Mary Whalen Moves Again

Here were some of the previous Mary Whalen moves.  And here was one return.  A few days ago, Mary Whalen moved into Atlantic Basin, where the 70th birthday party was held and public access will be much easier than it has been for future programming TBA.   This post shows pics taken onboard during the move;  I hope to present more soon.  The day started early at the pier which has been home for a long time.

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Prime mover this time was Quantico Creek, tailed by Christian . . . way in the distance.

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NYMediaBoat and Christian were part of the escort, as

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as was Shipshooter with his latest equipment to follow and film

“We have lift off.”

the pirouette in the Buttermilk Channel and a

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NYMedia Boat captures the action from starboard side of Quantico Creek

hook into Atlantic Basin, where in September 2009, Portside helped host a huge Dutch barge party.

Once she’s all fast, may the programming begin.

All photos here by Will Van Dorp.

Read the press release here from PortSide NewYork.

For some great Red Hook history and historical images, click here.

 

Atlantic Basin Barge Muster

Those lucky Hudson Valley towns:  the “flat-bottoms” move upriver today after a festive send-0ff yesterday from Atlantic Basin.  Portside NewYork had published a wonderful PDF guide to Red Hook and the barges available here.

The setting sun in Red Hook has too rarely enjoyed such beautiful surfaces to paint with low-angle light and color.

The clouds heightened the sense of ceremony as

the barges paraded in . . . singles or

pairs . . .  to

the shelter of the enclosed Basin within

of New York skyline.  (By the way . . . two fotos up following the two skutsjes into the Basin is the barquentine Peacemaker.  More on them later.)  After dark the

music man appeared with his vessel Cecelia to

create magic.  More fotos of this muster later.

Thanks to all involved from this dweller of the banks around the sixth boro.  And if you live upriver in the next two weeks, enjoy!  And if you get great fotos and want me to share them here, send me an email.

Here and here are some foto links.

By the way, exactly 400 years ago today, according to Juet’s journal, the Half Moon made it up to present-day West Point.  See Henrysobsession.

All fotos here by Will Van Dorp.

Sailing Barges Up Close

I’m praying for perfect light on Sunday afternoon when a public viewing of the barges is scheduled on Governors Island.  PortSide NewYork offers this downloadable guide to the barges, Red Hook, and its Dutch history here.  If you have a chance to get there, the details of these vessels will reward you.  For this month from an on-barge perspective, check out the blog maintained by Arjen Wapenaar, captain of Sterre, the 1887 tjalk;  although the text is in Dutch, the pics are great.

I’ve always been taken by leeboards (aka zwaarden), but I’ve developed a new interest in the rudders:  large and exuberant.  And it seems the Dutch themselves love the rudders, transforming a component that could be just functional to  Rudders with a passion for  . . . being rudders.  Notice the size the rudder (aka roer) on the 1888 tjalk Vrouwe Cornelia (Lady Cornelia).

And the decoration, which I offer to the readers over at Neversealand.

The rudder on Lemsteraak Sydsulver includes a boarding ladder and a flag bracket.

The rudder on Groenevecht dwarfs the tillerman.

And all that beautiful wood begs for paint and carving tools.

I’d like to know the various types of wood used in these rudders, like this dark wood on Groenling (green finch).

I’m looking forward to the viewing on Sunday not only for more rudders but also other details:  mast, rigging, houses, blocks, bowsprits, etc.  Check out the boom (giek) support on Windroos, the hoogaars.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.  Off to Waterford now.