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0633 . . . the other morning, a quarter hour after sunrise.
30 seconds later, at a different angle.
It’s really about light.
0832 The good light is gone. Time to move on to something else. But wait . . are those the towers of the new Goethals Bridge along the right edge of the photo?
All photos here by Will Van Dorp.
And if you missed the new NY harbor dock book info yesterday, here it is again. The author writes, “I decided to adapt his work into book form. I left the Martin Golden byline so he would get credit for his work. I think the old names on the docks are best feature. Most of those terminals have gone the way of the dodo, but old timers can still be heard giving security calls at Standard Tank, Copper Docks and other places not there anymore.”
Unrelated: Did anyone catch Kirsten Grace leaving the sixth boro this weekend? Was she towing Newtown Creek to its new life? As of this posting, Kirsten Grace is approaching Wilmington NC.
November, port month on tugster, ends here, making this GHP&W 30. Here’s how the month began. One thing I learned putting together this post is that Port Richmond and Mariner’s Harbor appear not to share a border, at least according to the wikipedia map. Between the western edge of Port Richmond and the eastern edge of Mariner’s (the west side of the Bayonne Bridge) is a neighborhood called Elm Park. I’d never heard of it. Also, look at the northeast tip of Port Richmond . . . it’s in the water only and includes the Caddell yard. Furthermore, Port Richmond never seems like much of a port if you see it by road only. Click here for photos of the land portion of Port Richmond. Click on the map to make it interactive.
A google satellite view shows the northernmost margin of land is port-intensive. Click here for many vintage photos of Port Richmond, pre-Bayonne Bridge, back when Port Richmond was a major ferry/rail link.
Although the late fall midday sun backlit these shots, let’s cruise the waterside of Port Richmond, starting at its northeastern point, where the Wavertree (1885) project is ongoing.
Delaware River & Bay Authority’s Delaware is undergoing some major repowering work.
Frying Pan . . . light of the night vessel from up at Pier 66 is having some work done.
In the belly of Frying Pan, where the engine and machinery used to be, a night club sometimes comes to life. Click here for some renderings of the vessel by the elusive bowsprite.
Miss Liberty, built 1954, is nearly finished with this dry-docking. Notice here she is high and dry? Well, just 45 minutes later, she had been
splashed and was being towed to a wharf by Caddell’s own L. W. Caddell (1990).
Continuing to the west, it’s the yards of Reinauer and Moran. From l to r, here, it seems to be Meredith C. Reinauer (2003), Laurie Ann Reinauer (2009), Reinauer Twins (2011), and Dace Reinauer (1968 but JUST repowered). . . and Joan Turecamo with (?) Brendan Turecamo. The McAllister tug between the Reinauer ATBs . . . I’ll guess is Bruce A. Marjorie B. McAllister.
This photo, taken a half hour earlier and before Joan Turecamo (1980) tied up, shows Kimberly Turecamo (1980), the very new and beamy J. R. T. Moran (2015), and Brendan (1975).
On the west side of the Moran yard, it’s Cable Queen (1952). Click here for photos of this cable-layer at work through the years.
And for the last shot of Port Richmond–although this may be straying westward into Elm Park waters, it’s Metropolitan Marine Transportation’s newest Normandy.
All the photos today by Will Van Dorp.
So as I said at the beginning of this post, so ends the “gunk holes, harbors, ports, and wharves” series. However, precedent on this blog makes it really easy to do a Port Richmond 2, 3, 4 . . . . etc. post. also, if any of you feel like contributing a set of photos from a port of gunk hole, no matter how large or obscure, I welcome it. Besides, there’s always then possibility of doing an “upland” version of any port, focusing on land-based businesses serving the work vessels.
And as for December, let me reprint this idea for a December theme:
How about antique/classic workboats, functioning or wrecked. Of course, a definition for that category is impossible. For example, NewYorkBoater says this: ‘The definition of an antique boat according to Antique and Classic Boating Society is a boat built between 1919 and 1942. A classic was built between 1943 and 1975 and the term contemporary, are boats built from 1976 and on.’ Hmm . . . what do you call an old vessel built before 1919 . . . a restoration project? antediluvian?
If you take another transportation sector–automobiles, you get another definition: 25 years old or more. And for the great race, here were the rules for this year: “Vehicle entries must have been manufactured in 1972 or before.” Next year’s cut-off will likely be 1973.
So my flexible definition is . . . photo should have been taken in 1999 or before, by you or of you or a family member, and in the case of a wreck, probably identifiable. Exception . . . it could be a boat built before . . . say . . . 1965.”
Many thanks to all of you who sent along photos, contributed ideas, and commented in November.
The Cornell (1950) with Clearwater (1969) on Hughes 141 photos come with thanks to Glenn Raymo. The Hudson Valley is particularly beautiful this time of year, especially if you catch it in the right light, which of course is true everywhere.
The other tugboats and landscapes in this post are mine. In the KVK, Sarah Ann (2003) passes RTC 135 just as the morning sun clears a bank of low-lying clouds.
An upriver-bound Navigator (1981) clears the Kills with HT 100 around the same hour.
. . . passing lighthouses,
gantry cranes, storage facilities,
and impossible towers.
Many thanks to Glenn for use of his photos. I’m sure Paul Strubeck plays a role here also. And I took the photos of Sarah Ann and Navigator.
Here and here are some previous photos of Clearwater on its winter maintenance barge.
Here were previous posts in this series.
Sunday morning, though, I went out to see the full moon set, but
while I was relaxing there, this Dolphin intruded,
low.
And then went back and forth . . . above this tanker with stern line dangling and held in location by two tugboats. And the VHF channel 14 was calling for a slow bell in the KVK.
