Retro Sixth Boro (and beyond) 33

2011 began in Charleston, a great place to welcome a new year.  Strolling around, I encounter the 1962 75′ buoy tender Anvil, 75301, here made up to CGB68013.  In the background, that’s cutter Cormorant or Chinook.

Heading farther north a day or two later, it’s Hoss, sister of Patricia, and now habitat for fish and other sea life.  Click here to see her sink if you do FB.

Still farther north, I see this T-boat, a 1952 Higgins named for a high point in Ireland.

Lucinda Smith, then based in Maine, is currently based on Cape Cod.

Bering Sea, like a lot of K-Sea boat, has become a Kirby boat;  it is currently in Philadelphia.  According to Birk’s invaluable site, this boat was Stacy Moran for a short time.  I never saw it in Moran red.

Thanks to my friend Paul Strubeck, this Kristin Poling needed an assist from Cornell to get through an ice jam.  This is one of my all-time favorite photos.  It looks to me like a submarine in the very deeps.

McCormack Boys was active in the sixth boro back in 2011, and although she’s still working, I’ve not seen her in years.

I glimpsed Stephen Scott in Boston a few months back, but since this photo was taken, she’s lost the upper wheelhouse.

There’s classic winter light beyond Torm Carina, provisioned here by Twin Tube.  Torm Carina is currently in the Taiwan Strait. 

Later Margaret and Joan Moran assist the tanker westbound in the KVK while Taurus passes.  Taurus has become Joker, wears Hays purple, and I’ve not even seen her yet.  I guess it’s high time I hang out in Philadelphia again.

A wintry photo shows McKinley Sea in the KVK eastbound.  In the distance,

notice the now foreign-based Scotty Patrick Sky.  If you want to see her, gallivant to St. Lucia.  McKinley Sea is currently laid up in Louisiana.

Erie Service, now Genesis Valiant, pushes her barge 6507 westbound. 

And on a personal note, it was in January 2011 that I stumbled into a locality that had been attracting me.  I suppose if ever I created a retreat, I’d have to call it Galivants Hideaway.   Here‘s another Galivants Ferry set of photos.

Thanks to Paul for use of his photo.  All other photos, a decade back, WVD.

 

Retro Sixth Boro (and Beyond) 32

Here we go again . . .  the start of another month means we jump back to that month 10 years earlier.  Crystal Cutler was quite new, here pushing Patricia E. Poling. Manhattan had a different skyline at that time.

I was heartbroken when I learned that USACE’s 1963 Hudson got reefed just over a year ago.    With her lines, she’s now supposed to house marine life, 10 fathoms or more down, and not quite 3 miles off Fire Island. I doubt those fish and invertebrates appreciate those lines.

The 1980 OSG Independence has been a victim of 2020;  the 131′ x 37′  5600 hp tug was scrapped earlier this year.

A gallivant to Narragansett Bay revealed this vessel in the used vehicle trade, then running between Providence and Cape Verde, I believe.  Danalith, a 1976 build, is said to be called Mouhssine, flying the flag of Tanzania.

Also in Narragansett Bay, over by the Jamestown bridge, was a Belford NJ boat, Coastline Kidd.  I’ve not found any info about this boat. 

Craig Eric Reinauer is now Albert, now squiring Margaret all over the Great Lakes.

Gramma Lee T Moran, whose namesake is the same as a Great Lakes ore boat, currently works in Baltimore harbor.

2010’s Yeoman Brook is today’s Caroline Oldendorff.  These name changes confuse me.   Caroline Oldendorff is currently in Amsterdam, having sailed in from Jintang, China.

This is not the best photo, but this was T/V Kings Pointer from 1992 until 2012.  Here’s a link for more info on her life, but basically, from launch in 1983 until 1992, she was T-AGOS-2 aka USNS Contender.  Currently she’s T/V General Rudder, named for General James E. Rudder.   The USMMA has a new vessel designated as T/V Kings Pointer. 

And finally, late December found me in the charming port of Charleston, where I caught pilot boat Fort Moultrie, waiting for a ship.  Is Fort Moultrie still at work?

All photos, 10 years ago, WVD, who sometimes thinks it must be much longer ago than that.

Random Tugs 315

Here’s a new one, Stephen B with

James Joseph.  I’ve not seen Stephen B with that barge in quite a while.  Maybe I just have not been looking carefully. 

Kristin Poling

is moving Eva Leigh Cutler.  When we’re past the first of November, usually the number of barges increases, even if the outdoor temperatures are in the 70s.

Mister Jim, for the first time that I’ve noticed,

has a bunker barge, this one Richardson Sea, a Centerline Logistics barge.

Evelyn Cutler was moving a fully loaded Edwin A. Poling. 

 

Genesis Eagle

had a deeply loaded GM 11103.

And finally for now, RTC 80

gets moved through the Kills with Kristy Ann.

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 314

 . . .and barges, of course.  Someone or something has to pay the bills.  This unique bow is the leading edge of RTC 135, 460′ x 72.5′ here building up a lot  of water,

getting moved along

by Nicole Leigh Reinauer.  They both date from 1999.

