Seats of Power 2

Edda Fram runs back and forth, it seems, from shore (Scotland)  to various oil platforms in the North Sea.  Rough weather operation necessitates seats hard to fall out of.

Solomon T, once operated by Elbert Felton (shown), is a 1938 restored inside the Outer Banks fishing vessel, with seat and wheel appropriate to 1938.

MV Argyle is a ferry that operates on the Firth of Clyde.

T-ATF 172 USNS Apache has a spacious bridge.

Tug Mississippi, in service doing commercial work since 1916 (102 years!!) has a “bar stool” and a tiller.  It was repowered from steam to diesel electric in 1957.

Converted Bering Sea crabber Ocearch has wide bridge.  Here’s an article I did on their shark research program a year and a half ago.  Follow individuals of different species of shark around  the ocean in real time here.

A seat on an ATB? here’s the spacious wheelhouse of Paul T Moran.

Lake Express is a fast ferry that crosses Lake Michigan several times a day from Milwaukee to Muskegon.  One of these days, I’ll cross the lake fast.

Here’s another fast ferry, Athena,  sometimes serving Block Island.

Kaori is a 2004 tug operating in New Caledonia.

I’ll close out this post with the seat of power in the powerful Ocean Taiga.  For an article I wrote on this St. Lawrence tug, click here.

To protect the anonymity of some folks who sent along these photos, let me just give a tip of the hat to all the photographers.  Unless you send along more photos or unless I take some more, this’ll be the last in this series.  Any seats out there in strange colors?

North on Gallatin’s Ditches 1

Gallatin wrote a report in 1808 proposing canals, an intercostal waterway and more.  This series is a tribute to him starting in Charleston and northbound.

When I write on the run, I’m taking no time to figure out what I’m seeing, like this beautiful hull … in the Ashley.

Athena reportedly just sold for $50 mil!

As we head out, storm clouds gather again over Fort Sumter.

 

We arrive in Georgetown under sunny skies.  Anyone know these tugboats?

All photos a few days back by Will Van Dorp.

 

People Movers 6

Here are previous posts in this series, ranging from exclusive to popular.

What the boats in today’s series have in common is Block Island.

Block Island, built 1997

The year-round route to Block Island is from Point Judith, which I intend to visit more often.

Below is the wake of the fast ferry on the route, Athena.  By the way, in the winter of 2009, Athena was working in the sixth boro, and was one of seven vessels that rescued passengers from the ill-fated US Airways 1549, covered here on tugster.

Click here for info on the entire Block Island ferry fleet.

Athena, built 2001

 

Here Athena enters New Shoreham harbor.

 

Here Carol Jean arrives in New Shoreham in late afternoon,

Carol Jean, built 1984

steered from the aft controls.

 

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Athena

The mystery boat floated, looking only slightly better than when I noticed it last summer listing to starboard on the bank of the KVK like some dead fish. It had seen better days, known love, inspired confidence. A blurred reflection of her former self, who is she? Where has she steamed?

 

Last weekend seeing her afloat encouraged me and gave me a lead: a name stamped into the starboard curve of the stern.

 

The name on the life ring confirmed it.

 

Here’s a poor quality foto I took last summer.

 

So follow the string at this link to get her lengthy history: ex Jesse D, formerly the darling of an independent skipper named Hansen who recounts some of her exploits in this Baltimore newspaper story. I hope Athena survives, but if not, at least her stories should. And Kai Hansen, I’d love to meet him.

All photos, WVD.