Cable Queen

Many thanks to Brad Ickes, who recently contacted me with some info about this vessel shown above, a one-0ff launched at Luders Shipyard in Stamford in 1952, their first ever steel vessel.    Like me, you may have seen her–seemingly always docked just west of the Moran building on the KVK.   Note the large spool on the foredeck and the intentional bow shape.

Her hull looks like that of a tug, although the deck equipment points to her intended work:  submarine cable laying, and if you notice the pennant . . . for New York Telephone.   Click here for info and a front page photo in a 1970 newspaper.   I’m guessing the foto below dates from her first arrival in the sixth boro of NYC.

Here’s an undated foto of Cable Queen at work.

Also, from Brad of OCG, here are some fotos of the vessel during a haul-out, showing the shallow draft

and recessed wheels that are not characteristic of most tugboats.

Here’s another undated foto of Cable Queen at work laying cable.

I took the fotos below back in December 2009.

Click here for this Cable Queen info and many more cable ships.  …here . . . for fotos of older Bell system equipment, including an older Cable Queen.  Here, from the Troy Record is a 1967 article about the vessel and crew working upriver at that time AND a foto of its master, William J. Fry of Staten Island.

Many thanks to Brad Ickes of OCG for reaching out with these fotos.

Will Van Dorp, who took the last two fotos, is alone responsible for any errors in interpretation.  I will be  hitting the road–with all its detours and other opportunities for side-gallivants– northeast-bound tomorrow.  If I can’t post then, happy, safe, and prosperous 2014.