Splash!! Onrust!

In Fitzcarraldo, they pull a steamboat up a mountain;  in Rotterdam Junction today, they lowered one from the sky . . . or so it seemed from my spot on the bank of the Mohawk.

The morning started like this, then

trucks came as did the 250-ton capacity crane and caravan of counterweights, red tape got dealt with, and

crowds cheered as Onrust left its cocoon for the first time.

All the beautiful curves seemed ready to glide and then swim.

All 20 tons of Onrust lifted upward on slings and

then down she came

keel touched the wet and

the captain was first to come aboard.

Canal Corp’s tug Waterford and self-propelled crane barge assisted in moving  the lead ballast on board.

More Onrust fotos soon.  Lots of work fitting out remains for the vessel to arrive in the sixth boro on June 6.

All fotos, Will Van Dorp.