Magothy has worked for a decade and a half already, but I caught her on the East River yesterday, first eastbound to pick up barge Double Skin 59, and then

return it westbound through Hell Gate.  I’ve done several dozen posts about names, mostly vessel names, but Hell Gate is certainly one of the mythic names of a section of the sixth boro.  Interestingly, no vessel I know of has been named for this turbulent stretch of the East River.  Magothy itself is a waterway, mostly tidal, that flows into the Chesapeake.  Check out the etymology here.

Magothy pushing a tank barge through Hell Gate was quite the sight.

 

We overtook it

and I got this photo of the Vane unit with the RFK (Triborough) Bridge and the Hell Gate Bridge framing it.

Where we went east of Roosevelt Island, an unusual side to navigate, Magothy took her barge along the west side.  The Lighthouse here is positioned on the split in the channel at the north end of Roosevelt island.  The cupola/lantern of the lighthouse has recently been redone, and it appears some scupture display is just south of it;  maybe it deserves a walk one of these days, along with another visit to Socrates right across that channel.

All photos, WVD, who’s finding that winter chill is a better time for some explorations than summer humidity.