Whole Lotta Dredgin’ 15

At least two other dredging projects are happening in the sixth boro simultaneously.  The one in the Buttermilk Channel  came to my attention because of the following two photos taken by Captain Malcolm of  schooner Pioneer.

Neither this tug–Miss Gloria— nor the dredge were ones I was familiar with. Miss Gloria is a 2003 Rodriguez Brothers tug operated by Marquette, and plenty of other Rodriguez boats work the sixth boro, and Marquette boats have been here before as well, mostly involved in dredging projects.

Malcolm’s photos intrigued me enough that I decided to come out for a night sail on Pioneer;  it had been far too long since I last had done that, especially given Pioneer‘s role in my starting this blog to begin with:  I’d been volunteer crew on the schooner before I started the blog, had taken lots of harbor activity photos, and then created this blog as a means to share those photos. 

Here’s a one-photo digression then for a photo I took more than 16 years ago from another vessel of Pioneer–black hull–and Adirondack sailing together in the Upper Bay at dusk. Although both are schooners, over a century of age and shipbuilding materials development and some very different history separate them.

To return from this digression, the following photos I took of the Great Lakes D & D dredging in the Buttermilk, photos i took after Malcolm suggested I put my feet back on Pioneer‘s deck. More photos of that lovely evening to follow.

I also have not shared photos I took of outstanding GLDD equipment I took in March. Click here for a January 2022 preview. 

Miss Gloria was elsewhere, but Smith Predator, who’s been doing dredge spoils runs the past few weeks, was standing by as a dump scow was being filled. I’d seen Smith Predator on AIS, and with a name like that, it had attracted my attention, but to date, I’d not gotten a good clear photo, only very distant ones.

 

Thanks to Captain Malcolm for the first two photos and the suggestion to come sailing;  all others, WVD.

More photos from the Pioneer sail to follow.

Summer Yachts 5

Schooner Ambergris came in from sea in mid-April, but I still don’t know anything more about her.  Anyone help?

Dolphin is truly a yacht;  it’s also likely a winter yacht down south.  Up north, we see vessels like this seasonally.  I can’t identify the burgee on the bow.

Schooner Pioneer, launched 1885!!, has never been a yacht, but in its current much-loved state, it operates only in the warmer half of the year and it’s an excursion vessel.

Passing the Hoboken/NJ Transit terminal, that unnamed trawler is truly a yacht coming north for the summer.

Care for a summer evening on a Chicago Grebe-built yacht?  Here’s the info on yacht Full Moon departures out of North Cove. If you want a full day’s amusement online, you could investigate these other Grebe-built yachts . . . .    Or you could read about this Chicago shipyard and many other topics in this great blog called Industrial History, which I’ve just added to my blogroll.

Sometimes the Erie Canal seems devoid of vessel traffic, but on this day at Lock 17, there were plenty of takers.  As I recall, these cruisers were from Texas, Michigan, Florida, and California!

By the boat name and the VHF manner as I overheard it, I can guess the previous employment of this vessel operator.

Yesterday I went to this location to meet a friend over beer and crab cakes, my first there in quite a while . . .  .  But if you’ve never hung out at Pier 66, you owe to yourself.  Advice . . . if you want a seat, go on the off hours!  It’s been way too long ago that this gathering happened there.

And although I took this photo in the fall, the reminder is clear:  be safe.

All photos and sentiments by Will Van Dorp.

 

Small Craft 12

Here were previous snapshots of sample small craft on the sixth boro, a city of water all summer and all other seasons as well.  Here one of the four-season RIBs of NY Media Boat passes along the western margins of Brooklyn, where a lot of folks congregate in the evening.

Manhattan is one of Classic Harbor Line‘s vessel.

Crew launch Christian works all summer and all other seasons too.

Tara heads under the Brooklyn Bridge as light fades.

Fish appear to be active over where Kate used to chum with food scraps.

And this skipper seemed to enjoy pushing his craft against the currents in Hell Gate.

 

 

 

 

And there are so many other small craft in all parts of the sixth boro.   All these photos taken recently by Will Van Dorp.

