Remaking the Tow

Enter Katie G McAllister towing a barge from the East River.   What follows puzzled me–I admit–the first time I saw it, but it happens all the time.

The tow slows gradually to a halt.

The tug bears off,

The towline goes slack.  I’m not quite sure how the uncoupling occurs, but

it does, and the tug sidles alongside the barge,

shifting the barge onto the hip, so to speak, and

once all lines are secure, the tow proceeds into tighter waters, in this case, westbound on the KVK.

When I say it happens all the time, I mean it happens frequently right in front of a certain cliff, I know.  Almost makes me think it happens there for demonstration purposes.  Some day a denizen of the cliffs may hold up placards with numbers, like 5 for form, 4.5 for expeditiousness, 5 for safety precautions, 4 for protocol, etc. ,  rating the execution of different aspects of the dance involved in remaking the tow.

Photos, WVD.