Note to Kees Kuyper . . . “your foto on page 18 here of New York from the bridge of Blue Marlin is fabulous! Please take more during your stay in New York.”
Note to all blog readers . . . scroll through to the top of p. 18 to see Kees’ foto.
What follows is another assemblage of fotos from yesterday’s unproductive loading of tugs and barges onto Blue Marlin, a few repeat fotos enhanced by Rod Smith of Narragansett Bay Shipping. Thanks, Rod.
Gabby Miller and (?) Nicholas and crews at 5:38.
Heading for Blue Marlin at 5:39.
Blue Marlin and “floating cargo” at 6:32.
Fog has partly lifted by 6:43.
Blue Marlin crew climbing the port aft “tower” at 6:52.
A closer-up of crew going aloft.
Crewboat bring the towline “on deck” at 7:01, and
beginning to make fast at 7:02 to Maverick (ex-YTB 801 Palatka, launched 1969).
Dace leaves the notch over behind Maersk Matsuyamato ogle the scene at 7:09. By the way, outatowners . . . the land on the other side is Bay Ridge Brooklyn.
Pilotboat Yankee rushes by at 7:17.
Elizabeth McAllister (1967, ex-J. A. Witte and Fournier Boys), which we imagined would be bringing out some barges, arrives on site by 7:25.
With the loading “scrubbed” for the day, Blue Marlin‘s workboat voyages over to the bow at 7:49, and
by 8:30, the stern has clearly risen at least 10 feet.
By 8:39, Blue Marlin has swung with the ebb, as Staten Island ferry Alice Austen arrives through the Narrows. Now if you know anything about the ferry routes, this is unusual indeed, but Alice Austen may just be a contrarian ferry.
At 8:46 in the distance Maryland heads out the Narrows to bunker cutter moored in Gravesend Bay, while a night heron (aka “big pella’) contemplates.
this loading attempt.
By 11:07, more of Blue Marlin has re-emerged, and by mid-afternoon Monday, she has repositioned over to the mooring it occupied earlier off Owl’s Head.
And the suspense goes on. And if anyone wishes to confide in me info on the day and hour of the next attempt, I’ll be watching. Oh, discretion and circumspection are my creeds.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who would love an email from Kees.
Unrelated: For a slideshow from National Tug Day in Maassluis, Netherlands, birthplace of the Dutch towing industry, click here. Fotos are copyright of Frans de Lijster and Willem Kruit.
11 comments
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May 30, 2011 at 5:04 pm
KG2V
Where are the tugs and barges going – I assume it’s a permenant redeploy
May 30, 2011 at 5:15 pm
tugster
new nigerian owners
May 30, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Goose
I’m beginning to suspect they’re doing this on purpose, just to spite me! The last time you suspected a loading I was working. This time I spotted the relocation and decided that the orange beast could be (relatively) easily photographed in its new location, closer to the bridge. I was planning to go tomorrow morning, on my off day. Imagine my surprise/irritation, when I saw her today from the ferry, back at the previous spot… However, if they are really planning all activity for days when I won’t be able to attend, I can assure you that nothing will be happening for the next two days, since this is my weekend.
May 31, 2011 at 1:35 am
David Hindin
…your foto on page 18 “here” of New York….
“here” link fails
May 31, 2011 at 5:01 am
tugster
hi david– it’s a google doc, and it seems that you might need a google account (gmail) to open it. sorry.
May 31, 2011 at 5:52 am
Capt. Mike
Hmmm what happened? Maybe the Nigerian check did not clear. Stopping all loading operations. Not to worry I’ve just recieved an amazing unsolicited offer by email from that country that says I can increase my fortune by just providing a few bits of personal financial information. So maybe I will be able to bankroll the operation at some point in the near future.:) On the other hand if you want to test the loading operations and conditions why not do it on a super special union overtime day. Makes for a happier crew who are missing the family BBQ’s. My guess the loading is going to happen soon. Keep an eye on the weather and the currents for when.
May 31, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Fjorder
black-crowned night heron?
May 31, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Scott Douglas
Latest “rumor” was that the Blue Marlin was to shift from Bayridge back down to Stapleton on the evening of Wednesday June 1 at around 1700 or so. Speculate all you want, Thursday morning to load again?
May 31, 2011 at 2:09 pm
tugster
thank you, sir. email me the source of said rumor? just curious.
June 1, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Scott Douglas
The pilot who did the shift on Monday over the radio to vessel traffic. Seemed like a legit source to me.
June 1, 2011 at 6:44 pm
tugster
thanks, again. she’s already repositioned, so it looks like dawn tomorrow.