Down the Up Creek 2

Here was the first in the series.   Now since the Professional Mariner article is out and you can read it here, I offer the  photo essay.  The research starts on January 27, but

this closer-up of the foto above shows half the bridge won’t lift.  Research aborted, and I was really hoping to show the tow breaking its way up the Hutch through ice.  The fuel load eventually –and very eventually–has to get delivered elsewhere.  For outatowners, the background is the Bronx.

Now it’s February 3, 10:52.  The fuel has been transferred into the tanks on shore, and the crew waits for sufficient water to return to the creek for egress.

11:01.  Note how little water shows on the right side of the barge.

11:43.  While waiting for the flood, here’s a view of the engine room.

1:43.  Still waiting.

2:26.  There’s now adequate water for the towboat to squeeze alongside the barge to make up to the “bow” of the barge.

2:27.  Diane B pivots in her length and the crew makes up to the “bow.”

2:45.  As they finish making up, I run ahead to the nearest bridge for the best fotos as they “thread the needle” back out to wider water.  Let’s call this bridge #1.

2:47.  Truly this is contact sport . . . without the contact and without the sport.  Actually, it’s hard work.  Notice the barge cutting through the ice here.

3:10, and I’ve driven my car a half dozen miles to get to bridge #4.  Notice #3 and #2 open.  And if you squint, you can see Diane B‘s upper wheelhouse passing through bridge #2.

3:13 finds the tow about to pivot 90 degrees to port to clear the Amtrak Bridge, aka bridge #3.

3:17.  After fitting through #3, the tow immediately needs to line up for #4.

3:18.  Lining up may take a pulse, a snort of the engines.

Once through #4, it’s not as if the channel runs straight.

3:27.  The tow heads through Eastchester Bay for the East River.  Throgs Neck Bridge is NOT a lift bridge.  If I’m counting right, the tow passes under another 11 bridges before reloading on the Arthur Kill.

Thanks to American Petroleum & Transport and the crew of Diane B for helping with this story.  Thanks to Professional Mariner for printing my story and pictures.  Consider subscribing.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who places them online because I like the cheap big format afforded by electronic media.

Government Boats 25

The last post in this series–24–was quite obscure.    And this one . . . could be called ex-government boats.

The foto below comes thanks to Scott Craven, who caught the vessel upbound on the Hudson near the Bear Mountain Bridge.  At first I thought it was a re-purposed 65′ WYTL.  With a bit of research, however, I learned it’s the retired Massport Marine 1, Howard W. Fitzpatrick (scroll through to the 8th foto).  Note the traces of removed signage along her port side.  She’s now replaced by American United.   Again, scroll though, and you’ll see the folks on Windermere posted a foto of American United high and dry at the Canadian shipyard here.  Click here for more info on Massport.   Fitzpatrick launched in 1971 from a now inactive shipyard in southern Illinois, just north of St. Louis.   So does anyone know where Fitzpatrick is headed?  Great Lakes?  the Mississippi system?  Maybe a reader upriver can report?

On a rainy day back in mid-April, Gary Kane caught this display on the East River, just south of Roosevelt Island.

It was the John D. McKean, a retired FDNY fireboat.  McKean was Camden, NJ built about 60 years ago.  Anyone know what her future may be?

All this talk of retired fireboats and mention of Gary Kane give me an opportunity to suggest you buy the documentary produced by Gary Kane and myself called Graves of Arthur Kill.  One of the major voices/story tellers in that documentary is a retired FDNY engineer.

Thanks to Scott Craven and Gary Kane for use of these fotos.

Film Tugs 2

Here was the first in this series, the result of watching an old movie featuring Yul Brenner and Marlon Brando.  What I let fall through the cracks is this identification from someone who sent this foto, the source of which I didn’t know until now.  The tug–supposedly in Tokyo–was actually Wilmington Transportation tug Long Beach.  Click on the foto to see the source.  So is this Revell model the same boat?

New business . . . the other night I watched another movie Losers for its tugboat content . . . and here are some screen captures.  In the movie, this scene was SAID to be Los Angeles.

Here’s a closeup from the movie.  Note the “stairstepping” of wheelhouse windows.

Here’s my foto taken in March of those same “stairstepped” window line as seen from inside.

Here’s the classy wheelhouse complete with

this fancy tiller belonging to this aquaclydesdale formerly known as Tuscarora.

Actually, she works in San Juan now.  The movie folks changed the port name, but not

the vessel name.

If you are interested in learning more about a film project in NYC’s sixth boro, I am passing along notification that a TV reality show producer named Lance Schultz will be in town on Tuesday, April 30 interviewing candidates for a series.  I am in no way involved and won’t be there.  The person to contact is John Doswell   john [at] doswellproductions [dot] com . . .  John will be able to fill you n.

Check out more of Zane Johnston’s flickr fotos here.  Non-film fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Second Lives 11

This post presents a mystery.  Maybe someone knows how (or through whom)  to find the answer, possibly in US Coast Guard archives.  A group of veterans who spent their time in the Dutch Navy serving aboard the vessel below want a reunion but have lost their ship, possibly to Davy “drug-smuggler” Jones.

