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Over 11 years ago I did the first post called “tractors,” and back then I never imagined what the “2” in the series would consist of. It’s summertime–click here for soundtrack–and let’s see those tractors! By the way, most of the photos below I took in Canandaigua NY last week at the annual “steam pageant.”
This is mostly a photo post, but a little text. How many “crew” do you think are operating the tractor below? Answer at the end of this post.
Do you suppose someone had Mardi Gras in mind in parking these three?
Weights come in handy in pulling contests.
“Orchard” tractors must be inspired by Ferrari lines, or vice versa? Here’s a short history of McCormick-Deering.
Here’s a history of Birdsall Engine.
Before GPS-guided tractors, controls had style.
Here’s some history of the Silver King and related Plymouth industry, now all gone.
This is a dedicated piece of equipment; it can plow and nothing else. Rumely made this machine, which required a driver/engineer to operate and another person under the un-deployed sunshade to ensure the plowshares didn’t foul. For a massive Rumely plow demonstration, click here.
When the steam traction engine moves at less than 5 mph, technology can be this basic . . . re: steering for
this tractor.
And here’s the answer to the “crew” question posed before this top photo . . . he’s the engineer, she’s the driver, and baby–wearing her mud boots–is apprenticing.
Oh . . . but this blog is tugster, not tractorster, so let’s return from the detour. Here from a month ago are some more pics of the christening on the the sixth boro’s newest tractor tug,
an equally family event.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who has left the boro and has scheduled a number of posts in a queue until it runs out . . . or I have some new photos and wifi to post them. If no posts appear for a few days, it just means I’m enjoying a wifi-free dimension, might even get trapped there. And since wifi is needed for the manual process of moving a wordpress blogpost to FB, look for me at tugster.wordpress.com, not on FB.
I’ve seen lots of the L-class, but this was my first view of Ever Lotus. I’m not sure what’s in the boxes, but she’s carrying a lot of boxes.
Ava escorted her out.
Bow watch was performed by this relaxed-appearing seaman, while
stern watch was controlled by this hitchhiking but discerning raven.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
Eleven years ago I missed a christening because of work. Then last year I missed one again for the same reason. But last night, neither work nor weather could have kept me away.
Ava (rhymes with “java”) M. McAllister has already been working in the harbor about a month, but time needed to be carved out of her busy schedule to welcome her to the harbor with ceremony.
Since her namesake is an accomplished skater, the tug demonstrated just a modicum of her skills . . . .
including some tug-modified twizzles and axels. Notice the guests of honor including the namesake waving on the bow?
The pipers came, they played, and then they led the way
to the convivialities.
Welcome, Ava.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who several years back did a review of McAllister’s 150th anniversary book here.
For more of my photos including namesake breaking the bottle, go the McAllister Towing FB page.
The Canadas and I were attentive, but it was really just another ULCV. This was was named for Columbus’ detractor. Ironically, Maersk Columbus will be arriving in the sixth boro today.
It struck me as remarkable that in spite of the number of containers visible–and of course many more are invisible–Vespucci rode fairly high in the water. My read on the forward draft markings show just over 25′ draft. Maybe you read it the same?
In this article from four years ago, Vespucci would be listed among the top 10 largest classes on container vessels in the world, by teu.
See the red “fenders” on the stern quarter? I first noticed them here a few years ago . . . turns out they are anti-pirate gear. There’s a link to the inventors in that post, and here’s a link to the manufacturer.
If you’re new to this blog, container ship capacity is rated in a unit called t. e. u. (twenty-foot equivalents). Most containers are either 20′ or 40′ long, standard dimensions for efficiency’s sake. Containers are used to ship just about anything, but let’s for this conversation’s sake say a container is full of shoe boxes, which themselves can be moved in a shopping cart. A standard shopping cart is rated at 4.4 cubic feet of volume. A standard container is 1172 cubic feet, given the dimensions above. My math then comes up with 267 shopping carts per container. That adds up to over 3.6 million shopping carts of stuff on Vespucci, rated at 13,830 teu. End-to-end with no space between the carts . . . that line of carts would stretch farther than NYC to Albuquerque along the roads!!
This 2010 vessel carries 20 containers across, and compare that to
CMA CGM Marlin (photo taken in September 2009) with 13 containers across. Here are some recent posts featuring CMA CGM boats.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who suggests you keep an eye on ONE Stork, currently in Bayonne.
By the way, I was traveling S/V America Vespucci when she was last here in 2017. Anyone get pics?
