by tugboathunter and jeff s, here’s what Harold’s eureka moment came up with . . . revealing a bit of his process: “ I finally cracked the case on that green unidentifiable tug.  I looked at that photo, got away from it several times after tearing my hair out, and finally went back.  Saying to myself,  ’That boat looks familiar.  I’ve seen it in the last few years painted a different color.  The Tug Races, that’s it, the Tug Races.’ ”   Interjection:  here’s a post I did in 2007 showing what Harold remembers.

Harold continues: “She was built in 1959 in Norfolk, Va. (yard unknown) as SHRIKE.  She was later renamed SALLY, and then BILL MATHER (that’s where the MATHER comes in from my observation).  I couldn’t make out the name BILL.  She was MONAHAN before becoming LONG SPLICE.  Her owner in 1993, as MONAHAN according to Carl’s records was Monahan Towing Co.  I looked in a 1978 MERCHANT VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES, under BILL MATHER, and found her owners as Tug Leasing Corp., Delaware.  A final look in a MERCHANT VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES 1965 under SHRIKE shows her owners as Southern Tug Corp.”

Again, all these vintage fotos, which allow this time travel, come compliments of Seth Tane.  Click here for his current endeavors.

Here and here are two posts I’ve done on Harold.

Finally, I’ve written to folks in Nigeria to attempt to get fotos of boats there formerly here . . . still to no effect.  Anyone help?

Sixth Boro Fifth Dimension 4

Back three decades again with more fotos by Seth Tane, in this case with some vessels  now considered dead.

Foto #1.  QM2 assisted at the dock by Diana L. Moran, a 1956 Jakobson boat now seven years scrapped.

Foto #2.  Rio la Plata.  Here’s what Harold Tartell has to say about her:  ” In 1984, RIO LA PLATA was built [by Sanchez Marine Services of Fall River, MA].  At the time Turecamo was quite busy, short on boats, and chartered the boat with the option to buy.  Turecamo also had another tug on charter from Tidewater Marine Services around the same time period.  She was EL ZORRO GRANDE.  She was to be renamed HELEN J. TURECAMO, but I never saw a photo of her officially with that name affixed.  She was sold to Dunlap Towing Co., LaConner, Wa., & renamed MANFRED NYSTROM.  In 1987, RIO LA PLATA went West to become Oscar Niemeth Towing’s SILVER EAGLE.  She is still in service.”

Foto #3.  Harold says  ”The McAllister tug assisting LASH Atlantico with barges is MARGARET M. McALLISTER.”

Foto #4.  ”The red canaller towing the two light oil barges is Morania Oil Tanker Corporation’s MORANIA NO. 8.”

Foto #5.  ”JULIAN A was built 1943 By George Lawley & Soms, Neponset Ma., as DPC-28, WSA-22, WOTOCO, GAY MORAN (1967).  In 1972, she became JULIAN A. owned by Julian A. Corp.  In the early 1980′s she was owned by River Towing Corp. name unchanged.  She was later sold to Raymond Connelly Shamrock Marine Corp. & renamed INTREPID.  By 2001 her existence was in doubt,”  Harold.

Here’s the class of Army DPCs.   In this foto, Julian A was towing salvaged scalloper Fatima from Massachusetts waters to the sixth boro, where her  engine parts would be used in a restoration project.  Not long after this foto was taken, the tug was searched by the federal agents who found $32 million of marijuana.

Foto #6.  About the yard vessel sporting the flag and striped stack, Harold says, “ JOE WEBER McAllister’s little yard tug at Tug & Barge Drydocks, Jersey City.  They built her in 1975.  She was later sold to Miller Launch, & is now MILLER GIRLS.”

Click here and jump ahead to 1983 in this fascinating compilation of Jersey City history from 4.6 billion years ago to the present for a reference to the now-gone McAllister Tug & Barge Drydocks.  Click here for a tugster foto of Miller Girls.

Foto #7.  Harold says, “I’m having a little difficulty indentifying.  Under the handrails on the lower small white panel near the pilothouse door, it appears to read N.J. MATHER.  I will continue to work on it.”  Any ideas?  She seems narrow boat;  someone with long arms in the wheelhouse could have a hand out each each at the same time.

