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Departure from the sixth boro showed the usual Bayonne Bridge and cranes BUT from a new perspective.
David and John . . . you are right in guessing one of those locations to be the Great Salt Lake. More on that amazing sea later, but this is what paddling out of the cove at Gonzo’s Boat Rentals and Tours looks like. Here’s an article about Dave Ghizzone’s rentals.
It’s stunningly beautiful, and what I’d heard about the smell on the water and flies . . . not true. More on the lake later.
After a brisk paddle, I put my shorts in the sun to dry, and they were soon quite starched . . . er . . salted!
This was taken from a high point on Antelope Island looking south.
A few hours to the north and slightly to the west, this marked an area near Arco, ID, within the public part of the INL. If Nevada has its area 51, this place felt like Idaho’s answer, an area 52 if you will.
That’s just a cloud above Big Southern Butte, within this area, but the ground here
flowed at one point, like a giant superhot sea. Now . . . what is the LAST thing you’d expect to find here?
If you said a tugboat, you’d have been close. But this was surprising. Read the numbers and signs all around.
SSN-666 was called Hawksbill, but I like the faded nickname painted here . . . submarine of the desert.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
I have always loved maps, as far back as elementary school. The internet and satellites have changed maps; sometimes I still prefer old-fashioned paper ones. This post shows five “grabs” from on-line maps. What they have in common is that in each an inch is equivalent to about two miles and that all show places in the Americas. This is my last regular post for about two weeks because it is time to hit the airport, then the road. This road will take me through three of the five grabs here. I’ll identify the places along the way.
1.
At this link there are 24 quotes about maps . .. like this one by Abulrazak Gurnah: “I speak to maps. And sometimes they something back to me. This is not as strange as it sounds, nor is it an unheard of thing. Before maps, the world was limitless. It was maps that gave it shape and made it seem like territory, like something that could be possessed, not just laid waste and plundered. Maps made places on the edges of the imagination seem graspable and placable.”
2.
Herman Melville said that true places are not found on maps. Here’s an interesting article that quotes him and talk about a place (not in the Americas) I’ll likely never visit, never have to navigate myself around with or without a map or chart.
3.
On travel . . . aka gallivanting, Robert Louis Stevenson said, “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
4.
I airbrushed some names out of this map grab . . . lest you figure the location out too easily. And if you don’t figure it out, no matter . . . see this LandSat fotos or play with google for a while if you think these satellite images are beautiful, as I do. I didn’t change any of the colors, but some satellites use filters to capture invisible but significant detail.
5.
But as much as I enjoy looking at maps and charts, there is a time to get out, feel the wind on your face, and let yourself be surprised. Doubleclick this one; these two watchstanders on MSC Federica last weekend seem the ultimate gallivanters. They could even be time travelers.
I’ll try to write from the road, something I last did just a month ago here. Any guesses about the geography captured by those fotos?
Related: Here and here are some airplane seat art sites. Here are more examples of “land art” visible from google earth.
. . . astrotisements for everything imaginable.
Here was 18.
The following two fotos come thanks to Joseph Graham, a New Yorker who pilots a Kirby boat among various ports in the Gulf and on the Mississippi. Study the six tugs below . . . yes six. Recognize the one on the left?
Sure! It’s Odin, featured here and here and many more places. Right now she’s in the vessel equivalent of Sailors’ Snug Harbor, in Kirby’s reserve yard in Houston. Odin . . you’re not forgotten!
Notice anything unusual about this staple? It may be common elsewhere, but I’ve never seen one with a stainless steel insert. This foto comes compliments of Allen Baker; here’s one of his many fotos on this blog. And the vessel . . .
is three-year-old Delta Billie, 6800 hp and built in Washington state.
She was docked here on the San Francisco Embarcadero . . . below the Tower there named for “Firebelle Lil’ Coit.”
