Random Tugs 101

From a moving vantage point in the center of the Upper Bay, I look south and see Shawn Miller pushing a deck barge to facilitate some trucking on the sixth boro.

To the north, it’s Gabby L Miller crossing with 1WTC in the background.  At Blue Friday plus

80 days (i.e., 80 days since that day after Thanksgiving Atlantic Salvor brought antenna segments into the harbor), this is what the top of 1WTC looks like.

The new Curtis Reinauer lay at anchorage.  Here are a few shots of the old Curtis . . . now working in West African waters.

Joan Turecamo, one of the last upstate NY Matton-built vessels, heads to Gowanus Bay.

Finally . . . it’s Rae, moving a recycling scow probably back to Newtown Creek.   Rae’s my age!.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated:  Here’s a foto and article from today’s NYTimes about dead ship Triumph.  The caption mentions that USCG tugs are towing the vessel into Mobile.  Predictably, the alleged tugs are not identified.  For info on the tugs, click here.

Truckable Tugs 3

Here was installment 2.  Look carefully at the first foto . . . from back four years ago.  An update follows, but  . . . first, a foto from Chris Williams and the Erie Canal, it’s Kalyan Offshore‘s 450 hp Lil Joe.

An equal number of hours driving north of the sixth boro gets you to the dredging of PCBs from the Hudson riverbed near Fort Edward.  A version of the story can be found here.    Scows move through the locks with a small tug at each end .  .  . like here Turning Point has the apparent bow and

Champlain the stern.

Here, below the lock, Washington moves a scow upriver.

And here’s what I was referring to at the top of this post:  the other day, much to my surprise, who emerged from the fog . . . . the indomitable Helen Parker.  Almost exactly a year ago (October 13) she capsized and sank near Pier 84.  The story is here, fourth one down.

Fair winds and smooth waters!

Was it my imagination, or did I see Rae appear on AIS the other day?  I’m keeping my eyes open for her.   Compared with these truckable tugs, she’s huge at 46′ loa.    And as for the term “truckable tugs,”  after the trek of Alwyn Vintcent, the definition of the category is greatly enlarged.

Random Tugs 91

Whatzit??

It’s the shadow of the gangway as Laura K. sidles in for contact on the vessel with the illustrious name . . . Great Eastern, practically panamax 150 years ago.

And Buchanan 12 sports some

new color design.    Lots of paint seems to be getting applied in the sixth boro this spring.

I’m not sure how long Bouchard boats like Jane A. have borne these colors. Notice Hayward in the distance.

Here’s another shot of Laura K. east and southbound with her usual determination.

Buchanan 10 rounds up some heavy stone scows.

Here Turecamo Girls assists at Great Eastern‘s bow for

some serious rotating.

And finally a foto with a question . . .  what has become of Rae these days?  I took this foto about two years ago.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.