Foto #8.  On the Morris Canal . . .  here’s a foto I wish I could truly travel back in time to see.  Part of the house seems to be a huge rectangular tank.  Up high the sign says “nite blues limited.”  Anyone know the story?  The Morris Canal today has changed.  Anyone have water-focused fotos of the Canal you are willing to share on tugster?  Type morris canal into the search window and you’ll find lots more fotos.

I’m eager for your interpretation of these fotos of a lost sixth boro, captured on fotos of Seth Tane.

Graves of Arthur Kill has archival footage of a boneyard on the Arthur Kill from about the same era.  I’d love to see more fotos of what was new and what was derelict in the sixth boro from then and before.

Sixth Boro Fifth Dimension 2

This “fleetless” 2013 fleet week in the sixth boro is an ideal time to look back at previous fleet visits, using these vintage fotos taken almost a third of a century ago by Seth Tane.  Here’s my “fleeted” fleet week fotos from 2012.

Foto #1.  USS Mount Whitney arrives in town with airship escort.  Which lightship might that be off LCC-20′s port bow?   My thanks to Jed for identification of LCC-20.

Foto #2.  Victory ship USNS Twin Falls as campus for Food and Maritime Trade high School rafted up along the North River with Liberty ship SS John W. Brown, a floating nautical high school.   Which pier# or street were these docked at?  Can anyone share fotos taken inside these unique school vessels?

Foto #3.  Comparing with this foto of Wire WYTL 65612 taken less than a year ago, it appears changes have been made over the past 30 years to her house.   Also, notice the “previous” version of the  Staten Island ferry terminal off her starboard.

Foto #4.  Seatrain Lines vessel Transindiana after some altercation.  Transindiana was initially built as a WWII USN transport vessel.  Enjoy these other Seatrain fotos.

Foto #5.  Intrepid initially arrives in the North River to begin service as a museum ship.  The foto is taken from a vessel on Pier 9 in Jersey City.

All fotos thanks to Seth Tane.  And, I again invite your comments and reminiscences.  If you missed it, here was the first installment of this series.

Random Tugs 106

Upriver at Magdalen Island, here’s a followup to Ooops 3 . . . Mary Alice  (1974) brings in bucket on dredge Delaware Bay (2006) to begin process of raising the beached scow.  That’s Leopard Albany-bound on left side of page.  See Leopard anchored  in the sixth boro in the second foto here.

These fotos come thanks to Dock Shuter.

Resolute (1975) heads for a rendezvous with Zim Qingdao.  That’s High Mercury and the ferry terminal in the background.

Anyone know who takes credit for that white arch atop the terminal?

Headon view of the new Mary Gellatly (2000).  Actually, I wish the green trim along lower side of house windows were left . . . even enhanced.  That’s Maersk Caitlin in the background.

Tied up along the salt pile . . . it’s Vane’s Red Hook (2013) and Hunting Creek (2012) They may be the two newest tugboats in the sixth boro.

Catherine Turecamo (1972) closes in to meet UASC Jeddah.

And here . . . high and dry and needing a shave, it’s Specialist.  Here (scroll through to the end) is a foto of the same vessel–house up–three plus years ago.   Is she really a 1956-build?

And finally, heading into the Narrows, it’s

Sea Bear (1990).

Thanks to Dock Shuter for the Mary Alice fotos.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated:  Here’s a NYTimes 12-minute documentary update report on the voyage of Break of Dawn and the Mobro barge of Islip garbage.  Thanks to Old Salt Rick for calling it to my attention.

Random Ships 26

The insides of your computer?

Clearly not.  That Ellen McAllister on the right and

assisting Siteam Explorer around Bergen Point.

Floating legos with USACE theme?

Again . . . no.  It’s Mare Atlanticum with Gelberman to port and McAllister Sisters assisting to starboard.   Click here (and scroll) for Sisters before getting the upper wheelhouse.  See after and before here on Birk and Harold’s site.

And what yacht pokes her bow from beneath the Bridge here?

It’s the certainly yachtly North River.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 105

OK . . . I fail here.  Which Moran and which McAllister are those in the Sunday morning chop?

Quick post:  Shelby 1978.

Evening Tide 1970.