And finally, from Lauren Tivey, whose foto of a lion figurehead on a Shanghai barge appeared here a year and a half ago, a fisherman working on Er Lake in Yunnan . . . using
these birds we know well in the sixth boro. I love the paint job on these fishing boats. Quiz: Can you name three of the six major rivers that drain Yunnan province?
Poor foto . . . I took on Sunday, but I was fascinated by this KVK cormorant struggling at least two minutes to swallow this sea robin. Cormorants must have throat tissue like a rubber tire!
The rivers flowing out of Yunnan–which borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam– are the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Salween, Red, Pearl, and Yangtze.
Thanks again to Joseph, Allen, and Lauren for use of these fotos.
x
. . . or I could say 12480 kms away. Here was the previous one in this series. Remember the port?
Well, in this port recently was this tug named Merlot and the green vessel . . . a large canoe? And yes, check here for tugs named chardonnay, shiraz, and pinotage. Nothing here yet named Ripple or Boone’s Farm . . . Here’s what Colin wrote about the green vessel:
“That ship ULSTEIN CLEAR is fresh as a daisy, built at ZHEJIANG SHIPBUILDING in China and delivered 31 MAY 2012. They also build them in BRAZIL where PETROBRAS ordered six and two have been built there and four will be complete during 2013. I have read that PETROBRAS have ordered quite a few drilling rigs for their offshore operations. On one of the ULSTEIN ships they have a crane mounted for wind farm operations. It lifts 5000 tons so very effectively. It will be used between England and Ireland.”
Some might consider this design so unusual as to be ugly, but I see this as an extrapolation from a canoe bow . . or the prow of a Viking ship.
More info about this hull and its advantages for working in heavy sea–reduced motion and fuel efficiency– can be found here. Great videos and animations. Note the location of the exhausts. If you didn’t identify them, they
are the diagonals more visible here.
I don’t believe a vessel with this sort of bow has visited the sixth boro . . .
yet.
All fotos by colin Syndercombe, to whom I am grateful.
Mr. Pena . . . below is a foto of your life saver aka CABO ROJO taken in the East River NYC in November 2010. Note that on this day she was pushing three scows just south (west) of Hell Gate. The connection to your story was made by Gus Pervolarakis. Thanks much, Gus. Since I added Mr Pena’s note to yesterday’s post late (I do go back and add “stuff” sometimes), let me reproduce part of it here:
| “we owe our life to the captn and crew of tug boat CABO ROJO; they saved us from capsizing on 13 of may 1966 on rough weather crossing from cuba to florida; our boat was a 17 footer; l was 18 yrs old at the time. now at 66 l would like to have a photo of the ship or crew. … note at the time of our rescue, tugboat CABO ROJO was pulling 3 barges behind it with molasses on a trip from puerto rico to new orleans. who was to tell that [our] faint far away light was seen in the distance. it was going to be our salvation. thanks a million captn god bless. tugboat CABO ROJO and his crew. … our boat the ANITA was abandoned to the mercy of the sea; every time l remember seeing it fade away under the lights of the reflectors of tugboat CABO ROJO l can’t stop tears . thanks again for saving our life. gratefully yours r.a pena” |
I’m not sure where CABO ROJO aka Solomon Sea (ex-Brandon Roehrig) is at this moment, maybe tied up in the yard. Any commercial vessel coming upon a distressed boat in nasty weather would do the same.
Here’s a scene I caught the other day when Hellespont Pride had just entered port. Shot was taken from Fort Wadsworth. Note where the lifeboat is, astern of the barge and Jane A. Bouchard.
A closer-up a little later and
still later. As with any safety drill, it’s important to do these under calm, practice conditions.
Here the lifeboat’s locked back in.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
For some great old freshwater tug fotos, check out Isaac’s tugboathunter here.
These fotos taken since last Wednesday show part of the range of weather we’ve had since Wednesday. And here’s a surprise: Crowley’s Courage in the Stapleton anchorage . . . as of this writing, she’s off Florida halfway between Jacksonville and Miami.
