Here are the posts I did each of the past two years.  I’ll call this the beginning of the processional.  How many government vessels do you count in the photo below?

Carefully screened support vessels--Rana Miller, Elizabeth McAllister, and Resolute— lead the procession, here past Ellis Island,

while small craft of the NYC Navy and Air Force and others patrol.

Other McAllister boats include Alex McAllister . . . and

Eric.

CG-56 USS San Jacinto leads the larger vessel contingent.  She was here as well in 2012.   Know the import of that location in April 1836?  

Tomorrow will feature close-ups of the rest of the fleet, but for now we’ll leave it here.

 

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who counts eight government craft in the first photo.  Here’s a post-fleet week photo set from 2009.