Jay Michael 1980 doing a re-enactment of my December 15, 2012 post here (scroll to third foto).

Long time no see . . . Superior Service 1981.

North Sea 1982.

Laura K. Moran 2008.

Resolute 1975 and Discovery Coast 2012.

All fotos taken in April by Will Van Dorp, who’s feeling it’s significant that so many of these are stern shots . . .  i.e., I’m struggling to keep up today.

ACL 3

Here was 1 and 2.  Twelve minutes elapses in the set of fotos.  In the distance beyond the pipelines, Siteam Explorer (more on her later) and ACL Atlantic Compass pass.  The green vessel center right is Atchafalaya, foto at the end of this post.

Tailing Atlantic Compass around Bergen Point is the vessel currently known as Elizabeth McAllister.  Click here for her long history, including a quite serious mishap almost exactly 25 years ago when she was called Elizabeth Moran.

Atlantic Compass–like some of her fleetmates–is 29 years old, built at Kockums in Malmo, Sweden–right across the water from Copenhagen.  Click here for some great archival fotos of this generation of ACL ROROs.

Atlantic Compass‘ green-faster-bigger replacement will come from near Shanghai, China . . .

That’s McAllister Responder now tailing portside.

Note the folded-down mast.

Unrelated:  Here’s a closer up of Atchafalaya.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Sepia Tugs

What’s this?  Where?  Answer follows.  It’s not really sepia per se, just an approximation.

I took this foto a week ago, then stripped out the color.  It’s Yemitzis, the former

PRR Philadelphia, launched 1954.  Major modifications have happened between the two incarnations.

Here’s another foto I took last week, Resolute.  With its ample pudding, it’s a perfect candidate to be sepia-fied.

The top foto was taken by Fred Wehner a few days ago;  that’s not Rosie the riveter but Capt. Wendy Marble, working to prep her vessel  Urger, for the 2013 season.  Here, here, and here are some full color fotos previously featuring Urger, who initially looked like this over a century ago.

Thanks to Paul Strubeck for the foto of PRR Philadelphia.

Crazy Patterns 2

Here was the first of this series, from over four years ago.  And what’s this?  whose wake prints?

Answer?  It’s the flotilla assisting Hanjin San Francisco into Port Elizabeth.  Four months ago I caught San Fran outbound . . . here . . . scroll through.

Let’s do an anatomy of wakes on a curve called Bergen Point.  That’s Marion Moran on the stern quarter, a New Jersey State Police boat overtaking on the port side.  Click here to see a now/then foto of Shooters, the island just beyond the container vessel.

Marion clings, presses while moving “sideways” through the water.

Laura K passes.

In the same general time frame, surveyboat Michele Jeanne

and lube tanker Emma Miller scribe the surface with their own signature, as

does Ellen McAllister and as

a commingling with

Catherine Turecamo.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Tugs of San Juan

Here’s the entrance to San Juan Bay . . . Freja Taurus passing the #2 red under rain driven by 15+ knot wind out of the north.

OK . . . Elizabeth snapped this foto . . . that’s my “focused” look as I huddle–like the ghost of a century-ago Spanish soldier– out of the rain behind  the bottom level of El Morro.

Here’s the aforepromised foto of Beth M. McAllister (ex-YTB-805), three years and two months younger than the sixth boro’s own Ellen McAllister.  Both Beth and Ellen were built in Wisconsin.

Don Raul came out of an Ohio shipyard exactly five years ago . . . now operating for Borinken Towing and Salvage .  .  .

drifting in and

towing a fuel barge.

Getting back to the first two fotos, once inside, Handy Three takes Freja Taurus‘ bow.

OK . . . another view of Beth at the dock.

PRT’s Triton  (ex-AT-77) is a 72-year-old Texas-built workhorse, just recently involved in the rescue of ex-Smit Rotterdam . . . foto later in this post.

And here’s my quite-poor foto of ex-Smit Rotterdam. . . .  now called Global Destiny.   Here’s more story on the rescue that brought Global Destiny into San Juan harbor.    She’s since headed south and east, but I really wish I’d caught this monster headed out the mouth of the Bay past El Morro.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated . . . here’s a foto of a Smit tug in the sixth boro of NYC a few decades back with a quite famous tow called Peking.