Sixth Boro Sampler

It’s the end of another month, and maybe because everything’s been so bleak of late, let’s just admire and enjoy the complexity of the sixth boro.

Diverse people work here on diverse missions.

Places like NY Harbor School and M.A. S. T. as well as SUNY Maritime College and King’s Point MMA are here.

On foggy days a narrow navigation channel gives the illusion of being as expansive as the ocean.

Keeping it as ideal a place as possible is the mission of many people and much infrastructure, seen and unseen.

Professionals pass through the sixth boro without ever technically entering the space, both a boon and a bane to all involved,

and their safe passage is ensured by the named and the nameless.

Work and recreation can happen in the same space because of

professionalism.  If you have a lot of time, you can binge watch these videos by a pro who works the sixth boro and beyond.  Now, when I hear his voice on VHF, it’s familiar.  There are books as well.

The universal language of gesture is powerdful.

The sixth boro has at least as much specialized equipment as the other five boros combined;  another way to put it, the specialized equipment of the sixth boro enable the other boros to perform.

And if the land boros have spirit, don’t imagine the sixth boro  lacks anything.

Photos and sentiments, WVD.

Random Tugs 283

How’s this as an unusual perspective, East Coast coming through the Narrows and under the VZ Bridge, barely visible at top of photo,  with a sugar barge, not sure which one. I believe that’s a Sandy Hook antenna and West Bank Romer Shoal Light off starboard.

Kimberly Poling heads into the Kills past Robbins Reef Light.

James William has been moving garbage containers these days.

The intriguingly named Iron Wolf passes the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

Mary Alice moves Columbia New York.

A few hundred yards ahead of Iron Wolf is Sea Fox.

Andrea departs the Kills to pick up a fuel barge.

Mary H returns from a run with barge Patriot.

And finally, Fox3 heads southbound;  that’s the southern tip of Manhattan behind her.

All photos, WVD.

Canal Reef Express 3

Following on the photos from April 29 and May 19, here is finale for Tender 6 and Reliable of Utica.  As of this posting, they are 2.5 nautical miles off Shinnecock and 80′ down, precisely placed and not sunk.  My guess is that soon this section of this chart will be updated.

Here is the last daylight for

Tender 6.

Here’s the final journey

 

for Reliable

of Utica.

Thanks for use of these photos to a generous gentleman. More photos can be seen here.

 

Cranes: Columbia New York

On January 10 Emily Ann was moving crane barge eastbound in the Kills.

Columbia New York has lift capacity of 400 tons.

Any time I see Emily Ann, I think of a story shared here by a reader about her role in saving lives in the Florida Strait.

A reliable source tells me that even juvenile loons know this story, although they’ve not yet seen a crane like this.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.