Shooter’s Island: Then and Now

Maersk Kentucky turns at least 90 degrees to starboard after passing under the Bayonne Bridge.  Beyond Shooters Island lies the city of Elizabeth, NJ.  More close-ups of Maersk Kentucky–eleven years running and a fifth of a mile long— tomorrow, but for now, she draws more than 30 feet max . . . and notice the mud trail she stirs up.

Here’s a satellite view of Shooters Island;  I believe the vintage foto of Shooters I posted the other day was taken from midway between the A pushpin and the New York ramp of the Bayonne Bridge.  Click on the satellite foto to see where things lie in relation to Manhattan.  Most of the container traffic through the port of “New York” operates through Port Elizabeth.

Again, here’s a tightly-cropped foto of Shooters around World War 1, and here’s a

foto I took from mid-Bayonne Bridge pedestrian way this morning, where I got my exercise.

As I walked over, Maersk Kentucky traversed beneath, tugs Resolute at the bow and Elizabeth McAllister near the stern, making the turn and then

heading into Newark Bay, a half an hour

or so behind Sea Land Eagle, roughly the same size as 1997-delivered ‘Kentucky.  The land in the foreground is Bergen Point.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Related:  See Johna and Vladimir’s homage to the Bridge here.

Lunch at Arthur Kill

For a walking  lunch, the  crescent along the Elizabethport side of  Arthur Kill ‘s northeast end tip satifies.  It’s no picnic, but many worse places come to mind. 

Yesterday I arrived, sandwich in hand, at 1:07, to catch Evening Tide headed for Newark Bay following

Evening Mist.  1:09

By 1:32 I had reached the end of the park and glanced at Mariner’s, where Maryland lay.Pegasus rounded the bend at the east end of Shooter’s and passed me at 1:36

1:40    Turecamo Girls and

(1:41)  Gramma Lee T were returning from a ship assist I must have missed.

1:43  Meanwhile, Patapsco and McAllister Responder headed southbound into the Kill.  1:44

McCrews, which I’ve never seen before, headed into Newark Bay.  1:44

All fotos yesterday by Will Van Dorp.  Now I mentioned the “crescent” earlier because this “park” where I walked was once a shipyard.  Crescent Shipyard made submarines;  fotos here.  It went by other names before and after, but of them all, now there is no trace.  Seems a shame.