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Next week I might pass through the Erie Canal town of Lyons, NY, where Grouper again appears forgotten, bereft of a future. Last spring had brought some hope, but . . .
These fotos come from Jason LaDue, who knew her while he was growing up in the vicinity of the Soo. Foto below by Troy Wilke. Jason writes, “That rare (and large) Kahlenberg smoked 
like no other but always delivered the power. I was onboard her several times when moving saltwater vessels to and from the Algoma Steel facility in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.”
Next year 2012, Grouper has a one CENTURY anniversary, 100 years of life, the last decade and a half of which she seems in a coma. Here was my original Grouper post, followed by 67 comments!
These fotos by R LaDue show what spirit this vessel had as Iroquois
in the Soo Tug Race, 1989.
Many thanks, Jason. I plan to use more of your fotos soon.
Transitioning from the “farm tugs” post, enjoy Governor Roosevelt, sister of Governor Cleveland, both came to the canal to 
break ice and do other tasks in 1927 as steam tugs. If you add the ages of Governor Roosevelt, Governor Cleveland, and Urger . . . you have almost three hundred years of boat work. I found Roosevelt hauled out last weekend along the Erie Canal in Lyons.
Edna (1997) was hauled out for some work recently along
the KVK.
Here’s a first sighting: Coney Island, built by
Blount in 1958. 
Here’s George (a 2009 vessel with a simple name) taken recently in Lake Charles, LA.
And (once again . . . might she be languishing?) Grouper, a year away from a century old. This is how she looked last weekend, and I’d love to hear an update on efforts to bring her back to life, lest she become HMS (heavy melt steel).
George foto comes thanks to eastriver; all others by Will Van Dorp.
I first used this title a bit over two years ago in relation to two museum vessels whose status is currently challenged. Click here for a new blog dedicated to saving the fleet languishing at South Street Seaport; May Day’s not been transmitted there yet.
High and dry,
per plan . . . and a future versus
one arrived here by accident and now like a fish out of water.
Urger gets floated this year with a new captain. Type Urger in the search window to see the dozen or so stories I’ve done on her, of which my favorite is probably this.
Can anyone speak from fact about a future for Le Papillon?
Urger has to be the most beautiful 110 year-old I know!
All fotos were taken last weekend . . . Fotos of Le Papillon by Capt. Justin Zizes, Jr. and Urger by Will Van Dorp . . up in Lyons, NY.
Unrelated: Another fantastic video of Rotterdam harbor by Fred Vloo.
Call it a reverse-Santa Claus, maybe. In the wee hours of Halloween some unseen force snatched bowsprite and me from the sidewalks of Manhattan, peopled with sexy vampires and horrendous-but-benign ghouls, stuffed us into a dark bag, and deposited us here at daylight, where Issuma appeared and offered assistance.
Gates dominated the place–birth canal of the sixth boro … to be sure, looming huge and forbidding, yet with
passageways to somewhere, beckoning curious adventurers.
You know the story of Alice finding a bottle labeled “drink me” and then she shrank to a rabbit-hole size, . . . well, this place had a lock master who manipulated controls like this to
bizarre circuitry
that made the icy waters boil and swirl
and levitate Issuma and all her crew, without effort.
so quickly that we surfaced only because of quick work by the captain.
It happened so quickly that I felt pinned to the deck even after we surfaced.
Atop, the lock master told us we were headed the wrong way.
“Turn back. Return south,” he warned each of us.
But onward we went, past other vessels headed . . . you guessed it . . .
southward, crewed by folks who had a single message: ”This is not the time for the North Country.”
Not Issuma. Even bandstands where invisible musicians played complex chords in minor keys failed to daunt us.
Billboard-size signs with explicit messages . . . no deterrence there.
Gates like guillotines . . .
we continued, Richard said Issuma was prepared for everything, no matter how dark the sky at noon.
There were patches of blue sky but walling off the place of sunshine stood cataracts, like sentinels.
We passed ruins of previous generations
more gates operated by lock masters who repeated the warnings “Turn back.” But by now, dark clouds were spitting out ice (hail, sleet, flurries, something from another dimension?), and
these clouds were behind us as well as ahead. So onward we went until night fell on us near Caughnawaga. And we felt safe to go ashore and find food, drink, and shelter.
And when morning came, Issuma had traveled farther north without us, and a bright dawn left us with this twisty map of the previous day’s journey. Mysteriously, my camera worked again.
Well, that’s the story I’m sticking by.
All fotos by bowsprite whose camera worked fine although seemed somewhat affected by the force field we’d journeyed through.
If you scroll back through Issuma‘s blog, you’ll see late summer found it in Baffin Island, and last winter had it in southern South America.
