Really Random Tugs 31

Yesterday’s post led with Jared S aka Cheyenne II, and so I’m grateful to Jason LaDue for sending along a photo he took before she sank into the Genesee River, where she still lies.

This next photo was taken by Renee Lutz Stanley, recently, as Pelham assisted the dead but lively Frying Pan to Caddell for some work.  This is my first time seeing Frying Pan away from her berth at Pier 66.  Previous posts with Frying Pan include this, this, and notably this;  in the fifth photo of the “notable” third link there, you get a little background on Frying Pan and its name, as well as see the location the lightship MIGHT have ended up at as mainstay of a North Carolina maritime museum, which would have put it much closer to Frying Pan Shoal.  Here and here are some recent posts with Pelham.

The next five photos I took on a recent gallivant down east.  Little Toot, who works at Washburn & Doughty ( W & D) of East Boothbay, ME, appears to be a pristine-looking 1953 product of Roamer Boat company of Holland, MI.

On the opposite side of the big blue shed at W & D is one of East Boothbay’s newest almost completed tugs, likely the JRT Moran.

I saw Dorothy L (1965) twice while I was in the area inland from Monhegan, this time and once later but at about 0600 h and the light and motion of my ride didn’t lend itself to a good photo.

And here are some from the sixth boro, Haggerty Girls in the notch of RTC 107, and

And finally, a veteran . ..  it’s Freddie K Miller inside the water and

out.  For a wide range of photos of this boat’s life, click here.

 

Thanks to Jason and Renee for use of their photos.  For more of Renee’s photos of the Frying Pan move, click here.

And here, verbatim, is my call for collaboration for November posts.  Thanks to those of you who have already responded.

“And if you’re interested in collaboration, I invite your help for November posts.  All month long I hope to feature different ports–harbors–waterways and their workboats, which means not only towing vessels, but also ferries, fish boats, maintenance vessels, even yachts with professional crews.  I’ve been traveling a lot the past few months and have a fairly large backlog of boats from ports–harbors–waterways mostly in New England.  But as a social medium, this blog thrives on collaboration, so no matter which waters are near you,  I’m inviting you to send along photos of workboats from ports I might not get to.  I’d need at least three interesting photos to warrant a focus on a port.  Here are examples I’ve already done that illustrate what I’m thinking to do.”

City of Water All Summer

While I was out documenting the excitement of the annual merfolk migration, there was an equal amount of excitement on all the waters that comprise the sixth boro.  Of course, your focus is your choice.  All photos here were taken by David Grill and used with permission.

Pegasus’ last run for now.  See the note on the left sidebar.

The Liberty Challenge brought in racers from all over the watery parts of the globe.

Outrigger Canoe Race

Vintage and contemporary petroleum vessels populated the KVK.

S/V Wavertree and Evening Star

Lehigh Valley 79 moved by Freddie K Miller.

Hats off to the passengers and crew of Pegasus and all the others out enjoying what makes NYC special .

It’s Gerry Weinstein, showing evidence of being in the engine room and

and Pamela Hepburn.

Captain at the helm

 

By the way, if you haven’t read–and don’t own– Ben Gibberd’s book of profiles, I highly recommend it. It has great photos by Randy Duchaine.

For the photos in this post, hats off for David Grill.

Really Random Tugs 28

This is the series with tugs from all over.  So let’s start in Miami last month with photos by John “Jed” Jedrlinic.  Miss Niz was in the sixth boro some time back.

Also from Jed . . .it’s Akashi Maru in Yokohama, 2008. He has more photos of Japanese tugboats.

Darrin Rice sent along this photo of the classic Hercules, built at the John H. Dialogue yard in Camden NJ but having worked its entire career on the West Coast, which it arrived at by circumnavigating the southern tip of South America.   The Camden yard of John H. Dialogue also built these classics.

Previously, Darrin sent along some photos of decaying classics here.

From Jan Oosterboer via Fred Trooster . . . what appears to be a just delivered (March 2015 just!) German-flagged tug FairPlay IX operating in the Netherlands.

Brake is also an almost new boat.

And  . .  yes, I do get out and take photos myself . . . here is Robert E. McAllister passing RORO Grey Shark . . . which it towed in from sea half a month ago after the RORO experienced mechanical difficulties. Beyond the dry dock buildings is Quantum of the Seas.

Here Freddie K. Miller passes Robbins Light.  This vessel first appeared on this blog going on nine years ago here!

And last for today but certainly not least, from Rich Taylor, it’s Chale, a classic tug at the half-century mark.

Rich also sends along Istria, Italian-built . . . almost the same vintage.  Istria has been featured on this blog about two years ago here.

Thanks to Rich, Jan, Fred, Darrin, and Jed for this look at a diverse set of vessels all referred to as tugboats.

