Retro Sixth Boro NYC Tugboat Races 6

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve not been to the Great North River Tugboat Race since 2014, but in normal times, September 5 would see the next race.  But we’ve dispensed with the “normal times” concept for the time being.

In selecting the batch for this post, I wanted splash, froth, bubbles, and the effervescence the river can react with when tons of steel and thousands of horsepower push through the ever changing water.   The next two photos are from that 2014 race. 

It was overcast during the race, but an hour or so later, when pushing contests were happening and

the wakes flattened out and we sized up USAV MGen. Anthony Wayne, patches of blue appeared.  I should leave you in suspense about how this push went.  Let me put it this way;  they left town not long after the push-off.

2013 was an equally overcast day, and again, not to identify every tugboat in that lineup, it appears that W. O. Decker has either jumped the gun or activated its jet drive and will soon rise up out of the Hudson on her hydrofoil assists. I’d guess the latter.

See what I told you . . . Decker has gone so far ahead that it’s already over the horizon.

Second lap maybe for Decker?

It’s starting to appear that in 2012, as in ’13 and ’14, it was overcast.

It was great to see Buchanan 12, usually burdened with a half dozen stone barges, disencumbered and frothing up the river.  That’s the 1907 Pegasus back there too.

In 2011, I was able to get a photo of the racing craft along with sky spray by one of the fireboats present, likely 343.  What’s remarkable comparing the photo above with the one below is the color of the water;  hurricane Irene had dropped a lot of rain upstate and all the tributaries sent that into the Hudson with tribute in the form of silt.

Quantico Creek and Maurania III did an excellent job of stirring up the water.

But again, it was overcast and hazy over silty water.

However, in 2010, we had blue skies that really accentuated the DonJon boats like Cheyenne and

the harbor colossus, Atlantic Salvor.

In 2009, there were wispy clouds, allowing the “queen of the day” to be Ellen McAllister. But look who else showed up!!!!

Urger.   Urger would EASILY have won the race, but she was doing what she does best . . .  urging all the other boats and crews to be fleeter than she, holding herself back, allowed herself to be that day.

All photos and commentary, WVD. See you at the races in 2022.

 

 

Retro Sixth Boro NYC Tugboat Races 2

I’ll devote a whole post once again to the 2012 races, since I have a  lot of photos.  What I did was look for the most dramatic or interesting photos and, in some cases, re-edited them.  What I didn’t do is go back through the 2012 posts, but you can here if you want.

Again, you can identify these, or I’ll help you if you can’t.  I call this the pre-race cluster, with some even pointing upstream, as if Yonkers would be the finish line.

The cluster continues as more boats arrive.

And then there’s the burn-out, or in this case . . .  froth-out as two Cat D-399s crank out over 2200 hp.

The pack spreads out quickly.  This was almost 60 seconds into the race.  If this were a terrestrial drag race, the contest would already be over and the smoke clearer.

I’m not sure I’d want to be in a kayak, particularly a double, as all this wake translates into wave motion.

A full five minutes into the race, Quantico Creek‘s two Cat 3512 3000 hp power plants take her past the finish line with sturm und drang . . .

Seven minutes into the race . . . they’re still coming.

At the 19-minute mark, the race is over, but the bulls appear to have scores to settle . . .

and next thing you know . . . it’s tugboat rugby!

Tomorrow . . .  how about returning to 2013.

All photos, WVD.

 

Transitioning 2

Here was the first in this series.  And from this morning, what spring cleaning and repainting is this

being done with such high spirits?

Here’s the former Roger Williams getting a springtime makeover.

To me . .  it looks like an Edward Hopper green  . . .

Click here for the transitioning tugboat now Eric R. Thornton in ruby light a few weeks ago.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

 

Really Random Tugs 20

Here’s a range of photos from the present to the unknowable past.  Gage Paul Thornton . . . 1944 equipment working well in adverse 2014 conditions.   Photo by Bjoern Kils of New York Media Boat.

In 2007, McAllister Responder (1967) moved Peking (1911) across the sixth boro for hull inspection.  Photo by Elizabeth Wood.  That’s me standing on port side Peking adjacent to Responder house.

1953 Hobo races in Greenport Harbor in 2007.

A glazed over Gulf Dawn (1966)  inbound from sea passes BlueFin (2010).

Deborah Quinn (1957) awaits in Oyster Bay in 2010.

HP-Otter and HR-Beaver . . .  said to be in C-6 Lock in Fort Edward yesterday.  Photo by tug44 Fred.   New equipment chokes on ancient foe but no doubt will be dried off to run again.  Compare this photo with the fourth one here.

Unidentified tug on Newburgh land’s edge back in 2009.  I’ve been told it’s no longer there.

Unidentified wooden tug possibly succumbing to time in August  2011.

Ditto.  Wish there was a connection with a past here.

Thanks to Bjoern, Elizabeth, and Fred for their photos.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

 

Landmarks 5

Here was 4.

So I ‘ve had a problem today:  I tried to do a portrait of Gage Paul Thornton, and that tall building and confederates jumped in the way.

