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.

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.