 

Change

Some days more than others I’m only a bit more acutely aware of change.  Certainly this is true in the sixth boro if you watch it over time.    Name boards migrate from

one vessel to another.  Actually, I’m told the foto above is Mary Gellatly the third, with the second below.  It appears the first was a Navy built tanker.  I’d love it if someone know the whereabouts of a foto.

Companies buy and sell floating stock . . . renaming and repainting . . .

Freddie K Miller is the fourth name for this 1966 vessel that was first dubbed New Haven.   I can vouch that her interior looks brand spanking new as she nears the mid-century mark.

I don’t know that much about Sam M, 1972, other than that she was fire-engine red around Christmas, and

bleached-out white last summer.

Kimberly Poling, 1994, looks much better with the

modified roofline and more complex paint scheme.

June K in orange was one of my favorites some years back, but pushing old metal or

holding new metal as Sarah Ann . . . the 2003 vessel remains one of my favorites.

Herbert P. Brake 1992 . . .  red or

blue . . . I don’t see her that often.

To paraphrase Heraclitus again . . . only change is unchanging . . . and it surely doesn’t happen at a constant clip.

All foto by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 100

I’ve held off moving from 99 to 100 because 100 suggested I do something special, but ultimately, I decided that random means random, so here it is.  Guess the location if not the tug?  It IS sixth boro. Answer at the end of the post.

Almost 30-year-old Franklin Reinauer  entered the Narrows light as Sun Right departed the other day.

Less than an hour earlier, Emerald Coast (1973) overtook the same Sun Right at the turn around Bergen Point.   I’ve seen Sun Round recently (although I didn’t take a foto) here but not Sun Road.  Are there more in this Manila-registered series?

Note the small tug assisting with Energy 11105 barge  . . .

pushed by (?) Liberty Service.  It’s Freddie K Miller, which I first met as Stapleton Service, even though that was not the first identity for this 1966 built tug.

Susan Miller (1981) meets Akinada Bridge –named for a Hiroshima bridge–at the Narrows recently.

Coho lighters G. Agamemnon.  Has repainting started on any of the ex-Penn boats?

Comet (1977) heads under the Bayonne Bridge, while (?) Brian Nicholas following.

Atlantic Salvor (1976) followed Atlantic Coast (2007) into the sixth boro the other day.

Resolute (1975) escorted in  Americas Spirit.

Finally . . . that first foto . . . it’s Diane B southbound in Eastchester Bay (til now a tugster-neglect portion of the sixth boro) with Throg’s Neck Bridge in the background.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated:  Does anyone know if and when Athena was scrapped?

Random Tugs 98

This is the 98th installment of this title.  If you’ve any ideas about what I might do with the 100th, let me know.  Of course, I could just let it pass by . . . randomly.

All these boats have some things in common, like  . ..  they passed through the sixth boro although in all types of weather/light in the past week or so.  I’l let you know what I’m thinking at the end of the post.

Miss Yvette, 1975 built in Houma, Louisiana (LA), here attending to Kraken.

Freddie K Miller, 1966 . . . Madisonville LA.

John P Brown 2002 Morgan City LA

Atlantic Salvor 1976  New Orleans.

James Turecamo 1969, Waterford NY.

Pegasus 2006  Tres Palacios TX

Pathfinder  1972 Houma LA

C. Angelo 1999 Lockport LA

Margaret Moran December 1979 Morgan City LA

Miriam Moran November 1979 Morgan City LA

And another thing they all have in common right now is that

they all work in trades other than directly pushing oil.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who’d love to hear ideas about the “Random Tugs 100” post.

Unrelated:  I read this line yesterday about a withdrawn lawsuit between the NY Port Authority and a Canadian steel company:  “The deal means the lawsuit will be dropped and the steel for the [World Trade Center] tower antenna can set sail before Canadian shipping channels freeze over in winter.”  Here’s the rest of the article.  But it made me wonder . . .  by what vessel . . . barge or ship . . . will this steel arrive in the Upper Bay.  Anyone know?  Here’s info on the fabricator of the antenna.

And a Q . . . has anyone seen evidence of construction of the crane(s) to be involved in the Bayonne Bridge raising?  I’ve heard rumors, but not read or heard anything authoritative.

Labor Day Weekend 2012

Labor Day, my father used to say, was a time to labor.  We did, and lots of people do.  When I was out this morning from before moonset until 9 a.m., ample evidence of ongoing work presented itself, work that had started hours before I was able to get fotos.  I love the light at daybreak.  Here’s Freddie K Miller north of me and

northeast of me a few seconds later.

Here’s Margaret Moran before sunrise east of me as she returned  from assisting Saudi Hofuf into port, and

here’s Catherine Turecamo about a half hour later (exactly 07:33 . . . remember that) exiting the KVK west of me.