Sarah D makes for Global Terminal,
Helen Laraway passes an inbound container vessel,
Ava M. guides a ULCV in beside a cruise ship,
Rebecca Ann moves a light scrap barge,
Capt. Brian A. tails a box ship into her berth,
Genesis Glory passes GM 11105,
Eric McAllister assists a tanker into its berth,
Rhea I. Bouchard heads westbound light in the KVK,
and Frances pushes a scow.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who loves that the sixth boro never sleeps.
And now one more, taken this morning in San Juan PR by Capt. Neftali Padilla, it’s the arrival of the cranes towed by Capt. Latham after not quite an 18-day run. See the tow departing NYC here. Thx much, Tali.
Let’s start with Alice Oldendorff, inbound with a hold full of Nova Scotia stone and about to turn to starboard on her (almost) final approach to Brooklyn. Alice and I have a long history.
YM Wind makes the final approach her into Global Terminals, her first call at sixth boro docks. In contrast above, Alice has already made hundreds of calls here, always transporting aggregates. Visible assisting Wind are Alex McAllister and Ava M. McAllister.
E. R. Montecito is a large ship, but containers are stacked 17 across, versus 20 across for Wind above.
Undine here takes on bunkers and other supplies. The small black/red/white vessel long her stern is Twin Tube, the venerable 1951 harbor supply vessel. In dry dock in the distance it’s USNS Sisler.
MOL Emissary travels the last few miles before Port Elizabeth.
Uniquely named tanker Forties waits in the Stapleton anchorage.
COSCO Vietnam enters the Kills and passes Houston at the dock.
Since Kriti Amber is Greek-flagged, I’m guessing that’s a variation on “Crete,” but that only conjecture.
QM2 takes on fuel while transferring passengers on the port side.
And let’s call it a day with Unique Explorer.
All photos recently by Will Van Dorp, who considers himself fortunate to live in this large port.
Ava M McAllister has assisted at least three ships already, and she’d been in the sixth boro less than 36 hours when i took these photos.
No doubt her largest so far was YM Wind, which she’s assisting here with her twin Capt. Brian A. Barely less than a year ago I missed the dual christening of Capt. Brian A. and Rosemary . . .
For scale, notice the orange-clad ship’s crew both above and below.
Capt. Brian A., Rosemary, and Ava M. are all 100′ x 40′ and powered by two 16-cylinder Tier IV Cat 3616E engines.
How new is she? Check out the white hand-lettered numbers on the fendering just below the word McAllister.
Long and safe may she sail.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
It’s that time again . . . a glance back at exactly a decade ago. Back in June 2009, the 400th anniversary of the Half Moon going up the Hudson kicked off with a 20th century version of the Half Moon going up the Hudson. Note the banner hung to the old TZ Bridge along the right side of the photo. That replica is now in the Netherlands, looking for a new home, and that bridge–parts of it–have become fish structure somewhere off Long Island.
A newish boat in town was Peter F. Gellatly, now Vane’s Long Island.
Bounty–alas her fate–was still an irregular visitor to the sixth boro. Here she’s made up to Harvey just outboard of Frying Pan.
Brian Nicholas moves a scrap barge out of the East River.
Paul T. Moran made one of her really rare visits to the sixth boro.
Container vessels calling in the ports of NY and NJ had not yet become UL . . . ultra large versions
Harvey follows Half Moon northbound on the Hudson.
Michigan Service and Erie Service gather near IMTT.
Sisters assists with a tanker, and
here’s more of the River Day procession marking the year of Half Moon the first.
All photos taken in June 2009 by Will Van Dorp.
Ten years ago I did a series called “meditations” as I was pitching about to structure my days. The series was keyed to the alphabet, A to Z. The L meditation focused on “line.” Picking this back up has been prompted by the photo below.
Notice anything unusual about the line seen here? By the way, CS Peony was underway when I took the photo.
Contrast the line in the images above and below. Notice how taut the one from the OOCL ship is.
See the somewhat diagonal line between the port side of the green vessel and the Moran tug? It’s tightly stretched.
Below . . . both lines are tight.
Ditto . . . below.
And along the other side of CS Peony . . . bar tight.
In a different context, a tightrope walker like Philippe Petit could navigate that non-sagging line.
But here . . . I find this unusual.
Any ideas?
Photos and observations by Will Van Dorp.
Memorial Day weekend 2019 . . . and we should all remember the meaning, whether we’re working or vacating from work.
You can read the names on the vessels or on the tags.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who’d included no links in this post except the one that follows and which I hope you read in its entirety here.
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