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I’d never gotten a photo of CMA CGM Marco Polo, although I know she looked very much like CMA CGM Alexander von Humboldt, seen below and here in a photo from about a year ago.
I was intrigued when I learned that Marco had gotten a nose job, had a “windshield” added to streamline the vessel and thereby reduce fuel consumption. That intrigue was boosted when I saw the speed she was making between Halifax and the sixth boro this past weekend. I even checked my friend Mac MacKay’s site, which sometimes features vessels either before or after they appear in the our watery boro. No nothing.
Behold, westbound on the ConHook Range . . . CMA CGM Marco Polo, 2.0. I had thought maybe a modern iteration of a whaleback like here.
This was all of that, but with wings as well. I’m thinking of inspiration from a winged snow plow, the real utilitarian deal or the Mark di Suvero glorification.
The curved metal work had hints of Richard Serra or Alexander Calder.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the concept here really is the same as an air dam incorporated into semi-truck design. I recall how odd I thought this looked when they were first introduced. Now they are standard for long haul trucks.
It will be interesting to see if and how this design change takes hold.
Marco is over a decade at work, in case you’re wondering, and even if the “windshield” (or maybe “air plow” might be a better name) provides a 2% fuel cost savings, in the course of a year sailing, that would be a big sum. Anyone know average daily fuel consumption of a vessel this size under way?
All photos, WVD.
A friend and occasional contributor recently sent this photo, a tighter cropped version of just this photo and asked what is was. I won’t volunteer what I thought, but I was wrong. Can you guess?
Here’s a bit more detail, quite a bit more, in fact. It was intended as number 3 of 32, but now it’s much more limited, the third of three.
Behold USS Lyndon B. Johnson aka DDG-1002. Her ceremonial keel laying was exactly six years ago, January 30, 2017, although she was partially built by then. Her launch was late fall 2018, and christening . . . spring 2019. She’s currently in Pascagoula MS and at last report, being prepped to enter service in 2024.
Many thanks to eastriver for passing these photos along.
As I’ve stated previously, these 600′ x 81′ military vessels are reminiscent of the ironclads, especially the CSS ones, of the US Civil War.
I saw DDG-1000 in process of being built in the Kennebec way back almost a decade ago here.
Tankers don’t usually dock here, and
tankers of this size, Suezmax and 910′ x 157′ are not even the norm in the sixth boro.
I don’t know the story, but
since she’s so light, I needed to get these close ups at
dawn.
She’s sailed the oceans for less than a year since leaving a shipyard–don’t know which–of this company. If she’s not the actual newest, she’s certainly among the newest, and since she’s the only Suezmax tanker in town, I’m certain she’s the newest Suezmax tanker in the sixth boro this morning.
She’s exposing a lot of hull.
All photos, WVD.
Here are her fleetmates.
I’ve got a backlog of photos you all have sent along. I’ll start here with some photos from my sister, Cookie Baker, who has sent along this and this, along with others over the years.
Any guesses as to the what and where?
Some of you already know, but the
location here is Alameda CA. Saildrone fits in the same niche as the XOcean vessels that were working in the NY Bight a few months back. USVs have been used on the Great Lakes already also here. And then there’s Sea Hawk, what the USN is experimenting with in the SURFDEVRON program.
Many thanks to my sister for sending these photos along to her sixth boro brother.
Call this a continuation of yesterday’s post, but this is a model bow set . . . . Given all the features that could be discussed, focus on these for oldest/newest, smallest/largest, and least/most horsepower. Also, one of these does not fit with the others, although all are tugboats.
Douglas J
Doris Moran
Philadelphia
Again, identify the oldest/newest, smallest/largest, and least/most horsepower.
James William Here she appears to be towing a mooring into Erie Basin Brooklyn.
Millie B and Louis C. These two certainly do not fit in with this post, but . . . I’m posting this photo anyhow. Previously, Millie B has appeared here. Louis C has appeared here. I hope you’re getting ready with your answers.
Rowan M McAllister
Adeline Marie
All photos and any errors, WVD. All info here thanks to Birk Thomas’ invaluable tugboatinformation.
Ready? No cheating.
Just guesses.
Answers?
Oldest is Rowan M, and newest is Philadelphia. 1981 and 2017.
Smallest considering both length and beam is James William, and longest is Doris Moran although Douglas J is the beamiest. Lengths are 77′ and 118′.
