Helen’s Last Waltz Redux

If it seems I’m doing a lot of redux, etc. these days, my explanation is that 2012 was a great time for my being out there taking photos.  It was entirely by chance that I walked past this scene on July 17, 2012 before 0900.  I can’t even remember why I was there.  Now it matters no more because as soon as I saw this, scuttlebutt told me what was happening.  A towline on Helen‘s stern after all those years meant

she was moving.  I raced around Peking to get a different perspective.   She was indeed being towed out and made fast to the car float with the green spud.

I saw McAllister Responder there, but I had’t figured out why, yet.

After spinning around (does Decker have z-drives?!!)  [just kidding], deckhand made up head to head with Helen on Decker‘s port side, and

began to move astern.

At the same time, Responder crawled astern on the far side of the opening.  Now it wasn’t until today, studying these photos, that I noticed the crewman about midships on the stern deck.  Would that have been the late Capt. Brian?

But as I said, I hadn’t noticed that person until today. He shows up in another photo. 

Once Decker had Helen out of the “anchorage” enough that Responder could take Helen alongside, Decker threw off her lines and

 Responder took over as dance partner for the the 1900 Helen. Notice the crewman on the stern deck?

Away they went on

might have been Helen‘s last transit of the Buttermilk channel.

All photos, WVD, who last posted photos of Helen here half a year ago.

One of the photos from this July 2022 event was memorialized here, I’m happy to report.