I . . . illusion. [I know I skipped “H” and trust you’ll understand in a few days.] Remember, click on a foto to enlarge it.
Illusion . . . bedevils me . . . and lots of other folks. I sometimes create pain for myself by believing the “truth” I want rather than what my senses (including hearing) tell me. Clinging to such illusions might confound lots of people; illusions might also doom groups of people. “Group-think” has led more than one vessel–real or metaphorical–onto the rocks.
This post is then intended to have fun with potential illusions of the optical sort. The tall white chimney directly above the house of Pilot No. 1 New York stands at least 300 feet from the vessel. I tend not to photoshop my fotos, but if I removed the hint of foliage between vessel and chimney set back on the shore, I could get SeaBart kind of excited. By the way, what is that chimney? And, anyone know the place/date of construction of Pilot No. 1 and 2?
While on the topic of pilot boats, recently I caught Yankee and USCG Wire (WYTL 65612) milliseconds from what appeared to be collision.
Some Native American myth calls the North America continent “turtle island,” since the “bedrock” of the continent was in fact a gigantic turtle where a hapless “sky woman” had created a new life for herself. In the foto below, a clamshell dredge seems to fill a vast barge on which a metropolis with a skyline greatly resembling Manhattan’s also exists. I guess that could suggest “barge island” as a synonym for that boro.
I’m an admirer of Don Sutherland’s fotos and sense of humor. Twice in the past year, using the magic (ok . . illusion) of juxtaposition, he has created fun compositions. In one, Ruth Reinauer seems to have the Statue of Liberty loaded onto its afterdeck. In another, an unidentified tug seemed to carry a zigzag ladder on its boatdeck to reach grant access to the Weehawken cliff. Here’s my version: a ladder from the top of buoy 13 almost directly to Franklin Reinauer‘s upper house.
Finally, (and NO this blog is not transforming into a pet gallery but if my friend Peter can link to a LOLcats version of Moby Dick, then I feel licensed to proceed) the foto below shows the same green bird that appeared so regal and calm in yesterday’s post. The image is a video still showing said-bird’s displeasure with a video camera. Might this illusion give rise to a sixth boro version of the Montauk monster? Which is the true nature of the bird–this view or yesterday’s. Or . . . am I my truer self on one of my best–or worst–days? Maybe the possible choice is just the real illusion.
All fotos here by Will Van Dorp except the one of the illusory evil parrot, taken by Elizabeth.
tugster: a waterblog 
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July 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm
bowsprite
Bravo to YOU for the most titillating series on Meditations!!!
I LOVE it. This is the stuff of a book, truly. It is marvelous. It’s the perfect mix of wit, keen observation, cool pictures on a string. Like the most prized charm bracelet. I love this series you’re on. I have not found anything uninspiring!!! I mean it.
The parrot, though…I know you love that mad thing, but you’re going to twist its wing off trying to fit it in every time.
July 13, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Anonymous
Wil —
I am pretty sure that the stack behind Pilot No. 1 is the stack for a gas-fired power plant, likely a single gas turbine. I am guessing that it is a simple cycle peaker (not combined cycle otherwise known as cogeneration). It looks like power plant components to the left of the stack.
Jim McCrea
July 14, 2009 at 9:45 am
Mage Bailey
I like this. Could you Consider Pilot boats when you arrive at the P’s? That’s a mighty big boat for a Pilot boat…..then again New York is mighty big. All the ones I’ve seen are vastly smaller and from very smaller ports.
July 14, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Allen Baker
The pilot boat pictured is called a “station boat”. “New York” (Pilot No. 1) is one of the last station boats left in the US. At one time, station boats were found up and down the coasts of the US. Today, there are only 2 left, New York and San Francisco. The Sandy Hook Pilots also maintain a second, slightly smaller, station boat named “New Jersey”. (Pilot No. 2)
In this case, station boats like the “New York” cruise the pilot boarding area a few miles to the east of the Ambrose Channel near where the Ambrose Light Tower (and at one time, the Ambrose Lightship) were.
The station boat is basically a floating hotel for the Sandy Hook Pilots and a mothership for the launches that actually board and disembark pilots.
Say a ship is due at Ambrose at a certain time, the station boat makes contact with the inbound ship on their VHF radio. The ship is given instructions by the station boat deck officer on watch as to when to arrive on station, what side to rig the ladder and make a lee for the pilot and to ask what the ship’s deepest draft is. The station boat alerts the pilot aboard assigned to board and pilot the ship into NY harbor.
The station boat and her launches also retrieve the pilots from outbound ships too. Usually, a pilot will board the station boat and wait for an inbound ship while getting a meal, taking a shower or getting some shut eye.
I remember the Association of Maryland Pilots station boat “Maryland” very well. “Maryland” was a deep sea salvage tug bought from the Dutch and converted to use as a pilot boat.
“Maryland” cruised between the Virginia Capes at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay until the mid 1980’s. She was the last in a long line of station boats that began with sailing vessels cruising the Capes.
She was sold or donated (I forget which) to Greenpeace and renamed “Rainbow Warrior”.
July 14, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Les Sonnenmark
Pilot No. 1 is named NEW YORK; was built by Marinette Marine in Marinette, WI and delivered in 1972. Pilot No. 2 is named NEW JERSEY; was built by Damen Shipyards in Holland and delivered in 1986.
July 14, 2009 at 8:10 pm
tugster
allen and les– thanks so much for the intriguing info on both these station boats. i’m even more eager now to try to arrange of tour of these boats. i have a foto of New Jersey; i’ll arrange to put it up soon. thanks again.
July 14, 2009 at 8:51 pm
paulB
Cal John Cleese. He’s got a good track with parrots.