Thanks for today’s fotos and text go to James Ash, port captain for Poling & Cutler. “I took [these fotos of Coral Queen] about 12 years ago from the Boston Post Road Bridge in Eastchester ( Mt. Vernon).
The “Rock Cut” is one of the most challenging transits as lining up for the turn around the last corner under the B.P.R. Bridge is a widow maker in a single hull, single screw, tanker built in 1920.
Probably a highlight of my career [is] the 1,200 trips up the Hutchinson River in my time on this vessel.
There was a time when she made two trips per day up this river,
one on each tide. Master mariner Tony McDonald is at the helm on this trip.
I came in for crew change.”
Thanks much, Jim.
Here are my fotos of Coral Queen, which began rebirth through the scrapyard portal a few years back now.
tugster: a waterblog 
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December 7, 2011 at 1:55 pm
TomT
Great entry. These pix make me remember how much I miss seeing Coral Queen. Gone but not forgotten.
December 7, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Steven Toby
And a super demonstration of shiphandling getting between that barge with junked cars on it and the bulkhead on the other side. It looks easy in these photos but that’s because you don’t see the years of practice it requires!
December 7, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Larry Fine
Tony McDonald is still at the helm, and still sailing this stretch of creek. He’s on the DianeB (ex Irene Frazier) which pushes the barge John Blanche, up this very creek. Barges still bring heating oil to Sprague Energy in Mount Vernon. Sprague supplies much of Westchester County with oil. The Scrappy you see belongs to Pascap which is a scrap yard. Those old cars will be towed out by Miller’s Launch and sold to a smelter.
There is usually a scow or two on the other bank unloading sand and gravel at the old Colonial Eastchester dock.
December 29, 2011 at 10:36 am
Larry Fine
You can see a video of Tony Macdonald being interviewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3JUVOG_rgc
Some nice shots of the Patrick Sky making it’s way up to Westmore Fuel in Port Chester, NY
December 29, 2011 at 2:35 pm
tugster
larry– thanks for calling this to my attention. great video. it also explains why i see patrick sky in winter much more often than in summer.