East River Catch Up 7

Pete Ludlow’s photos have shown a variety of vessel traffic near Hell Gate.  Here’s a whimsical set, not really work boats for a day I’m having a hard time working or even thinking about working.

Who knew the variety of traffic here?!!

There has to be a story here, and

photos are said to be worth a thousands of words . . . 

I wish I knew the story, or even just the name and itinerary of a boat like this….

Many thanks, Pete.

 

East River Catch Up 6

Let’s get back to some Pete Ludlow photos.  Co Morgan has such a long history of names going back to 1951 1965, I’m just going to paste it in here.  

A high vantage point helps convey appreciation for the train of three Mister Jim tows through Hell Gate. 

Ditto Navigator.  From this perspective, her smart color scheme is clear. 

Meghan Marie heads into Hell Gate with a destination somewhere along the Sound or farther. 

All photos by Pete Ludlow.  Thanks, Pete. 

East River Catch Up 5

For what might be considered an exotic among exotics, let’s go back to Pete Ludlow’s photos,  meet Windserve Odyssey.  

As an all-purpose offshore wind farm support vessel, it is just one vessel type that will be more common in the years to come.  The blog alluded to this particular vessel and a possible transit through the sixth boro back last September.   Pete’s photo here confirms that it did transit back on the first day of 2022.  

Hat tip and thanks, Pete, for catching this. 

Tugster is still gallivanting far away from the sixth boro, will be for the better part of a week yet, leaving the robots in charge.  We test the perimeter, push the parameters, but in our own robotic ways, support the mission.

 

 

East River Catch Up 3

More photos here thanks to Pete Ludlow.

The Amigo is an asphalt tanker.  That means she moves her cargo around at almost 300 degrees F.

 

She was eastbound with assist by James D Moran.

 

What do you suppose Vinik No. 6 had in tow?

 

Nicholas and Liz assisted as well.

But of course, it was the venerable training ship . . .

from the shipyard on its way back to Fort Schuyler.

Again, many thanks to Pete for sharing these scenes not previously seen on tugster.

Unrelated:  Since we robots monitor harbor events and share news, here’s a surprise that will astonish tugster upon his return:  The Brown tugs have been sold to Seward Marine of Chesapeake VA.

 

East River Traffic 3

Here are previous iterations of this title.  Sometimes it’s energizing to return to places you’ve not visited in a while. We followed North River for a bit and then turned into

the Brooklyn Navy yard, a quite busy place.  Sugar Express was there along with Carolina Coast.  The barge shuttles less-refined sugar from Florida to Yonkers, where the sugar is further refined at a riverside facility.

 

Atlantic Salvor was in one of the graving docks.

Once under way again, we followed Genesis Eagle heading for the Sound.

North River was docked at DEP Ward’s Island Central (actually WPCP) by the time we passed by.

NYC Department of Correction Vernon C. Bain Maritime Facility was still where I last saw it, the only traffic being who goes in and out. 

Ditto this wreck, which deserves a name or a series of ex-names, where the only traffic is the ingress and egress of tidal current water.

All photos this week, WVD.

TS Empire State VI Returns 2021

Welcome back from Summer Sea Term this year.  An FDNY boat provided a water display welcome on the far side of Governors Island, but my vantage point, as suggested by a SUNY grad, was Brooklyn Heights.  This was the view from the Esplanade and Pierrepont.  To see my perspective on previous occasions, click on the tag above.   From the Heights, the overcast and almost precipitating morning dimmed the many gantry cranes in the distant port.

When she was delivered in 1962 as a break bulk freighter SS Oregon, she would have been typical of freighters on the high seas.   Since 1990, returning aboard from summer sea terms has been a rite of passage for thousands of SUNY grads.  I hope I have my dates right;  if not, I’m sure you’ll correct me.

Passing the ferry terminals at the tip of Manhattan must have looked quite different back 30 years ago; the sight from 100 years ago would have differed dramatically. . . 

as would any FDNY or NYPD escort vessels.

Back then, in the foreground, there would be commercial activity and warehouses, not

parkland with

an ever-growing cover of urban forest

almost obscuring the training ship as it passes beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Welcome back. 

All photos, WVD, with thanks to Steve Munoz to try out this view.

Another training ship came through here just a week or so ago.   Here are a few more from other maritime academies.

 

 

Something Different 62

Here are the previous 61. 

A novel idea is floating in the East River, or was.

My spin on it is this.  Name three of your favorite “maritime” books, or works, to put into a maritime collection of books . . .  Don’t overthink it . . . they can be obvious or obscure or a combination of both.  They can be books for kids or adults.

And my three are:

The Lost Sea, Jan de Hartog.

We the Drowned, Carsten Jensen

Maqroll the Gaviero, Álvaro Mutis

Photos, WVD.  Thx, Nate Austin. 

Retro Sixth Boro 35 B

How about a quick post today, all three photos taken in a two-minute span on March 25, 2011.  The third photo here is set to enlarge when you double click;  let’s see if FB allows a preview with that.

Congestion:  I don’t know what barge Sea Raven is pushing, but the Allied boat and First Coast are headed for the Gate on the East River. Sea Raven became razor blades in 2018.  First Coast began as Morania No. 18.

Into the photo rides Hercules!  Hercules was just off the ways at Washburn & Doughty in Maine, and on its delivery trip to Texas, where I believe she works with G and H.

Then into the photo also crowds Penn No. 4.  Penn No. 4 ended up with Curtin Maritime in Long Beach CA but is currently out of service. 

All photos taken during a busy two minutes, WVD.

East River Tow

Tech astounds me . . . yesterday morning I got an email from a New Yorker in the UK telling about this event;  tugs are already under way, he said.

I missed the first tug but arrived in time for Liz Vinik, shown here in classic NY context as well as state-of-the-art architecture.

Following Liz was Vinik No. 6., another classic, one I’d not seen in a while.

Both veteran tugs were on the move.

 

Five hours later, and after both my VHF and cell phone had died, leaving me to wait on sheer faith that this was going to happen, the tow appeared into my field of view, westbound at Hell Gate.

TS Empire State IV VI was headed for the yard in dead ship mode.

 

With Liz on the bow and No. 6 alongside, they made their way to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to GMD, where she would make her way into the graving dock after dark yesterday.

Nicholas tended the stern. Previously she was Maria J. 

 

Had she come around the bend by Hell Gate 15 minutes later, i would have missed this, since I had late afternoon chores waiting.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who is grateful to Steve Munoz for that early morning email from the UK.

 

East River Traffic 2

Here was the first in this series.  Let’s go to a different location on the East River, and I know I’m late coming to this story, but it’s an exciting one.  Hunts Point is now receiving regular cement shipments, by ship via the East River.  Shipments originate at Port Daniel Gascons, QC.

Here under the 59th Street Bridge a cement ship heads for the terminal  . . ..

 

Above and below, the ship and tugs pass the soon-to-open new campus of Rockefeller University.

I took the next two photos at a McInnis facility just upstream from Montreal, along the Beauharnois Canal.

Here’s more on the company.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

As of this writing, another cement ship is at the terminal.