Wondering what didn’t fit in this shot?
Towing on short hawser made to starboard bitt of scow,
a small tug with classy lines makes
its way eastbound on the KVK
with a sizeable tow.
It’s Thomas J. Brown, something unusual in the sixth boro:
a family-business that since its creation in the unpromising year of 1929 has seen a lot of change in the harbor. Read copious details about this family business in Don Sutherland’s fine article here (starting on p. 18). Just a foretaste: Lindbergh, slaughterhouses on the East River, Normandie salvage, work on all the bridges between NJ and metro New York as well as the VZ and others, the 1939 World’s Fair, …. The tanker whose orange house shows lower left belongs to Torm Kristina.
Don, great article I’m just finding now. There’s a lot of history in the wake of that tow.
All fotos (except the last one taken two years ago) were snapped from my office one lucky day last week by Will Van Dorp.
tugster: a waterblog 
5 comments
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April 25, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Mage Bailey
Why would they tow on such a very short hawser?
April 25, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Les Sonnenmark
She probably had the tow on her hip backing out of a slip, then dropped the bow line turned around. In general, you’d not want to be going too fast with that short a hawser; if the tug stops the barges keep coming and will overrun the tug. But a related note: Look at how the hawser eye is looped around the bitt on the barge. It could easily slip off if the tug slows and tension drops; then she’d be chasing the tow in crowded waters. Would Capt. Baker chime in here?
April 25, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Jed
Yer sure don’t want a LONG tow whilst maneuvering in the Kills. She could’ve gone right on the hawser as she a fair distance to travel and got the hard part out of the way early.
Historically, I’ve seen the BROWN boats do some really SEXY boathandling on gate lines or single line strapping from the bow to the center of the barge their pushing – flying about the harbor with all the grace of a Prima Ballerina.
February 11, 2014 at 7:06 am
Tom Brown
Two reasons for towing like that, the kick, (prop wash), goes down the side of the tow, not against the tow so you make better speed and it’s easier to throw off the line when you get to the stake boat!
February 11, 2014 at 8:25 am
tugster
tom– thanks for the explanation.