Wamandai A870 was launched in the late 1950s from Den Helder.  From there she went to the Dutch New Guinea, where she worked with Wambrau A871.   When the Dutch left the colony to Indonesia in  1962, Wamandai and Wambrau returned to the Netherlands.     Wambrau then was Netherlands-based as Sea Driver II until she was sold to a private company in Toledo, OH!!  where she works as Josephine to this day.    Click here (and scroll through) for some fotos.

Wamandai remained in the Royal Navy and in 1964 traveled to the Netherlands Antilles.  As a navy auxiliary vessel, she worked there until January 1986, when she was decommissioned and sold to a resident of Curacao.

According to Sea of Grass:  The Maritime Drug War 1970–1990, by Charles M. Fuss, Jr.,  she may have become a “mothership.”  Here’s a quote from pp. 226-7 that has an unsatisfying ending to me and to the Dutch Navy vets who called it to my attention:  “…The routine transportation of multi-ton loads of marijuana through the northern Atlantic ended in 1987.  The 90′ stateless motor vessel Wamandai with 22,000 pounds was one of the last motherships seized.  A Coast Guard C-130 from Elizabeth City, NC, found the suspect 105 miles southeast of Bermuda on 2 September, 1987.  A marathon air surveillance began that lasted until 5 September, when the cutter Gallatin (WHEC-721) finally arrived after being released from a navy exercise.  This was definitely one for the Airedales. ”  The next paragraphs switch to the 1987 drug interdiction campaign in the Pacific.

The question is:  What happened to Wamandai?  Would it have been scuttled then and there, or is there a chance that it was sold either as scrap or vessel?

Previous mention of motherships on this blog dates back to this post from 2008.   For recent fotos of Gallatin in the sixth boro after Sandy, click here.

Meanwhile . . . 8000 Miles Away 4

Above the waterline, this looks amazingly like Peking.    Identify it?

These fotos come from Colin Syndercombe, who previously sent these fotos, and these, among others.   As to the sailing vessel, it’s from 1921, 385′ loa (Peking is 1911 and 377′), and still sails.    Know it?  It called in Cape Town earlier this month, and is now northbound.

It’s Sedov, sailing ’round the world at 90+ years old.  Click here to see ports of call.   Does anyone know if she’s ever called in a US port?

For more fotos of Sedov, click here.  Prior to this month, the last time this vessel–then Magdalene Vinnen II–called in Cape Town was in the 1930s.

Thanks much to Colin for these fotos.

Jewel

All eyes peeled . . . rumbling means something approaches from outside the Narrows

carrying passengers.

It’s Norwegian Jewel.  An insider’s view was featured here on this blog a few months back.

Seeing the flashy scene around this lifeboat puzzled my naked eyes.

Any week now, Norwegian Breakaway will be replacing Jewel.

All fotos earlier this month by Will Van Dorp.

Random Ships 26

The insides of your computer?

Clearly not.  That Ellen McAllister on the right and

assisting Siteam Explorer around Bergen Point.

Floating legos with USACE theme?

Again . . . no.  It’s Mare Atlanticum with Gelberman to port and McAllister Sisters assisting to starboard.   Click here (and scroll) for Sisters before getting the upper wheelhouse.  See after and before here on Birk and Harold’s site.

And what yacht pokes her bow from beneath the Bridge here?

It’s the certainly yachtly North River.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 105

OK . . . I fail here.  Which Moran and which McAllister are those in the Sunday morning chop?

Quick post:  Shelby 1978.

Evening Tide 1970.

Jay Michael 1980 doing a re-enactment of my December 15, 2012 post here (scroll to third foto).

Long time no see . . . Superior Service 1981.

North Sea 1982.

Laura K. Moran 2008.

Resolute 1975 and Discovery Coast 2012.

All fotos taken in April by Will Van Dorp, who’s feeling it’s significant that so many of these are stern shots . . .  i.e., I’m struggling to keep up today.

Random Ships 25

YM Milestone is one of the largest vessels I’ve seen in the sixth boro . . .  a full 1000′ loa by 131,’

but even at that, she’s a full 100′ shorter than the largest YM vessel currently afloat.   Milestone comes and goes via the Suez.

2013 April 21st, 22:00:19 UTC	Norfolk
2013 April 19th, 17:00:24 UTC	New York
2013 March 23rd, 00:00:06 UTC	Hong Kong
2013 March 22nd, 03:00:28 UTC	Shekou
2013 March 17th, 03:45:48 UTC	Sin Wbga
2013 March 17th, 03:45:28 UTC	Vung Tau
2013 February 10th, 08:00:31 UTC	Norfolk
2013 February 7th, 08:00:59 UTC	New York

Let’s talk far to near here . .  . Ioannis has a curious

house on the bow.

Xin Su Zhou traveled here through the Panama Canal;  in fact, she left Yang Shan on 3/26.

I’m not sure why she attracted a boarding party before

entering our polyglot port.  That’s Erikoussa on the far side.

More ships soon.  All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 104

Gramma Lee T Moran, 2002

Jay Michael and Mister Jim,  1980 and 1982

Mister T, 2001

Mister T again

Brandywine and Viking, 2006 and 1976

Kimberly Turecamo, 1980

Red Hook (a first on this blog) and Severn, 2013 and 2008

B. Franklin Reinauer, 2012

Shelby Rose, 1963

Hubert Bays, 2002.

All fotos taken in the past week by Will Van Dorp.