I took another . ..  and the green lady interrupted.

I attempt a solo shot of James Turecamo, and the green lady AND the orange ferry need to get involved.

So I thought I’d try it again . . . a bowshot of the 1930 charter yacht Diplomat . . . same effect.

Ditto . . . Dorothy J.  Well, maybe background context is important  . . . like to show that the New york York Media Boat is timely as well as punctual

or

maybe it’s time to listen what the woodchuck told me yesterday, go home, polish my lens, have some really hot tea . . . and wait for warm sunshine.

All photo by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 124

Huron Service (1981) sailed into the springy morning it was.

Chesapeake Coast (2012) lit up the dawn this morning.

McAllister Responder (1967) and Gage Paul Thornton  (1944)  met in the KVK last Saturday.    Click here for Gage Paul‘s long history, during one part of which she carried the name Elizabeth McAllister.

Joyce D. Brown (2002) passes Stolt Jade.

HMS Liberty (1978)  . . .was originally a freshwater tug, one of two operating in the sixth boro for Harley, a company mostly based on the west coast but expanding.

Houma (1970) like many of the vessels in this post, has operated under a long list of companies.

Gulf Coast (1982) enters the KVK from the east this morning before 9 a.m.

A parting shot of the vessel that started today’s post . . .  Huron Service, headed to refuel.

All photos taken the last few days by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 123

It’s Margot, last included on this blog here.  Guess the location?

And a former fleet mate of Frances, it’s  Catherine Turecamo . ..  with Gage Paul Thornton way in the background.

Here’s a closer-up of Gage Paul with Robbins Light in the background.

New York Central No. 13 . . . changing at a glacial pace and probably regressing, not progressing.   My last photo of this boat might be here.

Here’s Robert leaving the sixth boro this morning with a tow that

includes dredge McCaskill, which I previously featured here high and dry  and here from the inside.

East Coast meets west coast this morning alongside Corossol.

The newer Dean headed eastbound on the KVK and

and finally . .  another configuration of Marjorie B. McAllister.

All photos taken this week by Will Van Dorp.

Oh . . . Margot‘s location in the first photo is Tottenville NY, with Outerbridge Crossing in the background.

Ice 3

Here was a post I did four years ago.  Scroll through and the second image from last is an icebreaking run I did with Cornell in the Kingston NY area.  Here were my posts Ice 2 and the first Ice.

Below . . . a foto from Gerard Thornton showing Gary Nelson on Gage Paul Thornton.  Gary seems to be keeping relatively good humor in spite of the cold.

Gulf Dawn returns a dredge scow to the AK.

See the icicles on an anchor which less than a month ago was splashed with tropical water.

Margaret and Laura K. Moran assist Valle Azzurra in from sea.

McAllister Sisters heads upriver with

RTC 60 and –I’m speculating– lots of heating oil for New York state homes.

McAllister Girls –here passing Sassafras–is a boat I haven’t seen in a while.

Thanks to Gerard Thornton for the first foto;  all others by Will Van Dorp, who believes that one reason to put up such cold fotos  is so that we can look back in July and feel delightfully cooled by these images.

Sixth Boro Snow Day 4

OK, here’s tomorrow’s post today . . . Wednesday’s news coming on Tuesday.  The snow happened today, so let’s see it today.

Here was 3.  And another snowy post.  The first three fotos here come compliments of Brian DeForest.  Here, hanging on the wall are Hunting Creek and Coastline Bay Star.

Davis Sea–I believe–is practically invisible to the naked eye.  Here was Davis Sea as a K-Sea vessel almost four years ago.

Scotty Sky passing alongside the aptly named Alpine Loyalty.

Brooklyn at the #9 buoy.

And Hoechst Express inbound from sea.

By late morning, the snow was slowing down in the sixth boro, here on the landside of Gage Paul Thornton and Thornton Bros.

Many thanks to Brian DeForest for the top three fotos;  the others by Will Van Dorp.

Snow is snow and not the same is ice, but cold weather makes me want to keep a watch on this site for the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, which always has the news on iceboating in the Hudson Valley.

Fog 11

10 was just over exactly a year ago, and my first “fog” post fotos were taken over six years ago here.    This autumn dawn brought fog and horns . . . horns that could be heard, with echoes, and felt.  Eukor Morning Conductor seemed asleep to shore folk

as Anna L. Miller motored by.

On the KVK, Gage Paul Thornton chugged to an appointment as Bow Summer , which I last saw in springtime Panama, made all lines fast.

Mary Alice towed more Kills bottom out to sea.

Finally, the loudest and deepest horn came into view.

attached to Americas Spirit, a name of a befogged yet moving vessel which I’ll avoid attributing too much symbolic meaning to.

Taurus passes Robbins Reef Light.

And Americas Spirit came closer.

She was so close to this shore observer that two of her crew could be clearly seen on the bridge wing.

Barbara McAllister spun her stern to put the tanker portside to at the dock.  More of these docking fotos tomorrow.

And Hunting Creek also made her way from Brooklynside to Bayonneside.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.