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On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote this to his wife Abigail: ”The day will be most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”
I wonder if Abigail believed him.
Last night around 1900 hr, Brendan Turecamo (above) and Catherine Turecamo pushed their Macy’s loads upriver. I think two other Macy’s barges were pushed by Kimberly Turecamo and Jennifer Turecamo.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think that the Macy’s 34th Street megastore had embarked on short sea shipping of goods. Do you know that as a teenager, R. H. Macy worked on a Nantucket whaling ship, Emily Morgan, during which time he got a tattoo, which is the star that still today in the company logo.
A motley crew of spectators ventured into the river for the show,
a very motley crew indeed.
Other tugs took some time off as well . . . Maurania III here, and Quantico Creek and the other Pegasus over on the other side of the river. Maybe others too.
The two Harley tugs–HMS Liberty and St Andrews–hung out with 1907-built Pegasus at the sanitation pier.
It appears here that a contingent of the NYC Air Force is escorting in Hornblower Infinity. As it said, it APPEARS that way. Anyone I know working there?
343 summons the safety spirits.
Lots of spectators wait on a contingent of NYC’s passenger/dinnerboat fleet.
Darkness falls. Tension builds as thunderstorms do their own illumination to the north and the south.
Around 2130 h . . . opening salvo.
These fotos do not capture that percussive blasts and echoes off the sanitation pier . . . so use your imagination.
Too bad John and Abigail and all the other signers weren’t here.
Well, maybe they were.
I did hear some creaking and squeaking on the pier.
Happy
Independence
all the time.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
AND Pegasus and you have something else to celebrate. Remember the Partners in Preservation voting lots of you all did back in May? Pegasus and Lehigh Valley 79 ended in 14th place, and I thought that meant they got no money. Au contraire, they DID get a hefty sum . .. $140,000 to split! . . .to be used for preservation, and on a 1907-built vessel, there’s a lot of preservation to be done. So thanks much for voting. If you want to see Pegasus close-up, come down to Pier 25 west side of Manhattan . . .
Actually that title captures 98% of this blog’s +1800 posts. And just as elsewhere in Gotham or anywhere else, so on the sixth boro what work you see depends entirely on your station. And my station this particular day was Tchefuncte River’s Equitable Equipment‘s hull # 1428, delivered in August 1966 as Red Star Towing‘s New Haven. Now she’s Freddie K. Miller; I took the foto below just over five years ago when she was Stapleton Service. I use this foto here because a downside of being on the tow is my inability to get a foto OF the tow.
At 0520 hrs, dawn was sweetest and coolest, from this point a mile south of Miller’s Launch. When I reported at 0530, the Miller’s yard was already busy.
The crew of Freddie K Miller’s had a job: pick up Weeks Crane Barge 552 and its crew and proceed to the East River ConEd. By 0615, crew was making the tow.
0645 we were crossing west to east across the Upper Bay. Buchanan 1 was towing a scow and
Douglas B. Gurion headed west for passengers. The ferry is named for a victim of September 11.
0715 . .. near Red Hook container port, we passed this ex-MSC vessel Transatlantic. I will post more MSC soon.
0730 . . . we had passed under the Brooklyn Bridge and now could feast on this potpourri of Manhattan skyline. Side by side on the right are Gehry’s flowing-facade 8 Spruce (2011) and Gilbert’s spiky-tower (1913).
0745 . . . we pass GMD Shipyard, where morning shift has already started its work on Massachusetts Maritime’s TS Kennedy (1967).
0815 . . . the crew have tied to the ConEd dock and Weeks’ crew has begun setting the spuds, for stability as the load is transferred. My very general understanding of this load is that ConEd purchased equipment from Manufacturer M. Company A trucked it to the Weeks yard because installation by land (by Company B) was less feasible than installation from water. Miller’s job was to move equipment on crane barge to ConEd so that Weeks–with collaboration from Company B–could set equipment exactly where it will be used.
0915 . . . first equipment is lifted and rotated over the East River counterclockwise to avoid obstacles on land, and at
0920 . . . crew guides unit into exact location. If half an inch off, then lift and get it right.
1010 . . . next piece of equipment is moved. While the tug stands by with the crane barge, Miller crew does fine carpentry work in wheelhouse.
Since my self-appointed job is to record details, check out Carolina IV, sailing westbound on the East river . . . hailing from Stockholm, Yes, sailing! and . . . yes . . . that Stockholm while
eastbound are Gage Paul Thornton and a floatplane.
1115 . . . heavy-duty pipe elbow gets lifted into place. Tower protruding from the building just right of MetLife is Chrysler Building.
1215 . . . the spuds are up, the crane boom lowered and secured, Freddie K Miller has spun off the dock and now heads back westbound for the Weeks yard. If the grayish vessel in the foreground is locally known as a “honey boat,” then this has to be one of the sweetest scenes possible in these parts.
1300 . . . as we approach the Weeks yard we cross Buchanan 12 towing three stone scows, possibly headed for a quarry up the Hudson.