Here’s Atlantic Salvor towing dredge spoils out as Mary Alice returns with a scow, and here’s

the bigger picture as Salvor moves east of me.  Vessel in the distance is Titan.

Here’s looking north at Weddell Sea at moonset, and

looking southward at Rosemary Miller parading a pair of pickups around the same time.

Here are Gramma Lee T Moran, Siva Sincerity, and  . ..  again .  . . Catherine Turecamo arriving from the east.  Time is 08:51, almost an hour and a half later than the previous shot of Catherine.

And two more of the trio, mere

minutes later.

Here’s a mystery . . . I’d swear that was Taurus, but AIS says Taurus is in Louisiana.  Can anyone identify the Kirby tug here?

Happy Labor Day, and if you have to work, I hope you at least enjoy it, as I did as a kid.

Daily Harbor Work

Actually that title captures 98% of this blog’s +1800 posts.  And just as elsewhere in Gotham or anywhere else, so on the sixth boro what work you see depends entirely on your station.  And my station this particular day was Tchefuncte River’s  Equitable Equipment‘s hull # 1428, delivered in August 1966 as Red Star Towing‘s New Haven.  Now she’s Freddie K. Miller;  I took the foto below just over five years ago when she was Stapleton Service.    I use this foto here because a downside of being on the tow is my inability to get a foto OF the tow.

At 0520 hrs, dawn was sweetest and coolest, from this point a mile south of Miller’s Launch.  When I reported at 0530, the Miller’s yard was already busy.

The crew of Freddie K Miller’s had a job: pick up Weeks Crane Barge 552 and its crew and proceed to the East River ConEd.  By 0615, crew was making the tow.

0645 we were crossing west to east across the Upper Bay.  Buchanan 1 was towing a scow  and

Douglas B. Gurion headed west for passengers.  The ferry is named for a victim of September 11.

0715 . ..  near Red Hook container port, we passed this ex-MSC vessel Transatlantic.  I will post more MSC soon.

0730 . . . we had passed under the Brooklyn Bridge and now could feast on this potpourri of  Manhattan skyline.  Side by side on the right are Gehry’s flowing-facade 8 Spruce (2011) and Gilbert’s spiky-tower (1913).

0745 . . . we pass GMD Shipyard, where morning shift has already started its work on Massachusetts Maritime’s TS Kennedy  (1967).

0815 . . . the crew have tied to the ConEd dock and Weeks’ crew has begun setting the spuds, for stability as the load is transferred.  My very general understanding of this load is that ConEd purchased equipment from  Manufacturer M.  Company A trucked it to the Weeks yard because installation by land (by Company B) was less feasible than installation from water.  Miller’s job was to move equipment on crane barge to ConEd so that Weeks–with collaboration from Company B–could set equipment exactly where it will be used.

0915 . . . first equipment is lifted and rotated over the East River counterclockwise to avoid obstacles on land, and at

0920 . . .  crew guides unit into exact location.  If half an inch off, then lift and get it right.

1010 . . . next piece of equipment is moved.   While the tug stands by with the crane barge, Miller crew does fine carpentry work in wheelhouse.

Since my self-appointed job is to record details, check out Carolina IV, sailing westbound on the East river . . . hailing from Stockholm,  Yes, sailing!  and  . . . yes . . . that Stockholm while

eastbound are Gage Paul Thornton and a floatplane.

1115 . . . heavy-duty pipe elbow gets lifted into place. Tower protruding from the building just right of MetLife is Chrysler Building.

1215 . . . the spuds are up,  the crane boom lowered and secured, Freddie K Miller has spun off the dock and now heads back westbound for the Weeks yard.  If the grayish vessel in the foreground is locally known as a “honey boat,” then this has to be one of the sweetest scenes possible in these parts.

1300 . . . as we approach the Weeks yard we cross Buchanan 12 towing three stone scows, possibly headed for a quarry up the Hudson.

1330 . . . Freddy K Miller is now “light,” having left the barge at the Weeks yard.  Ever Decent is outbound for sea, and by this writing is southbound off Cape Hatteras.

Meanwhile, close to Manhattan, Asphalt Star takes on bunker fuel from a Vane barge.  That black hose . . . that’s like the hose at the pump where you fill your car tank.

By 1400, I’ve said my thanks to the crew of Freddy K Miller —who await their next job on this or another vessel–and the dispatcher, and take a break to examine a familiar sight:  Alice, she who inspired my first ever blogpost!!

Back on the bank and before heading home, I get another shot;  she’s loaded deep with her Canadian aggregates.

Imagine my delight, then, later that day getting a foto from Mike C. of Alice Oldendorff north of the Navy Yard self-unloading her cargo of crushed stone.

Many thanks to all the folks at Miller’s Launch.  Also, thank you Mike for sending along this last foto.  All other fotos by Will Van Dorp.