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Grouper . . . that’s likely a quite familiar name to anyone who’s followed this blog a while, given all the posts dedicated to this 1912 vessel that’s spent two decades or so not far from where I grew up, 350 miles away from the sixth boro, which she intended to transit but was prevented by shallows from doing that. Had she transited the harbor and headed south to sea two decades ago, no doubt she’d already have been reefed, as happened with her traveling companions. Instead she languished in the canal, prompting many folks up there to imagine a future for the Great Lakes vessel with such sweet lines. But first a bit of her history and all her previous names.
I’m told she’s currently really being prepped for the scrappers’ jaws. Along with imagining lots of different futures, folks have also imagined these jaws were imminent many times before. Maybe it will happen this time, but first, let’s imagine a rescuer coming in to save her. Her appointment with the scrapper gets cancelled, if not permanently, then at least there’s a reprieve.
The rescuer arrives with tugboat Virginia and a plan: the 1912 tug will be towed
out the western route to Buffalo and then deeper water, waters where she worked from back in 1912.
In this revery, rescue is tentative at first . . .
with misgivings about their prospects,
But little by little,
the ability to visualize the Great Lakes begins to take hold.
There is sunshine, and if no parades and marching bands, then at least a few folks with cameras marking her liberation.
Virginia is unstoppable, clearing one lock after another, rising up toward the level of the Great Lakes.
She makes Fairport come and go . . . as they head west.
But as in a twilight zone . . . froth and momentum
suddenly comes to an end and she grounds, stuck on a shoal, unable to be pulled any farther. Now she’s cut off from deeper water to the west just as she’s cut off east.
This all happened a little over a decade ago. I can just imagine the thrill of victory leading up to this painful moment.
Many thanks to Larry Bolanowski for sending along these photos of what almost succeeded. Imagine if she’d made it back west . . . . Imagine that Kahlenberg purring happily . . .
I’m just observing, not criticizing, but the vessel turnout in 2022 seems quite small. I understand that lots of other things are happening globally. Following USS Bataan, USCGC Sycamore (WLB-209) and HMS Protector (A-173) arrive. They are both about 20 years in service and have both done assignments in the Arctic.
Sycamore made a run up to the GW before turning around. I saw her here in the sixth boro just over a year ago.
Protector did not begin life as a UK Royal Navy ice patrol vessel. Rather, it was built as the 2001 Polarbjørn in Lithuania for GC Rieber, a Norwegian company based in Bergen, a port I visited way back in 1985, on one of my early gallivants. Unfortunately, in those days I traveled sans camera.
USCGC Dependable (WMEC-626) built at AmShip in Lorain OH and commissioned in 1968, is over the midcentury mark and still at work. AmShip Lorain-closed since the early 1980s- built some icons, several of their lakers still very much in active service.
Most of the medium endurance cutters of Dependable‘s cohort-Reliance class– are still in service, either in the US or elsewhere.
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) was commissioned in 2015. Like Sycamore and Dependable, she was built on the Great Lakes
Four years ago here, I visited the Marinette Shipyard town where Milwaukee came into existence. Some products of Marinette include Sycamore–above–and Ellen McAllister, also involved in Wednesday’s parade into the sixth boro. Katherine Walker, part of the welcoming committee Wednesday, is another Marinette product, as are some of the current Staten island ferries (Molinari class) and some ATBs, like Brandywine and Christiana that pass through the port now and then.
As Milwaukee steamed upriver, she slowed and spun a 180 turn much faster than I imagined possible for a 378′ vessel. I wish I’d been on shore just off her improvised turning basin when she did so. Was anyone there and can send photos?
A sister of Milwaukee, USS Duluth (LCS 21) was commissioned in her namesake city only earlier this week.
All photos, WVD, who hopes to get in some more Fleet Week sights this weekend. If you’re reading this and arrived in the sixth boro–aka the primary boro–of NYC, welcome.
Try this: a cruise from Buenos Aires to . . . Milwaukee!! These folks are currently doing it.
Below is my screen capture as they were leaving the sixth boro. Here‘s my blog post of them along the west side of Manhattan.
Post by the robots as WVD is away.
The year is in its last hours, and these vessels saw their last hours in this year as well. Of course, this is a subjective list, made up of mostly photos I’ve taken over the years of sixth boro and Great Lakes vessels. This list is not definitive. If you know of others, you might add them in the comments section.
Many photos of Helen McAllister have appeared here over the years, but time caught up with the 1900 Helen, who began and ended her life on Staten Island. I caught her doing her last dance –a tango or a waltz– here.
More than 10 years of silence passed between the photo above at the McAllister NY yard and the one below in Tottenville. Eagle-eyed Tony A. caught her stripped of her identification and ready for the scrapping jaws last month.
The 1907 Pegasus saw her end this year as well. I spent many hours on Pegasus, and regretfully, sometimes the scrappers’ jaws are the most humane end for boats.
The 1970 Joanne Reinauer III also saw its end. I learned a lot about the modifications made to tugboat from her and from photos of her tranformations supplied by readers. My photo below is from 2009.
The 1972 Viking also saw a series of modifications. You might think a powerful machine like this . . . like these . . . would never wear out, but like you and me, they do. I believe it was 2021 that she was scrapped, but it may have been earlier. The photo below is from the September 5, 2010 tugboat race.
The Great Lakes shed some vessels also. Mississagi began work in 1943. I took the photo in Lake St. Clair in August 2016. She was towed to a Sault Ste. Marie scrapyard in October 2021.
Manistee dates from the same year and has the same dimensions–620′ x 60′– as Mississagi. This photo I took in Toledo, where she had been laid up for some time. More on Manistee here.
Ojibway, a 1952 bulker, is currently underway in the Saint Lawrence River, bound for Port Cartier with a load of grain. After that, she’ll lay up awaiting an uncertain future. For what it’s worth, she came off the ways the year I was born.
And on a sad note, the 1975 St. Clair was relatively new for a Great Lakes bulk carrier, but a devastating fire during winter layup in February 2019 condemned her; she arrived at the scrapyard in Port Colborne just a few weeks ago. Photo here is credited to Corey Hammond.
Thanks to Tony and Corey for their photos; all others, WVD, who wishes you all a healthy and happy 2022 and the fulfillment of all your goals.
And unrelated to this post but entirely germane to this day of reflection/new goal setting before a new year, check out Ellen Magellan’s expeditions. That’s not her real name but it’s so clever I wish I’d come up with it.
In Mackinaw City four and a half years ago, I took and posted photos of the very rusty 1938 fish tug Kari A, one of which you see directly below. But a lot can happen in that period of time, further decrepitude or thorough rehabilitation.
Above, that’s before, and what follows, is now.
Many thanks to Darrin Lapine, who wanted updated photo of his boat. The good news is that Kari A. has been rejuvenated and is ready to fish again in 2022.
Kari A. began life at Burger Boat in Manitowoc and christened Hustler, as seen here.
You notice there’s no name on the bow?
When 2022 is upon us and it’s fishing time, the name Hustler will be repainted on the boat, her once and future name.
Many thanks to Darrin Lapine assisting in updating this post. After all, suppose you imagined that my still unfinished 1948 beast still looked like the first photo here and not the last photos here.
Many previous posts with fish tugs can be found here.
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