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May 2012 was a month of verticality, as in these twin tugboats,
as in the towers of these bridges with a low, long riverboat transiting beneath, and
and in the 156′ air draft of this mega yacht once owned by one of the oligarch’s now sanctioned and hiding his other yachts wherever he can.
It was also time for Opsail 2012, the sixth of six such events to date.
I recall an evening sail around Gravesend Bay one May evening to see some of the tall ships that overnighted there prior to parading into the confines of the sixth boro.
Above and below were tall ships from Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brasil.
The tall ships have scattered to the seven seas, but these tugs each returns to the sixth boro as work dictates.
All photos, WVD.
Here’s some of my May 2010 coverage of Fleet Week’s arrival. So Fleet Week and OpSail 2012 have converged, commingling state-of-the-art with traditional vessels. Now add into the mix F/A-18s and Hudson river water pumped through the system of 1931 John J. Harvey. Doubleclick enlarges fotos.
Leading the fleet is Eagle.
And leading the tall ships is J. S. de Elcano (1927).
The day was blessed with atmospheric light
…and acrobatic and disciplined sailors.
Not as common a name to our ears as Magellan, Elcano was Magellan’s second-in-command and the one who completed “Magellan’s circumnavigation” more than a year after Magellan was killed in 1521.
Vessels included destroyer USS Roosevelt (commissioned 2000),
Gazela (1901), (Get tickets to this weekend’s Gazela theater here.)
USS San Jacinto (commissioned 1988),
and Dewaruci (launched 1953, keel laid 1932).
I wondered what these crew would do if the ominous sky sent thunder and lightning.
Etoile, I believe, was there as were
La Belle Poule (1932),
and Cisne Branco (2000) and HCMS Iroquois (1970, 1992).
Crew rode high in the rigging of Cisne Branco.
Cuauhtemoc (commissioned 1982) passed in review with
more crew in the rigging.
Emily Miller made the parade and in the distance, it’s USS Gonzalez (commissioned 1996).
Click here for info on the namesake for DDG-66.
Appledore 5 crosses JS Shirane (commissioned 1980).
The sailing vessel heeled over is Summerwind (1929) and approaching is James Turecamo (1969), prepared to handle white hulls.
Pride of Baltimore II is especially significant, given that the rationale for an OpSail event this year is the bicentennial of the war of 1812. This fact also makes significant the participation by a Canadian and a British vessel in Fleet Week.
And huge flag . . . says it’s Gloria (commissioned 1968), passing
RFA Argus, container ship turned floating hospital.
Colombian crew –men and women–in the rigging
and on the jibbom put on a colorful show.
Guayas (commissioned 1976)
had skyscraper crew at the very top of the mast.
And finally . . a return for USS Wasp. Notice the tug midships port side. Know it?
I was surprised to learned it was neither Charles D. nor Responder but Roderick (1967) ! Generally, Roderick is not a sixth boro tug.
And here’s another unusual sight, commingling the power of a McAllister and a Moran assisting Wasp into the berth.
Parade over, Catherine heads back to the dock, as does Pioneer (commissioned 1885!!)
And a final shot for today, TWO French handiworks, Belle Poule and the Statue of Liberty.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
tugster: a waterblog 
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