Crystal Cutler, always a joy to see,

moves a light Patricia E. Poling.  Crystal is approaching her 10-year mark. 

A surprise tug

moving this past week was Evening Breeze.

although she was light. I first posted photos of this 2019 boat a year and a half ago. 

McAllister tugs seem to rotate bases.  I hadn’t seen Charles D. for a while, but she’s back.

and working hard.  She dates from 1967, when she was launched as Esso Garden State, part of a large Esso shipping fleet.

Helen Laraway (1957) has been working in a harbor a lot these days. 

Seeley (1981) with a Weeks barge and Frances (1957) heading for fuel were westbound here.

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 312

It’s the season.

I wonder if the Kimberly crew has marked other holidays and I missed it.  I did catch the red-clad guy almost a year ago.

Mary H and her barge Patriot is likely headed for Newtown Creek.  The 1981 build, such a clean looking tug, has been working in the sixth boro for 33 years.

We’ve had a spate of foggy days.  Beyond Franklin here, notice the bright lights at Bayonne Shipyard where work proceeds on Mendonca even at night.

The mechanical dredge J. P. Boisseau here gets moved to a new worksite by Sarah Ann, with Brian Nicholas standing by.

A Maersk ship came in recently with a gaggle of assist boats:  l to r, Ava, Ellen, and Matthew. Not visible is Charles D. McAllister, and the visible Thomas J. Brown is not assisting.Yes, Matthew Tibbetts is doing a fair amount of ship assist work these days, and why not. 

Here are two more photos of Matthew Tibbetts doing ship assist.

Helen Laraway passed through with a load of scrap.

Poling & Cutler’s Crystal and Evelyn pass in opposite directions.

HMS Justice has eluded my eyes for quite a while, but here she is, with the Centerline Logistics feline on the superstructure.

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 306

Alongside Pilot No. 1 New York, the current one, it’s the newest-in-name vessel in the sixth boro . . .

Meaghan Marie, ex–Kathleen Turecamo, has become part of the same green & buff fleet as Joseph John.

Here’s a photo I took of her in port of Albany, September 2013.

A different use of green . . . Vane’s Philadelphia, a 4200 hp tug launched in 2017.

A slightly darker buff, it’s Matthew Tibbetts.  What I didn’t realize until I looked it up just now, Tibbetts was launched as Dann Ocean’s first boat to carry the name Ocean Tower.  More on that later.

It’s always a good day when I catch two Reinauer tugboats together, Haggerty Girls (4000 hp) and Ruth M. Reinauer (4720 hp), with a deeply loaded RTC

Alex puts its 4300 hp to bear on Viktor Bakaev.

I mentioned Ocean Tower earlier . . .  here’s the current tugboat by that name. It’s about a decade newer, one-third more horsepower, and 15′ longer, and 5′ broader than the earlier boat, now Tibbetts.

Kristin Poling began life as Chesapeake, an early version of Patapsco but longer, broader,and with a full 5000 hp.

And to conclude, examples of the classes of the two largest tractor tugs in the sixth boro . . . Capt. Brian A. and

JRT, each approaching their next job.

All photos very recently, WVD, who has more tugboat race photos from previous years . . .

 

 

Random Tugs 305

I’m always on the lookout for “first-timers” in the harbor, but I’m equally thrilled to see the “seldom-seen.”  I realize that some people might see these boats everyday. The “seldom-seen” relates to me.

This is true of Pelham.  The 1960 built is on her sixth name, if I count right.  She started out as Esso Pelham.  You’ll have to scroll, but here are a number of times I’ve posted photos of her, in and out of the water.

Evelyn Cutler, a 1973 build,  is a frequenter on this site.  When I first saw her, she was a Great Lakes Dock and Dredge boat called Melvin E. Lemmerhirt.

In the few months that this boat has been know as Mackenzie Rose, she appears to stay quite busy.  That’s a good thing.

Rae also fits into the rarely seen list, although maybe she was laid up and is now busy again.  Meeting her here is Normandy. Rae and Normandy were built in 1952  and 2007, respectively.

Philadelphia and

Jacksonville are both recent 4200 hp Vane boats.  Jacksonville, 2018, is one year newer than Philadelphia.

I first saw the 1981 Genesis Victory as Huron Service.  Periodically, some of the Genesis boats do make their way into Lake Huron and beyond.

As i said earlier, Mackenzie Rose is quite busy.  Does anyone know her namesake?  I don’t.

Frederick E. Bouchard is the second boat to carry that name.  She was built in 2016 and operates with 6140 hp, but

these days she looks quite light and her exposed waterline somewhat rusty.

Barney Turecamo, the fourth (?) boat to carry that name, brings 5100 hp to the job.  When she was built in 1995, she had a different upper wheelhouse.

All photos, WVD, and taken in the past month.

 

Random Tugs 304

Decked out in canvas for the postponed move last week, it’s the venerable Margot.  She’s appeared on this blog many times, house up as below and house down as here.

Believe it or not, Saint Emilion appears here for the first time, although she’s been here as Arabian Sea and Barbara C.  The fisherman in the background was catching too many fish to vacate that spot.

