Random Tugs 276

I took this photo after dawn, technically, and what detail of tug James D Moran is lost because of low light is somewhat compensated for by the lights of the boats and on the Brooklyn background.

Ditto . . . a few minutes later, the lights are dramatic as James D passes the illuminated IMTT facility.

Evelyn Cutler passed a bit later;  light was still low from an overcast sky.

JRT Moran heads back to base, the sky is still overcast, wind brisk, and standing around taking photos was cold.

Paula Atwell is quite common here, but usually the boat is obscured by the containerized garbage she pushes.

Navigator passed with her barge . . .  and the sun I’d wished for was still not forthcoming.

Barry Silverton . . . pushing a deeply-loaded Fight ALS toward the Sound.  Here’s a document I’d never seen in its entirety explaining the Harley “naming” project.  It turns out that Mr. Silverton was a victim of ALS.  What I thought was a one-off vessel naming is actually a fleet-wide enterprise.  For example, Dr. Milton Waner is named for a pioneer in the treating of hemangiomas.

Franklin Reinauer, passing Nave Ariadne, has operated with that name–I believe–since she first came off the ways.

Marjorie B McAllister waits alongside New Ability to assist an incoming container vessel.

which Capt Brian A. McAllister is already assisting.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who at this point had the luxury of having some indoor work to attend to while warming up.

Moving Fuel 7

When the temperatures drop and days are short, tug and barges units in the NE get busier than in summer.

RTC 42 here gets pushed by Franklin Reinauer, as Gracie–-above–waits at the dock with RTC 109.

 

A bit later, J. George Betz moves her barge B. No. 210 toward the east.

Navigator appears from the east with her barge.

 

Barney moves Georgia toward a Bayonne dock, with assistance from Mary.

 

And Curtis comes in with RTC 81 for more product.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, currently in the state of Georgia, but a few days back when I took these, needed some of that fuel to stay warm. Here from 2007 was my first post by this name.

April Fish 2

 

Well, maybe your subscription to something has expired, but reading tugster requires no subscription, and no lucre flows into tugster tower from your –I hope–daily habit of checking in here.

It is April first, and I quite like the day. Here was what I did April 1, 2010, and here  . . . .   the day in 2009.  I don’t always mark it, although once I shifted focus of the blog entirely to trucks, the first time.  That generated a bit of hate mail . . . which led to a whole new division of tugster, i.e., trickster. which autocorrect always wants to spell incorrectly.  Truckster it is.

Since you’re here, let me share some miscellaneous photos.  Sea Hunter has recently turned up near the McAllister yard.  I posted my photos of Sea Hunter as she appeared in Boston three years ago here.  Anyone know what fate she’s hunting for in the sixth boro?  Also, on the photo below, there’s the Atlantic Trader barge.  That’s  the short-sea shipping hull I last saw in 2015 here.

Here’s a dense shot:  near to far, the far tugs are Crystal Cutler, Jacksonville, Navigator, and another unidentified Vane tugboat.

So while I’m at it, let me share some mail.

From Phil Gilson, an article about fast US Navy vessels converted into shallow draft speedy banana boats, and that’s no April Fools joke.  See it here.

And finally here’s an oldie-but-goodie from Steve Munoz.   Jane McAllister (1968) and Margaret M McAllister (1928, converted from steam to diesel in 1957)  assist a Sealand ship in Port Elizabeth back in 1986.  Note the Old Bay Draw is still bissecting Newark Bay in that shot.

Thanks to Phil for the story/link and Steve for the photo.

The other photos by Will Van Dorp, and inscribed in tugster tower by invisible watermarks.

 

Random Tugs 197

Kirby Moran here seems to have some symbiosis going on with the gulls,

and Jonathan C comes in for a closer look.

Zachery Reinauer repositions light under the parking lot forming on the lower deck of the Bayonne Bridge.

Diana B moves another load of product, likely to the creeks.

 

Thomas D. Witte is on the paper recycling run, I think.

Does anyone have a photo of her working up in the canals?

I’ve not yet seen Sapphire Coast light.

And finally, the unique paint scheme on Balisco 100 

moved into the Kills by Navigator.

 

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 181

A random gallivant around the sixth boro the other day showed these boats, starting with Iron Mike (1977) under the Williamsburg Bridge.

a trio of Navigator (1981), Susan Miller (1981) , and Quantico Creek (2010) over by Con Hook,

Robert IV (1975) a little farther north and east,

Scott Turecamo (1998) headed for the Kills,

HMS Liberty (1978) in the anchorage,

Amberjack (1981) facing Yonkers,

Barry Silverton (2015) swinging toward the Palisades, and

Rhea I. Bouchard (1982) making way for a point up north.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

 

Random Tugs 158

As you know, tugboats do all manner of work on the water.  They push train cars, increasingly these years–according to Peter D’Amato— after quite the plummet.

Tugboat here is James E. Brown with barge 278.

Christine M. McAllister is a 6000 hp tug that usually

wired to RTC 502.

Ditto Evelyn Cutler, usually working with Noelle Cutler.

 

Mister Jim here is pushing sand (or aggregate?), and

Gateway’s Navigator is pushing a newly painted GT Coast Trader dredge scow, in the same time/harbor as

 

Balisco Marine Service’ Navigator pushes oil.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who offers this bonus below.