Lincoln Sea, same day, off BAT, just before that wicked storm erupted . . . derupted/descended . . . Great pics at that link.
Buchanan 10 was making her way across the Upper Bay as
the wind started to kick up some splash. Did I get wet? Yup . . . but I always carry a dry bag for stuff that dislikes water. And I was afraid of getting zapped by the electricity in the sky as I walked home from the subway. Yup . . . tugster on the subway.. Hey . . . parts of the subway lines allow me to travel beneath the sixth boro without a submarine, as depicted by Duke Riley.
Here’s Siberian Sea, also on Wednesday.
Saturday morning light was quite different, after more than two days of rain. D . . . I hope that answers your question about shooting through glass. This was the huge 12,000 hp OSG Vision pushing OSG 350 westbound on the KVK yesterday morning. Given what ATBs work the Great Lakes, I’m wondering about the claim here that Vision, a year even, was the world’s largest ATB unit. On this foto, I’m also shooting into the morning sun.
Here Wicomico passes MSC Federica. Notice the white structure atop the containers (left of the turbine) on Federica.
Here’s a close-up. Anyone else notice it? . . . identify it?
Beaufort Sea passes Zim San Francisco.
By the way, what are those blue “seaco” units on San Fran‘s deck? Also notice the sailboat up there on the load!! Doubleclick enlarges.
Rounding out this post, my till-favorite large tug in the sixth boro . . . Atlantic Salvor, just a bit over half the hp of OSG Vision, not that hp tells the whole story.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
Unrelated to this post but related to the major focus of this blog: I’ve adding the comment by R. A. Pena because it may please you and some of you may be prompted to research it. His note follows: with a bit of editing by me”
| we owe our life to the captn and crew of tug boat CABO ROJO; they saved us from capsizing on 13 of may 1966 on rough weather crossing from cuba to florida; will never forget them; our boat was a 17 footer; l was 18 yrs old at the time. now at 66 l would like to have a photo of the ship or his crew. god bless them and god bless america. note at the time of our rescue tugboat CABO ROJO was pulling 3 barges behind it with molasses on a trip from puerto rico to new orleans. who was to tell that [our] faint far away light was seen in the distance. it was going to be our salvation. thanks a million captn god bless. tugboat CABO ROJO and his crew. r .a. pena vero beach fl. 7-22-2012. note our boat the ANITA was abandoned to the mercy of the sea due to certain circumstances; every time l remember seeing it fade away under the lights of the reflectors of tugboat CABO ROJO l can’t stop tears . thanks again for saving our life. gratefully yours r.a pena” |
Mr. Pena . . . thanks for writing the wonderful note. I hope we can find a foto of CABO ROJO operating between PR and Nola in 1966.
0r . . . from Creativity to a Barefoot Princess in the time some folks sleep in on Saturday mornings.
0826 . . . from my office near Snug Harbor, I see this parcel tanker pass inbound.
0828, from near to far . . . Morton S. Bouchard Jr. , Creativity, and UACC Falcon on intial prep for a local shift east ward.
0914 . . . Atlantic Salvor drags a scow of bottom carving while Brian Nicholas (?) hauls paper for recycling. That’s Marion Moran lower left taking Falcon‘s stern.
0928 . . . Brasil-bound Orange Star meets inbound OSG 350 pushed by OSG Vision . . .
0932 . . . Orange Star meets Zim Texas . . . with a cluster of tugs off her starboard side.
0938 . . . HOS Energy 11104 tails Orange Star. Siberian Sea appears to be Orange Star’s escort, although really she’s not.
0953 . . . Geese flee approaching Falcon and Gramma Lee T Moran.
1036 . . . looking along the flared bow of sea-bound NYK Joanna.
1037 Ellen McAllister trails Joanna outbound.
1055 . . . bulbous bow of Porto begs for paint, maybe the image of a ferocious eye would fend off all inattentive traffic.
