Chemical Pioneer No More

An icon of the sixth boro will no longer be seen in its waters.  Two days ago, Chemical Pioneer departed through the VZ Narrows for Philadelphia, where she is currently.  After discharging her cargo and being prepared, she will depart the Delaware on a towline to a foreign port to be scrapped. 

An icon you may say?  In early June 1973, and under the name C. V. Sea Witch, a 612-teu container ship, she was outbound for sea from Howland Hook for Norfolk.  As she rounded the turn beyond the east end of the KVK, a non-responsive rudder caused her to collide with a tanker, Esso Brussels, anchored in Stapleton.  I’ve written about this earlier, particularly in this post with photos of the burnt out vessels.  For context of other spectacularly tragic shipboard fires, click here. Auke Visser’s great site has a narrative as well as graphic photos of the fires this malfunction caused. 

I took these photos in early November when Chemical Pioneer arrived in the sixth boro for her penultimate voyage.

All photos, WVD, who hopes to see photos of the tanker on a towline as she heads out the Delaware for the final journey.

Last but certainly not least, click here to see bowsprite’s tributes to the lives of Chemical Pioneer.