Kodi Close Up

I’ve seen this tug before, but each previous time it was either engaged or more than a mile away, and this tug, large in spirit but not in actual dimensions . . . at a distance of over a mile, well . . . loses detail.  This time is it really close and light.

So here are photos from my fortunate encounter the other day.  Guess the dimensions?

She does share some lines with an older but larger sibling, product of the same G-H yard, Benjamin Elliot.

 

Seeing her pass, each time she passes, I remembered a song.

It was a great day.

All photos and sentiments, WVD

Pilots 10

What happens if you build a pilot boat in Massachusetts to be used on the Great Lakes?  It needs to get to its place of use.

Thanks to the NY Media Boat, I got these photos this week as the Huron Spirit hurried through

the sixth boro.   North of the watery boro, I was invited to ride through the Erie Canal  before it closes on November 20.

Above is the wall above lock 16 and below, it’s the approach to lock 19, where you have to first duck under the triple-track rail bridge.

The photo below, taken at lock 21, was Wednesday afternoon.  By now, the newest Gladding Hearn pilot boat has exited the Canal and is making its way up the Great Lakes chain.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who wrote this story on the Lakes Pilots.

Random Tugs 170

Here’s a seldom-seen tugboat, delivered in 1977 by Gladding Hearn, who builds everything from rowboats to pilot boats to tugboats . . .   it’s Tappan Zee II, 

dedicated to serving the bridges  (for now, plural) and waters called the Tappan Zee.  In the distance is the renowned Left Coast Lifter.

Here’s a photo of Patriot, which had a mishap the next day from when I took the photo.

 

Here’s Fred Johannsen, formerly known as Marco Island.

 

Here comes Kimberly Poling with Edwin A. Poling, rounding the bend between West Point and Garrison.   Can anyone identify the yellow/tan house on the ridge line?

 

In roughly the same location, it’s Mister Jim with some very deep stone scows.

 

And I’ll end today’s post with an unidentified tugboat near Newburgh.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who’s back in the sixth boro but recapitulating the trip west . . . a task which could take a month.

I hope to see some of you at the screening of Graves of Arthur Kill at the the Staten Island ferry terminal on August 13.

 

 

Heidi

Now this is minimal.  If I had a use for it or lived where I could at least use it every day, I’d want to get it.

And all you illustrators out there looking for a winsome character . . . listen to me:   if I were an illustrator, here would be my next subject.  It’s modest in size, offers negligible protection from the weather,  and sports those huge old fashioned port lights . . .  as delightful as the eyes of

an owl or baby parrot or puppy that’ll grow huge.

To get into the realm of fact, she’s a 1957 Gladding Hearn product and has a 1956 sibling named Brian, which is supposedly still around and I’d love to see also. She’s older relative of lots of pilot boats and small tugboats.    And emergency boats and passenger vessels.

 

Anyone have any photos of Heidi and siblings back when she was a Perini?  And is this the same Perini Corporation now?

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated and on a sadder note, click here for Rick Spilman’s “old salt blog’s” tribute to Peter Stanford, who passed yesterday at age 89.  Two years ago, I was pleased to review Mr. Stanford’s book, A Dream of Tall Ships, here.

Gallant

Back in September 2007, I was paying attention to the green Gladding-Hearn 1966 Dragon, when a schooner with tanbark sails entered my field of view, and what

a schooner she was.  I never got any nearer than to take the photo below. Twice, however, I got requests for copies of that photo.  Fulfilling the more recent request led to an invitation to see the boat, which had undergone a long restoration process, and sans masts was back in the water.

So here she is, two weeks ago in Friendship Maine.  Drool . . . .

Click here for some specs.  Her name is Gallant and she’s actually only slightly older than Dragon and built less than 15 miles from GH, as the gull flies.

I’m eager to see her masts stepped and sails bellied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Don Zappone for the tour of this sweet schooner.

Government Boats 31

Today’s post relates directly to the very first one in this series.  NYPD’s newest vessel is a Gladding-Hearn gem.  Any guesses on her speed?

As I watched this morning, she was doing a consistent 40.1 knots . . . heading here in the direction of Jamaica Bay!  For the specifics on her 3200 hp propulsion system, click here.   In the distance, that’s Twin Tube delivering supplies to Voge Paul, a Philippines-built bulker bound for Albany.

I’m not willing to enumerate all the Gladding-Hearn boats that have appeared on this blog over the years, but many tugs, pilot boats, fast ferries, and government boats are among the +400 vessels turned out by the shipyard in over a half century, but if you wish, scroll through here and see which ones you recognize.    Recently, six of their pilot boats were delivered to the Colombian Navy.

The new NYPD vessel is called 628 Dillon Stewart.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.