1056 . . . Porto meets MSC Federica.
left to right . . . 1058 MSC Federica, Zim San Francisco, Porto.
1107 . . . under the flare of Zim San Francisco, last appeared on this blog here. And that’s Vane’s Wicomico out between Robbins Reef Light and Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower (1929) in the distance.
1113 . . . San Fran, Bruce A., and Elizabeth. San Fran last appeared in the blog inbound as seen from the Bayonne Bridge four months ago here.
1121 . . . Atlantic Concert heads inbound escorted by Ellen.
1144 . . . what’s this crabby thing?
It’s my princess . . .
called either Barefoot Princess or Welcome to Patchogue. Note . . . that “patchogue” is a two syllable word. Twelve years ago, while going to that town to see a man about a boat, I made the error of asking if I was in “pa CHO gee” rhymes with “patchouli,” sort of.
All fotos taken from my KVK offices this morning.
Afterthought: Do you suppose Patchogue is unilaterally annexing NYC’s sixth boro?
Is Marion M (Greenport, NY 1932) on her own power projecting that potentially gorgeous deck before her? Might she be?
I’ll be straightforward for once: Marion M has been moved away from South Street because the museum needs space. She is for sale. You/your organization can get information on purchasing her by contacting Captain Jonathan Boulware, Waterfront Director, South Street Seaport Museum. His tele and email are: 212.748.8772 jboulware@seany.org.
Some specifics on her history accompany bowsprite’s rendering here. Wooden tugboat W. O. Decker (1930) demonstrates that she has the stuff still in her. Decker stays at South Street Seaport Museum. Here and here are two of my many favorite bowsprite illustrations of Decker.
All these fotos come compliments of Jonathan Boulware, who took them in late June, as
Decker towed Marion M out to
her holding area on the KVK . . . where you can pick her up.
I wanted to add a few more fotos of Helen McAllister . . .
who also has at least one
more life ahead of her. Here’s how she might look under her own power headed your way.
And with all this movement, what might Peking be thinking, saying . .. .?
Uh . . . she can’t talk, can she?
Again, Marion M can be yours. Contact Jonathan Boulware, Waterfront Director, South Street Seaport Museum 212.748.8772 jboulware@seany.org I’m told she’s listed in WoodenBoat‘s “Save a Classic” section, but I haven’t seen that yet.
I’d love to see her gussied up to 1932 standards. I’d even put greenbacks and sweat equity in the project. I’m reminded of what the “crazy farmers of Villiersdorp” managed to do . . . or the Onrust project in Rotterdam Junction.
Unrelated but NYTimes article about resurgence: Cross-harbor rail about to expand exponentially on the sixth boro!!
Foto below was taken on July 3, 2012. Charles D. McAllister . . . featured here dozens of times, was assisting British Harmony (see name on lifeboat) out of IMTT Bayonne . . . for sea. Where? Doubleclick enlarges fotos.
Related: note the follow-though handwork demonstrated by the line thrower below. Where is he? He’s not throwing the line to anything belonging to British Harmony, but he is in the same watershed.
Ditto this tug and barge. Where it it? Notice the water color. Notice the name on the barge.
MANAUS on the tug is the best clue.
All fotos in this post except the first one were taken by my daughter, Myriam, who’s on the Amazon all summer as a grad student. I bought her a camera and said . . . “tugster needs you,” and she’s been following through since mid-May while I’ve focused mostly on my end of the sixth boro, not hers. More on this later in this post. That’s a sweet ride below.
She’s based in Macapa and took this and all the others from her workboat. No, she doesn’t drive it.
Cargo moves by vessels like this, and
this. Right now Ikan Suji is Shanghai bound with a hold filled with Amazonian raw materials, I’d bet.
My guess (and I’m often wrong) on this cargo is navigational aids in the making.
I wish she’d caught the rest of the ferry . . . but there are fewer possibilities for a bow than a stern. I’d never imagine this house/stern arrangement.
