Life Savers/Life Saving

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.