Retro Sixth Boro 59 A

Happy March . . . .  Exactly a decade ago I made my second trip to Puerto Rico, and both times I spent some time on the island of Vieques.  If you’ve never been to either PR or Vieques, you owe it to yourself to visit this corner of the US, so close to the east coast.

Of course, being myself, I spent some time watching the traffic in San Juan and visiting with the fine mariners working there.  Here the classic Honcho (former fleet mate of Atlantic Salvor and Atlantic Enterprise)

heads out to meet El Morro and together with 

Handy Three do their magic in the harbor.  

Don Raul also came into port with a barge on the wire.  Don Raul, working for the Borinken Towing and Salvage at the time, has been repositioned to the Great Lakes to work for the USACE.  Has anyone seen her on the Lakes yet, maybe Buffalo?  Has her livery been changed?

Beth M. McAllister, slightly newer sister of the sixth boro’s Ellen McAllister, was and still is working in San Juan.   Both Beth M. and Ellen are–as you can see–former YTB tugboats built for the USN in WI.

Service between the big island and Vieques is provided by small planes, where you get asked your weight (please answer honestly)and seated accordingly to balance out the seven-passenger load, and lots of ferries, like Isla Bonita below. 

For more context on this part of Puerto Rico, click here for the 2013 post.  See any resemblance to Blount built boat in the depicted nearer ferry below?

Clearly, back then I was still floundering with the camera on a flip phone and took the image below, with the negative setting.  To me, it adds magic to a magical place for me.  I can’t believe that a decade has passed since last I left the enchanted islands . . .

All photos, WVD, who encourages everyone to visit PR. 

Port of Sorel-Tracy

The cities of Sorel and Tracy surround the Richelieu River –flowing under those bridges–at the point it empties Lakes Champlain River into the Saint Lawrence.  I’ll admit from the start that I can hardly say I know this place, but here are some photos taken as we passed.

Sunny Young was taking on a grain cargo, I believe, and

 

Federal Caribou was tied up across the river’s mouth.

Laker Ojibway–a straight decker–I’m guessing was having its cargo discharged.

Sorel-Tracy is a steel and metallurgy center, although I can’t tell you much more than that.

 

Florence Spirit was at the dock slightly south of town.

What product is generally stored under these domes . . . can I get some group-sourced info?

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Film Tugs 2

Here was the first in this series, the result of watching an old movie featuring Yul Brenner and Marlon Brando.  What I let fall through the cracks is this identification from someone who sent this foto, the source of which I didn’t know until now.  The tug–supposedly in Tokyo–was actually Wilmington Transportation tug Long Beach.  Click on the foto to see the source.  So is this Revell model the same boat?

New business . . . the other night I watched another movie Losers for its tugboat content . . . and here are some screen captures.  In the movie, this scene was SAID to be Los Angeles.

Here’s a closeup from the movie.  Note the “stairstepping” of wheelhouse windows.

Here’s my foto taken in March of those same “stairstepped” window line as seen from inside.

Here’s the classy wheelhouse complete with

this fancy tiller belonging to this aquaclydesdale formerly known as Tuscarora.

Actually, she works in San Juan now.  The movie folks changed the port name, but not

the vessel name.

If you are interested in learning more about a film project in NYC’s sixth boro, I am passing along notification that a TV reality show producer named Lance Schultz will be in town on Tuesday, April 30 interviewing candidates for a series.  I am in no way involved and won’t be there.  The person to contact is John Doswell   john [at] doswellproductions [dot] com . . .  John will be able to fill you n.

Check out more of Zane Johnston’s flickr fotos here.  Non-film fotos by Will Van Dorp.