NYC’s sixth boro . . . as all areas . . . have their
government boats.
Behold two Amazonian “rebocadores ” Excalibur and Merlin. Click here for Smit Rebras including some interesting newbuild fotos. Thanks to Harold Tartell for suggesting looking here.
But, not unexpectedly, vessels on the Amazon and its many fingers are as diverse as the population of that great country.
This could be the Mississippi,
as could this.
From Macapa to Manaus upriver is 500 to 600 air miles. Stadt Gera, in Macapa today, was in the sixth boro and on this blog a year and a half ago.
And here’s why I put the foto of Charles D. McAllister and British Harmony first: British Harmony is about halfway up the Amazon to Manaus as I write this. One really can get anywhere watery from the sixth boro. Knowing that and having concrete reminders like this are not the same.
From fishermen, people with cameras along the KVK, and Macy’s barge waiting for the 2012 Independence Day fireworks . . . to kids in wooden boats like this . . . all seen by crew on British Harmony on the same trip . . . I find amazing.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of another watershed. Myriam certainly has the gallivant gene. Here’s some self-disclosure. 39 years ago (!!) I traveled to my first professional job about 500 miles up the Congo River on a huge tugboat named Major Vangu, pushing four deck barges. The tug had 8 or 10 “staterooms” and a bar/restaurant for paying first class passengers. Second class were on a barge with shade, and third class slept among the cargo (barrels of fuel, trucks, crates of beer, misc . . .) on the other barges. It took four days and nights to get from Kinshasa to Mbandaka, near where I spend the next two years. The reason for the choice of a tug was the airplane was non-functioning and roads to get there would have taken weeks. Making this realization today suggests the need for a long river trip next year. . . . hmmmm . . . .
This post is inspired by Jed’s extended resume of last April here, and a “lightbulb” comment by Maureen. Thanks to you both.
Related: Several times I tried unsuccessfully to find good profile shots of Major Vangu, which sank in 1979. Anyone have ideas on finding fotos of the old Onatra vessels like Major Vangu?
Related: In writing this post, I stumbled onto this blog by an artist in Belem, a major Amazonian port.
When this event happened on Memorial Day in the sixth boro, I wrote about it as “cast.” The New London cast right after the 4th of July was quite different. All these fotos come with thanks to Birk Thomas, now at sea. Ferry New London is automatically part of the local and daily cast .
Thames (rhymes with “james” ) Towboat Company’s John P. Wronowski (2004) was built in Florida.
Gwendolyn (1975) was built in Louisiana.
USCGC Eagle began to take shape in Hamburg in 1936.
USS Carter Hall had her keel laid in Louisiana in 1991.
Adam uses her 450 hp mostly around the Thames Towboat Company yards, where it was built.
Patricia Ann came out of a Louisiana shipyard as a YTB on hull #758 . . to Hercules #766, now in Nigeria.
Figureheads need inspection.
John P. and Paul A. Wronowski (1980 in Connecticut) assist USS Carter Hall into its berth. Paul A. was one of the first z-drive tugs ever built.
Ticonderoga (1936 by Herreshoff in Boston as Tioga) begs to be seen from closer, much closer.
Ferry Race Point is cast, even if she’s really working the run to Fisher’s Island.
Behold Wolf . . . she flies the flag of the Conch Republic, where I found myself exactly a year ago!
Cisne Branco . . . like Eagle was in the sixth boro almost two months ago.
Schooner Brilliant, 1932 in the Bronx, is truly brilliant.
Schooner A. J. Meerwald, 1932 in South Jersey, homeports in Bivalve . . . yes the village is truly called that.
Wisconsin-built YP-700 had its keel laid in 1987.
Another shot of Paul A.
It’s Amistad (Connecticut with a 2000 launch) with its unmistakable rake.
Again . . . many thanks to Birk for these fotos.
tugster: a waterblog 
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