For a different interpretation of the landmarks along the east end of the Canal, see Fred’s tug44.
(Silent version)
The Roundup begins with a parade between the Port of Albany and the wall below Lock 2 at Waterford. Waterford is the easternmost point on the Erie Canal. From wherever they find themselves, crews and vessels begin to gather around mid-day Friday. Benjamin Elliott headed south from Waterford,
Cornell saved fuel, waited at the wall, and met the parade just below the Federal Lock,
Crow joined in at its place of work,
Governor Cleveland, Grand Erie, and W. O. Decker traveled down from the Waterford wall,
some traveled in pairs like Chancellor and Decker,
Grand Erie and Decker,
and Gowanus Bay arrived from the south.
Some folks and boats worked en route in one way or
another.
Lots of folks and some vessels worked during the Roundup. The fireworks barge would not have been in place without the efforts of Mame Faye.
(Sound version)
Wind roar, spray, hiss, deep pitched throb, horns tuning up, whistles, pipes, percussion, more horns, and whoopnhollering of the crowd on Saturday night.
Fotos and video by Will Van Dorp.
More from the Roundup tomorrow.
Related: World Canals Conference starts next Sunday in Rochester, NY.
Just back from the Roundup, but before I can relax, I want to download my fotos and put a few up. Below is a lineup as seen from the 2nd Avenue Bridge to Peebles Island.
Another lineup, as seen from the fotog boat–Tug 44–loitering just north of the 112th Street bridge. Many thanks to Fred and Kathy.
Left to right inside the Federal Lock, the Erie Canal’s largest and newest tugboat, Grand Erie (ex-USACE dredge tender Chartiers, 1951!!) and Urger, (1901!) a frequent focus of this blog. Type Urger into the search window.
Throngs crowded the waterfront in Waterford this weekend all day.
Just after dawn on Saturday fog rises from the calm waters.
W. O. Decker won the “people’s choice” vote.
Empire wins my prize for the most altered color from last year.
My thanks to the sponsors. I appreciate your sponsorship.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp. More Roundup fotos and videos this coming week.
Just north of Union Street in Newark, NY, the Canal narrows. And given the foliage on either side, the engine approaching echoed as in a tunnel.
Tender #1 headed east toward Lock 28B right past the still-waiting Grouper and
into the gate, which closed
once the tow was inside
guided by a steady hand on wheel, not joystick.
Once the westside lock door shut, water spilled out
lowering 12′ in less than 5 minutes.
The Lyons-side door opened and
the tow pushed through
towards Lyons.
So here’s my agenda. Click here and you’ll see that voting has already started for the favorite tug at the 2010 Tug Roundup in Waterford. What if I’d like to vote for Tender #1? There’s no place for “write-in” candidates. I’d like to vote for this Canal Corporation tug as my favorite because it just appeared when I needed to hear and see something like Tender #1.
And what a great name!
If you enjoy research, here’s one that stumped me: Tender #1 is reportedly listed as built in 1928. Where?
On my way to searching for this info, I located this image site and this timeline site with lots of follow-through links. Of course, Fred Tug44 has fotos of other tenders, but not Tender #1.
All fotos taken this week by Will Van Dorp.
Oh, and be sure to vote ASAP. And tell your friends and friends’ friends to vote. Use Facebook and the telephone book, but within your network, you really can make ANY boat win if you try.
Three years ago it was my father; now it was my mother: she passed on last week at age 83, and I will miss her. This foto was taken two days ago at Pultneyville, looking north toward Kingston, where her parents are buried.
Near these waters was her home–and mine–for 55 years. And they shaped us.
Ma, you will be missed, and you’d tell us to push on.
All fotos taken this week by Will Van Dorp.
What Bonnie does here for Flatbush, I’ll attempt within the sixth boro, starting here with the venerable Mary Whalen and
King Dorian (glad that’s not “durian“) before shifting to shorter wavelength in
Jo Selje and
Panagia Lady, here lightering onto (I think) JoAnne Reinauer III.
Continuing across the spectrum with Stolt Vanguard and sibling
Perseverence. Then
and Ever Refine and
the snarkiest Don Juan and
the Bermudian cargo shuttle Oleander and
Bro Albert.
For something my eyes register as indigo, violet, purple . . . I can’t guarantee you’ll agree . . . I had to go outatown, like back upstate to Newark and a foto from last summer of Grouper. Has she now begun her journey west?
All fotos . . . so far … Will Van Dorp.
But from shipjohn via Shipspotting . . . here’s that purple fleet down in Philly . . . like Purple Hays,
Big Daddy, and
Grape Ape. Many thanks shipjohn.
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