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 […]
Whole Lotta Dredgin’ 15
At least two other dredging projects are happening in the sixth boro simultaneously. The one in the Buttermilk Channel came to my attention because of the following two photos taken by Captain Malcolm of schooner Pioneer. Neither this tug–Miss Gloria— nor the dredge were ones I was familiar with. Miss Gloria is a 2003 Rodriguez […]
Summer Sail 4
Here are previous iterations of this title. Of course, many options exist for getting onto sixth boro waters. One delightful way I’m most familiar with is aboard schooner Pioneer; get tickets here. Enjoy these photos, mostly taken from the cabin top starboard side and outboard the foremast earlier this week. Soon after leaving the pier, […]
Random Ships 93
In several hours yesterday, a diverse set of vessels came by. I could begin with Chemical Pioneer, a 1968 vessel that’s been calling here in some form for half a century. She first called here as a container ship, until her big fire. As Chemical Pioneer was assisted into a berth in Bayonne, an MSC […]
People on the Boro 33
Keyport Princess dropped anchor in front of the Statue the other morning. Does anyone need more proof that fish are currently thriving in the boro? Climate Change also came through the boro from the Sound, no doubt heading for warmed waters for the next half year, but while transiting, this boater takes in the beauty […]
Headwaters 5
Seth Tane took this photo on the Columbia in 2000. This was my sense of tugboats back then. I had little sense of their age, power, crews, skills needed for operation, etc. Take a guess on those features of this boat, and I’ll provide you some answers at the end of this post. Note that […]
Summer Sail 4B
I’ve compartmentalized my photos from the Pioneer sail the other night, in part because in a short two-hour sail there was so much to see. For starters, Stephanie Dann had earlier just rushed eastward and came back with Cornucopia Destiny, a dance partner on her starboard side. I can speculate about this, but I don’t […]
Random Tankers 10
Random means all within the past month and all ages and sizes, like Giancarlo D 2016 508′ x 85′. Kmarin Resolution is also a 2016 build, but 820′ x 144′. Lightering is Linda Moran with barge Houston. Linda was the tug spared in the W & D fire back in 2008. Maybe someone can identify […]
Retro Sixth Boro 49A
Let’s jump back to May 2012. Over along the Manhattan side of the East River then, I caught this scene. Since then, there’s been some movement: Peking to Germany, Marion M to the Chesapeake, Helen McAllister to . . . rebirth as new steel. Cheyenne has migrated to the Lake Michigan for now. Twin […]
Retro Sixth Boro 48
Does equipment ever change in the sixth boro? Of course. Thornton Bros, the 1958 Matton Shipyard product, was scrapped in 2014. The 1971 Maria J is now Nicholas Vinik. USACE Hudson, the sweetest Corps boat I’ve ever seen, got transformed into a fish house in 2019. Advance Victoria, 2006, is now Kition M, anchored in […]
tugster: a waterblog 