Port of Albany 1

aka GHP&W 5

You saw the tug Cornell moving Clearwater to the Rondout in this post in late October.  But if you wondered how the Maine-built sloop was loaded, today’s your lucky day.  First, the truck comes to deliver the wood to support the keel on the barge before the

Travelift moves Clearwater.  Along the left side of the photo, that’s Norman’s Kill near where it flows into the Hudson.

 

When the blocking is ready, the Travelift moves down the tracks alongside the “pit”

and final adjustments are made.

Jacks provide stability.  Note the large green building in the background;  that’s Scarano Boat Building, where the Manhattans and many other vessels have been built.

Click here to see the 3m31 sec YouTube of the process of getting the loaded barge out of the pit for the southbound trip to the Rondout.

 

Many thanks to Paul Strubeck for these.

People Movers 5

She’s here–to the right–it’s Manhattan II, Classic Harbor Line’s latest tour boat in the sixth boro.  The Manhattans operate parts of three seasons.

And along the same stretch of dock, earlier this year was Lady May, a 150′ Feadship.  Last year in Netherlands, I kayaked with a Feadship employee who loved building these vessels but loved kayaking the canals there even more.

Also, back in August I espied Knickerbocker on the Sound, so I came down to North Cove to see her close up.

I’m not sure the size of her crew. Anyone know?  And where does one apply?

Here’s more of the Scarano sixth boro fleet.

Here’s a Robert Frank article inside a recent edition of the NYTimes about a 274′ Feadship yacht with a crew of 26 and a hybrid power plant capable of 18 knots.

Click here and here for some other megayachts.  Here’s a Feadship heading out to sea.

 

Random Sixth Boro 4

Here was 3, about a year ago.

These fotos were all taken yesterday afternoon and evening.  Shannon McAllister . . . a new one for me, an ex-Winslow boat, although here’s a sister Winslow boat that appeared here more than five years ago.   Yes, the Colgate clock is in the process of being reconstructed.

It’s yacht Manhattan, heading for the Statue under a glorious crepuscular sky.

While waiting for the appearance of the holy grail, I chanced to looked at all the lights in the Manhattan sky, including this one which I

documented arriving and positioning a little less than a year ago.

And here, transporting Bakken crude down and out the Hudson, it’s

Afrodite, which recently appeared here.   While on the subject of names, my sister recently passed King Coffee, and a tanker currently in the sixth boro goes by Chance.  Might there be a vessel out there somewhere named Random?  Here’s the closest I could find.

And here–with many thanks to Dock Shuter–who credits the links to Patrick Landewe, keeper of the Saugerties Light, something rare special also pictured here the other day, Cheyenne pushing a BLUE 737 upriver to Albany a few days ago!!!  Here and here are parts of the story.  Many thanks to Dock and Patrick.  Here are some previous Dock fotos.

Since Shannon McAllister is new to me, let me end this post with her passing Shelby between lower Manhattan and Jersey City late yesterday afternoon.   Here’s Shelby with a unique cargo a year and a half ago.

Unless otherwise attributed, all fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated:  In fall 1997, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree traveled down river from Stony Point  on a truck  ON A BARGE.  Does anyone know where/how I can find any photos of this event, this trip?  Here’s the kids’ book version.

Clearwater Maintenance 2013

If anyone out there needs to be convinced of the beauty of the Hudson Valley less than 100 miles north of the big city, take a glance at this foto by Tim Hetrick showing tanker Icdas 11 escorted by a paparazzi savvy eagle.

The foto below shows sloop Clearwater in mid-June arriving at the music festival that shares the same name.

A minute or so earlier . . . Clearwater rounded the bend following Woody Guthrie toward the shallows.

But if anyone has notions of operating a wooden vessel, it’s important to consider the regular maintenance.  Here was a post from about three years ago about work on Clearwater.  Currently way upriver this

is happening again.  All the following fotos now come thanks to Paul Strubeck.  In mid-December, Clearwater was downrigged and hauled out near Albany at Scarano Boat Building and

gently placed onto Black Diamond, with tug Cornell nearby.

Securing the big sloop for travel takes care and time, more time than there is light at the winter solstice end of the year.

But when all’s fast, the trip to where the winter maintenance crew can begin.

Click here for an article about Clearwater‘s winter home in the shadow of the Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Many thanks to Paul for sending these along.  It looks like I need to find time to get up to the Rondout.  The first two fotos in the post are mine.