Least horses is James William, and most is Douglas J. They range from 2800 hp to 4800 hp.
Besides Millie B, the outlier is James William because she has a push-knee bow–rather than a model bow. Also, she’s the only triple screw here.
Call this the push knee set. And let’s do it this way . . . given all the features that could be discussed, focus of these for oldest/newest, smallest/largest, and least/most horsepower.
CMT Pike. An aside about CMT Pike is that she was not built with a retractable wheelhouse. When launched, she had a fixed wheelhouse, the “stalk” of which can be seen directly behind where the raised wheelhouse is now. I’ve not been able to find a photo of her in that original configuration.
Shiloh Amon aka Jillian Irene
Lightning
Discovery Coast
Miss Madeline
And finally, a photo from January 2013 and showing one that has been sold out of the sixth boro . . . Herbert P. Brake.
Have you written down your final decisions?
All photos, WVD. All info here thanks to Birk Thomas’ invaluable tugboatinformation
Ready? No cheating.
Just guesses.
Oldest is Miss Madeline, and newest is Shiloh aka Jillian Irene. 1976 and 2022.
Smallest considering both length and beam is Herbert P. Brake, and longest is Discovery Coast although both Discovery and Jillian tie at 34′ for beam. Lengths are 60′ and 96′.
Least horses is Brake, and most is Discovery. They range from 375 hp to 3000 hp.
Kimberly headed out on a mission, as
did Mary.
They converged alongside Bow Chain,
where crew mustered.
As daylight opened between Bow Chain and the dock,
Kimberly moved to the opposite side
and with guidance
Bow Chain moved slightly forward and toward port and
rotated counterclockwise
with Kimberly helping the bow around while
Mary pushed the stern.
Pilot and crew directed from the bridge wing
and once sailed, Bow Chain began a voyage to the Gulf of Mexico.
All photos, WVD.
A couple days ago in the 77 Days post (which I’ve since learned added up to 79 days) I saw a mariner I know on the boro on a Maersk container vessel.
Most of the time though I don’t know the folks I see working on the water. The folks in yellow and orange coats below are likely longshoremen mustering before ruunning in and driving all the vehicles out that are to be discharged here . . . in the sixth boro.
Note the mariners below preparing the messenger line down to the tugboat.
The deckhand retrieves it, makes it to the tugboat, signals,
and the ONE crew move forward to standby at the forward mooring area.
Meanwhile, the deckhand secures the line.
All photos, WVD.
Hat tip to the people out on the boro in all kinds of weather.
A small 14-year-old general cargo vessel named Industrial Emma
was inbound from Salvador Brasil. Any guesses on how long that voyage would take?
She’s a 5800 hp ship coming in with an assist from Miriam Moran, a 3000 hp tug.
Industrial Emma is the product of a Polish shipyard, Remontowa, whose 1960s history I find not surprising but interesting.
Her container capacity is 535 teu.
Travel time from Salvador was 17 days and 3 hours. The Intermarine vessel’s next port of call is Houston.
All photos, WVD.
. . . signing onto the 6200-teu Maersk Detroit and stepping off at the end of a hitch, this post is inspired by a sixth boro mariner on a milk run. Many thanks to Mike Weiss** for most of the photos. It took him 77 days to get from Port Elizabeth back to Port Elizabeth. Day 1 was back in early November.
Yesterday I caught a few photos in the KVK of the vessel on the last few miles of a voyage mostly halfway around the world and back.
Mike, an AB, texted me their ETA into the KVK and
in cold overcast morning I wore my conspicuous vest and waited
to see people on the aft mooring deck.
Welcome home, Mike. This is a timeless way to go so sea: depart from your home and return to it.
The following are some photos Mike took along the way, as in the Strait of Gibraltar just before calling at the port of Algeciras,
Port Said at the aft mooring deck thousands of sea miles ago,
entering the Suez Canal and heading under the Al-Salam Bridge (I think), and
about to exit the Suez following . . . Ever Given [yes, really!!],
getting an assist at Port Qasim,
port of Salalah,
and then homeward across the Atlantic to
port of Houston,
and port of Charleston, with many other sights that only Mike can tell about along the way.
Many thanks to Mike Weiss for sharing these photos and his experiences. If you didn’t click on the ** link in the first paragraph, you’ll be happy to do it here for some of Mike’s sea resume.
Maersk Detroit is part of the US-flagged Maersk fleet.
Ever Given has a big sister now here.
tugster: a waterblog 
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