Franklin Reinauer . . . she’s a classic.

Lincoln Sea . . . for me is a different kind of classic.

Gulf Coast is an infrequent visitor in the sixth boro.

Crystal Cutler has appeared here many times since her first arrival as a newbuild in 2010.

Cape Henry is one of three

Kirby boats of the same design.

Could Lincoln Sea look any better?

And to end . . . have a look at Thomas D. Witte, a 1961 tug that looks great.

All photos, WVD.

 

 

Retro Sixth Boro 29

August can be hazy, and it appears that some August days in 2010 were, as below when Colleen McAllister towed dredge spoils scow GL 501 out and Brendan Turecamo (?) moved Bouchard barge B.No. 260 westbound in the Kills.  Colleen has now traveled from sun to ice out to the Great Lakes, where the 1967 4300 hp tug is currently laid up.   Brendan is alive and well and working in the sixth boro.

Kimberly Poling, then in a slightly different livery than now,  pushed Noelle Cutler in the same direction.  Both still work the waters in and out of the sixth boro.

These days I just don’t spend much time near the sixth boro at dusk, but here Aegean Sea pushes a barge northbound in the Upper Bay.  Aegean now works the Massachusetts coast, and I recall she’s made at least one trip back to the Hudson since 2013.

On a jaunt on the lower Delaware, I caught Madeline easing the bow of Delta Ocean into a dock.  The 2008 4200 hp Gladding Hearn tug is still working in the Wilmington DE area. Delta Ocean, a 2010 crude carrier at 157444 dwt, almost qualifies as a VLCC. She’s currently in Singapore.

Madeline is assisted here by Lindsey, the 60′ 1989 Gladding Hearn z-drive boat rated at 2760 hp.

Duty towed a barge downstream near Wilmington.

Recently she has sold to South Puerto Rico Towing and Boat Services, where the 3000 hp tug is now called Nydia P.  I’d love to see her in SPRT mustard and red colors.

I traveled from the sixth boro to Philadelphia as crew on 1901 three-masted barkentine Gazela.  In upper Delaware Bay, we were overtaken by US EPA Bold and Brandywine pushing barge Double Skin 141.  Gazela, like other mostly volunteer-maintained vessels, is quiet now due to covid, but check out their FB page at Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild.   US EPA Bold, now flying the flag of Vanuatu and called Bold Explorer, is southwest of Victoria BC on the Salish Sea. She was built in 1989 as USNS Bold.  Brandywine, a 2006 6000 hp product of Marinette WI, has today just departed Savanna GA.

Getting this photo of the barkentine, and myself if you enlarge it, was a feat of coincidence and almost-instant networking, the story I’ll not tell here.

On a trip inland, I caught Tender #1 pushing an ancient barge through lock E-28B.  I believe Tender #1 is still in service.

From a beach in Coney Island one morning, I caught Edith Thornton towing a barge into Jamaica Bay on very short gatelines.  Edith is a 104′ x 26 1951-built Reading RR tug that passed through many hands.  currently it’s Chassidy, working out of Trinidad and Tobago.

Here’s another version I shot that morning. For even more, click here.

The mighty Brangus assisted dredge Florida.  Back in those days, the channels of the sixth boro were being deepened to allow today’s ULCVs–like CMA CGM T.Jefferson— to serve the sixth boro.  If I’m not mistaken, Brangus has been a GLDD tug since it was built in 1965. Currently she’s in the Elizabeth River in VA.

Here she tends the shear leg portion of a GLDD dredging job.  See the cutterhead to the left of the helmeted crew?

On another hazy day, a light Heron heads for the Kills.  The 1968-built 106′ x 30′ tug rated at 3200 hp was sold to Nigerian interests in 2012.   I’d love to see her in her current livery and context.

Java Sea resurfaced in Seattle as part of the Boyer fleet and now called Kinani H, seen here on tugster just a month ago.    The 110′ x 32′ tug was launched in 1981 as Patriot.

And finally . . . probably the only time I saw her, crewboat Alert.  She appears to be a Reinauer vessel.

All photos, WVD, from August 2010.  If you want to see an unusual tugster post from that month, click here.

For some unusual August 2010 posts, click here.

 

 

Random Tugs 295

Blessings of summer heat, if you don’t have to work out in it, are best relished right after dawn, or from the shade.  I chose the first option here as Barney Turecamo, made up to Georgia,

gets an assist in rotating from Turecamo Girls.

Once pointed, a burst of power from its 5100hp EMDs commits the ATB to its course.

Foxy3, with its bright trim ribbons gleaming in the dawn, is off to the job.

Doubleskin 57 arrives from somewhere in the Kills and Elk River

waits to assist Wye River

 

in placing it alongside the dock gently.

Marjorie B is off to some work, followed by and Poling & Cutler and Vane units.

The P & C unit was Kristin Poling pushing Eva Leigh Cutler.

On another day, Mister T was arriving from outside the Narrows

just as the sun cleared Bay Ridge.

And yet another day and different place, Curtis Reinauer waited alongside RTC 82 during cargo transfer.

 

All photos, WVD.