For “outatowners,” the Morris Canal was an energy artery in the age of coal. A remnant of its eastern end is the inlet just south of the Colgate Clock in Jersey City (cropped out to the right below) and right across the North River aka Hudson from Battery Park City. I’ve posted fotos from the Canal and an ill-fated raft project called Abora here quite some time ago. I say ill-fated because the expedition didn”t succeed in crossing although all were rescued.
The Canal today serves as a marina but with some unusual winter inhabitants, like migratory birds. Cape Race, featured here once before, has some of the lines of the activist vessel formerly known as Westra.
I know I read something about this vessel somewhere recently, but my filing system prevents me from locating that paper now. Anyone know more info?
Who is Cape Race? If it had a voice, what stories of hard work and variable waters might it tell? With some flaking paint, the name actually reads as “CAFE PACE,” a soothing thought to file away for stress days.
And Wallaby, also in the Canal.
If I penned folk songs, this vessel looking misplaced here from downeast Maine or the Canadian Maritimes might inspire rollicking verses about emerging from fog into a metropolis perched on cliffs. And I’d travel the dirt roads and byways singing for peanuts in legion halls, bars, canal fests, and church basements. For now, fellow-gallivanters and I adventure whenever possible across ill-defined boundaries to haunt the waterfront for blog fotos and sometimes just to ask questions like Why Wallaby? Why here?
Bossanova, maybe ex-Shady Lady, might be classified as a pleasure workboat. Aka “pleasure at work boat” or something?
Where has this vessel danced, rocked, roamed?
For now, no answers, but hope you enjoyed the fotos.
Tomorrow, if the sun rises, I’ll post about tugs in the Morris.
13 comments
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February 2, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Jim
Unless things have changed, Bossanova belongs to Mary South author of “The Cure For Everything is Salt Water.” She wites a very occasional blog (as in there is hardly ever anything new posted on it unlike a certain blog on the Sixth Borough which ALWAYS has new and interesting posts on it!!) but the book is a very interesting read and describes her decision to chuck a job and successful career, get a captain’s license and search for a boat and finally buy it and bring it north from FL. Here is the link to her blog: http://thecureforanythingissaltwater.blogspot.com
If memory serves me correctly from reading her book when it came out, the boat was indeed called Shady Lady by its previous owner who had built it.
February 2, 2009 at 10:28 pm
bonnie
I always enjoy your photos! And that’s why I’m tagging you with a photo archive game!
http://frogma.blogspot.com/2009/02/but-first-photo-tag.html
February 3, 2009 at 3:34 am
capnscruffy
I believe if the Cape Race could sing, she would sing of wintry gales on the Grand Banks, and the glory days of Eastern Rig Draggers.
If I’m not mistaken, the other boat is of the Desco shrimp boat pedigree, ala Bubba Gump Shrimp “that’s muh boat”
February 3, 2009 at 4:04 am
Tim Zim
Cape Race looks pretty good, considering.
February 3, 2009 at 9:13 am
Brian
I have found an old sunken wooden ship in the canal that is visible at low tide. I would really like to find out more about it. are there records kept in Jersey City?
February 3, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Jed
Was CAPE RACE ever tied up in Newtown Creek?
February 4, 2009 at 9:04 am
richardspilman
A very interesting site on the Cape Race.
http://mvcaperace.com/ship.html
February 6, 2009 at 7:06 am
jeff s
where-abouts is the old wooden ship?
February 6, 2009 at 10:33 am
Brian
its on the north side of the canal on the edge of the park.
February 6, 2009 at 11:00 am
tugster
let me clarify… north side east end how near the hudson or the clock?
February 7, 2009 at 11:42 am
Brian
its about 430 feet from Washington street on the south side of the north part of Liberty State Park in Paulus Hook. The boat is about 70′ in length and has a wooden retractable keel. All that is left of the ship is the bones, I think it carried coal, i have spent a good amount of time digging around the area and have found enough coal to keep a small stove going all winter. I found a stern of another ship at the last lower than low we had recently. I have looked at all the old photos in the Sugar House and at the Light Horse Tavern but have not found a photo that shows the docks in that area of the canal, though there are still some old pillings there.
February 8, 2009 at 7:57 am
jeff s
could it be a canal boat?
June 25, 2009 at 9:19 am
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