Another USCG asset came around, and
if all that didn’t call attention to something awry, then a small boat adding wipes to the booms
called even clearer signs of a problem. Also, on that outboard, is that camouflage paint or grease?
Meanwhile even more spill response boats and crews arrived.
When I got home and searched for info on any (oil spill) incident, I learned that the Dolphin itself had experienced some problems and spent the rest of the day and night on a nearby golf course. Ouch!
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
Here’s the story as told by workingharborcommittee.
I have not been back to a closeup of the scrapyard in the Arthur Kill since last spring, but recent correspondence both in the comments area of the blog and private and directly to me prompt this revisitation. Click here to see the original post from August 2011. Let me just add that this vessel–Bayou Plaqumine–was originally called Junior Mine Planter (JMP) MAJOR ALBERT G. JENKINS, built 1921 in Bay City. MI. She didn’t become Bayou Plaquemine until after 1951. The photo below shows her location since the early 1970s.
Here’s the view looking northward from Plaquemine‘s bow, and
from a slightly different vantage point.
and in the opposite direction.
Here’s the text of an email I received last week and for which I am very grateful. “The Jenkins (aka Bayou Plaquemine) was captained by my grandfather, David B Nettles; the Jenkins was used to tow gunnery targets for the Navy and the shore batteries to take target practice with back in the 30’s in addition to her other duties while stationed in Pensacola, FL. My uncles and father all spent time aboard the Jenkins during their childhood and young adulthood. There was a second vessel stationed there as well, a twin sister of the Jenkins. I have photos of both. In fact I have one of the bronze bow emblems that was mounted to the Jenkins bow. I know she was docked at Fort Barrancas and at times Old Fort Pickens. I grew up with many stories about the vessel being shared. The family is all gone now but me and cousin or two. So the stories are all but gone now.”
Cold and damp winter weeks are a time to celebrate the past by telling its stories and sharing photos of its many faces. I hope this prompts more sharing.
I’ve paid attention to the recent activity on the blog in relation to “189 Ghost Ships,” including a question I received today about anyone having photos of the ghost fleet maintenance crew, including 85!! civilian employees. I’d love to see and post some of these photos if you are willing to scan them and share using my email address on the upper left hand side of the main tugster blog page.
By the way, sometimes conversation happen on the FB side of this blog; I’d rather they happen here so that archiving of comments is more certain than on FB.
All photos here by Will Van Dorp and taken in May 2010 and August 2011. If you want to see more of the scrapyard and a few of the stories, please order Graves of Arthur Kill. Click on the image of the DVD to get ordering info.
If you ever drive eastbound on Staten Island’s northern “land edge” route aka Richmond Terrace, you’ve probably seen this mural by Ian Kelleher. The other day I stopped for a closer look and noticed
a delightful additional spoke on Bayonne’s windmill–harkening back about 400 years–and a huge upside-down unicycle just west of the ferry racks.
When I approached the ferry terminal, I noticed some wheel hardware beginning to accumulate.
Parking racks?
Keep your eyes on this location . . . things could be happening soon. By the way, notice there are details of ships hidden in the background of the three previous photos, speaking to the proximity of the Eye . . . or Wheel . . . to shipping channels.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
Many thanks to John Skelson for sharing these photos . . . and I’ll leave you guessing for a day or so.
Notice the vessel westbound in the background. In the foreground, that’s Caddell’s with an Erie Lackawanna tug and a dilapidated ferry. The mystery vessel is what’s in the background.
The bridge needs no identification although the Bayonne shore in the background looks opener than it currently is.
The number of tugs is just fabulous.
And to return some color to the blog, here are Gary (right) and I sharing a beer after the show last night. Thanks to all who attended and to the crews of five interesting documentaries. I hope to see more of the festival Saturday and Sunday.
Again, thanks much to John Skelson for sharing the mystery photos. Now . . please weigh in.
What caught my attention was the towed side-by-side barge arrangement in the KVK,
GL 65 and 66,
with Stephanie Dann hanging off the stern.
Once between Stapleton and Bay Ridge, the tow was re-made and
and Sarah Dann took the two out the Narrows.
Forty-eight hours later, they are still southbound, almost 350 nautical miles out of the sixth boro and off Cape Hatteras, and still southbound.
So I have this question . . . so since there are southbound train songs, why do I know no southbound tow songs.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
Here was 7. In the past week, the sixth boro has seen lows to about 5 . . . like last Monday morning, and highs in the low 50s. And then there’s been serious fog, as bowsprite captures here. This morning was clear and mild, almost springlike. Here was the north end of the Arthur Kill today a little after 0700, Capt Log heading south for a load.
To the left, NYK Rigel prepares to shove off from Howland Hook. To the right, dredgers dig on. . . or diggers dredge on. James Turecamo heads north and east . . .
as Minerva Zenia makes her way under the Goethals.
I wonder how I’ll get used to the alteration of the classic form of the Bayonne Bridge.
Here’s the impressive assembling of equipment staging for work on that other bridge project. Glenn Edwards looks huge in the mix.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp, just before the sun came up.
. .. to paraphrase Mark Twain …are highly exaggerated.
What? . . . you ask? Well, click on Auke Visser’s link. You’ll see a foto of her being raised after a sinking. Then follow through to the phrase “disposal date.”
September 2005.
Ticonderoga looks pretty good for being technically scrapped.
I took these pictures in December 2013, earlier this week.
Check Auke’s link: she was built in Baltimore in 1954 and had sailed as Socony 9, Mobil 9, and Exxon’s Ticonderoga–her name when she ran aground and sank in 1992.
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