1330 . . . Freddy K Miller is now “light,” having left the barge at the Weeks yard. Ever Decent is outbound for sea, and by this writing is southbound off Cape Hatteras.
Meanwhile, close to Manhattan, Asphalt Star takes on bunker fuel from a Vane barge. That black hose . . . that’s like the hose at the pump where you fill your car tank.
By 1400, I’ve said my thanks to the crew of Freddy K Miller —who await their next job on this or another vessel–and the dispatcher, and take a break to examine a familiar sight: Alice, she who inspired my first ever blogpost!!
Back on the bank and before heading home, I get another shot; she’s loaded deep with her Canadian aggregates.
Imagine my delight, then, later that day getting a foto from Mike C. of Alice Oldendorff north of the Navy Yard self-unloading her cargo of crushed stone.
Many thanks to all the folks at Miller’s Launch. Also, thank you Mike for sending along this last foto. All other fotos by Will Van Dorp.
I watched from the southwesternmost corner of Manhattan, near Pier A.
The sky made drama and Statue was nearly obscured.
Incoming container vessel MSC Charleston had to briefly delay its cargo delivery to allow this entourage to pass.
On the shore, loud and excited schoolkids–hundreds it seemed –got to watch the procession. Who knows what impact it will make on them . . . more on this at the end of the post.
I’ve never seen so many helmets on a tug as were on Shelby today.
Time to get Enterprise up river, and
time for Little Lady to get passengers back to New Jersey.
The crane on Weeks 533 looks like it could lift the Statue
if need be.
Kathleen
and Elizabeth have fewer crew. I wonder how much I’d have to donate to be a sponsor.
It’s time for Miriam Moran to get
a non-helmeted crew up there too.
All fotos of the starship and the star ships by Will Van Dorp.
Ray Bradbury, age 91, died today. He had a profound impact on me. And on why he started writing, here’s what’s reported:
“Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, Live forever! Bradbury later said, I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.”
I’m grateful he got to meet Mr. Electrico.
Damaged? Spamaged! 15:10:59?
15:10:40?
15:14:05?
15:15:39?
The wind was howling! Bravo to the crews of all the vessels, and Shelby . . . the world’s only tugboat with wings.
Fotos by Will Van Dorp.
And this video is fine, but “unceremoniously aboard a barge “ what is this? If a “barge” is regal for the diamond jubilee queen, why is it NOT for Enterprise?
Six weeks ago, the Shuttle Enterprise flew over the sixth boro; today the saga continued.
14:46 . . . the tow moves through Grassy Bay and Winhole Channel with JFK Airport in the distance. This too is the sixth boro.
14:51 . . . it passes just beyond the approach to the Beach Channel Swing Bridge of the A subway, yes . . subway.
15:13 . . . with an assist from Susan Miller, the tow squeezes through and makes
for the Cross Bay Memorial Bridge, where several hundred watch . . . and are watched. Folks on the bridge cheered and excited baitfish churned up the surface a mere 52 feet below.
Shelby leads and
Kathleen tails. USCGC 47315 Sandy Hook flanks.
Whoever rode those subways got a show. And given the challenge of fitting through the rail bridge on the gusty day it was, I guess it could be said that shuttle and tug crews demonstrated they could “boldly go where no shuttle has gone before.”
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
For John “Control Geek” Huntington’s take, click here. We happened to be on the same bridge watching the same unique event and so mesmerized by it, we didn’t even realize we rubbed elbows!!
If I haven’t not yet mentioned/heaped praise on tugboatinformation.com, the site started by Birk Thomas (see last foto) and now co-administered by him and Harold E. Tartell, I am truly remiss. Now that they have begun creating this capacious database, I don’t have to replicate some of their info. So how about some fotos from the last two days:
North Sea . . . which I haven’t seen in quite a while. Doubleclick enlarges.
Margaret Moran on her way to Red Hook,
Sarah Dann headed for home-barge-home in the AK,
(I think) JoAnne Reinauer III, with Navig8 Faith in the background,
Kathleen of Weeks,
Gramma Lee T Moran . . and I’ve no idea what that Coast Guard RIB was doing,
Quantico Creek following a strange puff of cloud,
Kimberly Turecamo assisting Mount Kibo. By the way, Kibo is one of the volcanic cones near the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Patapsco awaits favorable movement through the Gate, and finally
Stephen-Scott Reinauer, making for the Buttermilk.
All fotos this weekend by Will Van Dorp.
Featured many times on this blog: McAllister Responder (ex-Exxon Empire State, Empire State) launched in 1967 in Jacksonville. Note the deckhand’s communication. If my info is correct, then ghosts
live there today. Here’s a haunting timeline and set of b/w fotos. That’s tanker Lian An Hu in the background.
Weeks tug Robert (ex-Emily S, 1982) stands by Crane Barge 532 in midstream off the Financial District, awaiting more “erosion mats.”
Austin Reinauer (1978, ex-Mobil 5, Morania No. 1, Tamarac) heads across from the KVK toward Erie Basin.
Jill Reinauer (1967, ex-Ranger) southbound past Ellis Island, the place the Lenape knew as Kioshk . . . or Gull Island.
Peter F. Gellatly (delivered just over a year ago) heads in the same direction as Jill Reinauer.
Eagle Service (ex-Grant Candies, 1996) and crabber Alexa J off the wintry dunes of ”Konstapel’s Hoeck.”
Jakobson-built, 1967 Ruby M, ex-Texaco Fire Chief, pushing fuel barge Fire Island. Now if you didn’t know this to be the name of local geography, wouldn’t such a name as “fire island” make you nervous?
Lincoln Sea, used to be blue, anchored off Red Hook a few days ago. Off to the left, Moran barge Massachusetts anchors.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
Even though she glowers at me whenever I say it, the six-eyed bowsprite IS perspicacious. As she hops from cliff to cliff and down along the ledges near water level, she misses no detail. She sent me these fotos to share. What is the orange sheet dangling from the yellow frame suspended from the 532 crane?
Erosion control mats?
A Christo project?
A nutrient-rich bedding for oysters?
Part of a future underwater moving sidewalk?
A riverbed loom for a seaweed weaving project?
An attempt to soak up sugarmud drifted down from Yonkers?
Habitat for sturgeon and plesiosaurs?
A diversion intended to lure bowsprite down from her cliffs?
Preparations for next year’s Red Bull Air Races?
An attempt to recover aliens and their secrets from the wreck site of an OVNI?
Ichthyosaur survival training drill?
All fotos blamed on credited to bowsprite, whose narative goes like this:
“09h20 Virginia and Elizabeth go upriver to bring mats and crew to the crane Weeks 532. The engines roar, smoke comes out, the spuds are dropped, the crane lifts the yellow loom-thing and splashes it into the drink. A lunchtime crowd gathers, asking each other what’s going on. They say ‘I think they’re dredging.’ Or ‘I don’t know. Been here a few days.’ Or ‘What’s your guess? They talk, they speculate.
Back on the barge, The loom comes up sans the orange mat. Men with stepladders go around and weave on the next mat. Spuds go up, engines roar, smoke again, winches drag in the white buoy, and the whole barge setup moves farther into the middle of the river. Later another mat is laid down just a bit east of the last one.”
And the answer to Whatzit: the truth is out there, or in here.
I chased the moon this morning, and lost. By the time I got away from my high-horizoned, building-intensive lair, the solstice moon only recently eclipsed, had slipped beneath the New Jersey highlands, but in spite of the cold . . . . I was not disappointed.
First I caught the sixth-boro newby Crystal Cutler pushing
barge Patricia E. Poling into the Upper Bay.
Then MSC Mandraki headed past with
bulb exposed to the cold winds and
Gramma Lee T Moran protecting Mandraki‘s assets.
Freddy K Miller (ex-Fred K and ex-Stapleton Service) headed west on a mission.
Rarely sixth-boro-seen Marion Moran sprayed past
in the stark but intense winter solstice colors.
As my fingers were losing all sense of feeling in the wind chill 19 degree sunlight, Freddie K and Susan Miller headed back east with Weeks 533, which has appeared here
powerlifting locomotives and Sully’s Airbus 320.
And before I crawled back into a warm place, I caught Sassafras pushing some fuel in Doubleskin 34 and
What!!?? . . . a classroom on a fieldtrip? checking out Minerva Rita.
Well, maybe this floating classroom is a figment of my imagination brought about by the cold.
Mermaids emerge on the summer solstice and draw the crazy out in me and some of my best friends. I MUCH prefer THAT solstice, now only a half year away again.
All fotos here by Will Van Dorp.
Unrelated: check out these fotos of the Crowley barge on towmasters.
Need sunglasses for this drama on the Hudson? “Random” means … spotted in a plethora of places, like Elizabeth, passing the Hudson waterfront at dusk with a barged Weeks crane 532 in tow. Note the Crow or Cheyenne in push gear with barge on the far left.
Paul T Moran at Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa. Not to be insensitive to customary modes of dress, but–as east river pointed out– doesn’t this vaguely like a burka or abaya from the eyes down on the tug?
Justine McAllister pulling a light RTC 120 south of Catskill.
Atlantic Coast pushing Cement Transporter 5300 south of –you guessed it–Cementon, NY.
Meredith C. Reinauer pushing a loaded RTC 150 toward the Highlands. By the way, if you’re looking for a fun read, try the novel by T. C. Boyle called World’s End . . . my current source of chuckles.
Sea Hawk in Brooklyn Navy Yard last June appearing tied up to sludge tanker North River.
Connecticut (1959?) crosses the Sound north to south.
That’s it for now. Thanks to Deb DePeyster (who previous contributed to this) for the foto of Elizabeth, and to east river for the foto of Paul T Moran. All others by Will Van Dorp.
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