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What interested me in this incoming vessel was its fleet: Spliethoff, and the name–Dijksgracht–makes her a D-type. Her D-type fleetmates can be found here. As to cargo, I imagined she might be bringing wood pulp.
But when she came into view, another secret was revealed: she had a deckload of yachts on a voyage that left Turkey just before Christmas and Genoa just before New Years. It seemed counterintuitive, however, that a yacht carrier was heading north up the North River and Hudson as snow was flying up there. Boats in cold New York/Jersey are hauled out and shrink-wrapped now.
I can’t identify the make of the yachts, but that brand of tank forward is certainly Turkish.
Lines . . . design . . .
these yachts–with their interstellar styling–are not for me, even if I had the budget.
But what astounded me was the speed of the vessel . . . it was doing 17 knots under the VZ and continued with astonishing speed farther upriver.
Who knows . . . maybe there’s a snow regatta upriver somewhere.
If you’re interested, the “gracht” part of this name means “canal,” and trust me . . . pronouncing the “cht” in the western Netherlands dialect involves some “throat-scraping” you might say.
As the vessel passed the Javits Center midday today, I was wondering if any of these will be transported back here for the upcoming boat show in two weeks . . . Too bad there’s not a pier right off Javits.
All photos, WVD.
The Spliethoff Group is comprised of other fleets such as BigLift; you might recall BigLift Baffin was in town a few months back. A smaller class of BigLift vessels all have names beginning with Happy, like Happy River, Happy Dynamic–which I caught hauling yachts out of the sixth boro, and a favorite Happy Buccaneer. Two previous “gracht” vessels on this blog can be seen here. And a previous Dutch general cargo vessel with a deckload of sailing yachts . . . here.
Today will be a two-post day. Here’s the first one, and it follows on this May update. These photos come thanks to Kevin Oldenburg. The next post will come in an hour.
She was headed up to Feeney’s Shipyard in the Rondout for a continuation of the conversion from oil spill response vessel to pilot boat mother ship. Atone point, she was identical to New Jersey Responder or Deep Blue Responder.
Unlike her move back in May, only a few miles, this time she traveled under her own power. And travel she did . . . . 13 knots worth.
Hat tip to Kevin. Previous photos attributed to Kevin can be found here.
The whole trip, dock to dock, lasted almost exactly 24 hours, although given some delays, it could have been a few hours shorter. Call this post “day and night,” or more accurately, “day, night, and day.” Here was part a.
Let’s start some hours later on day 1. Most river traffic does not draw spectators like this did.
Even the family dog came out.
Twelve or so hours after that, a blistering summer sun had given way to the Thunder moon, here lighting a path northeastward from Staten Island. I took this photo before 0500.
After biding time for a few hours here,
Nathan G let go lines and Slater began the final leg of the trip to the yard; Sarah D is over there, but the illusion is almost that Slater is underway on her own power,
watchman mimicking deck gun, pointing the way.
Once in the KVK, a blazing summer sun returned, replacing the Thunder moon.
Pier assignment received, the tugs eased the destroyer escort into the dock.
Many thanks to Bill Stolfi and Steve Munoz for the first three photos; the sixth boro harbor photos by WVD.
Did I remember I’d seen her before in the same estuary and in the same time of year?
No, but I had.
Did I know the difference between bitumen and asphalt?
No. But now I do.
Keeping a daily blog of my sights and evolving understanding of them brings wonder. Did I know the reference in the name, Da Ming Shan?
No, but I’ve since learned it . . . a place as satisfying maybe as the Hudson Highlands. Should you care? Not really, but I’m glad I looked these things up.
Bon voyage, watch stander…
as you head for Gibraltar and beyond.
All photos and musing by Will Van Dorp, who’s written about freshwater asphalt haulers here.
Here’s a company I’ve not encountered before . . . LMZ.
LMZ Europa was northbound at Stuyvesant as we passed, and following her
were James Turecamo and
Turecamo Girls, both
have been regulars down near the mouth of the Hudson, but these days the
main ship assist horsepower up in this part of the River. As it turned out, the ship had completed discharging cargo in Coeymans (named for the Koijemans family) and was headed north only briefly to spin around.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who hopes to see them again in these parts a few weeks farther toward winter.
Click here for the 43 previous posts if you don’t understand the title. If your thoughts on being the image below were of high heels sans the rest of the impractical shoe, mine were the same. Of course, you can read Weeks 526 clear as day, so . . . whatzit?
Here’s a bit more context. That’s the Hudson River, old pilings for old Pier 55, I believe, just north of old Pier 54.
Piers of Manhattan once welcomed ships and ferries, cargo and passengers transitioned between land and water there. Then people patterns changed and these piers little by little have transformed.
So what is it?!@#@!!
Come back in a few years and hang out at new Pier 55, the on–then off–then on again park idea funded for $250 million by Barry Diller. The project reminds me of the vessel, another Heatherwick Studio creation.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, with a cell phone. I’ve been losing a grip on patterns these days myself.
Before I started blogging, Pier 54 hosted the Nomadic Museum, for a half year or so. I loved it.
Two days ago, the compact 1969 Jay Bee V (38′ x 12′ x 5′) set out on a journey that’ll be followed on this blog.
Hint: It’s even a bit smaller than, for example, 1930 W. O. Decker (50′ x 15′ x 6′), which has some enclosed living space, compared with Jay Bee V‘s lack thereof.
Arguably, Jay Bee V and W. O. Decker have occupied the same niche in harbor work, although at different eras.
I’ve seen Jay Bee V working at Caddell’s back in 2016 here and in 2015 here.
That looks like a bundle of new line for towing or tackle to me.
As I said, Jay Bee V is setting out on what may be its greatest ever journey.
She’ll exit the Kills and turn for the North River.
And if you’re wondering where she’s headed . . . she’ll spend some time on the New York State Canals, where I hope to see her next week.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
I’ll explain this photo and the title at the end of this post.
The big move began yesterday on schedule, timed with the tides, I was told, to fit the cargo under some of the Hudson River bridges . . .
The cargo was gussied up with sponsors much like you’d see on a NASCAR racer.
Three tugs accompany the Mormac 400 barge.
On the stern were Daisy Mae and Mister Jim.
Underneath the entire cargo were tires; I counted about 32 “axles,” each with with duals, and I’m not sure how many sets of duals across there are. Maybe someone has the correct number.
After getting photos in New Baltimore, I crossed the river and got the rest of these in Hudson NY.
On the bow, CMT Pike (1979) guides the load.
Mister Jim (1982) and Daisy Mae (2017) power the tow from the stern.
Here, unfortunately backlit, the tow passes the Hudson-Athens Light.
Hudson has quite the interesting history, and a spectator I talked with said the port missed becoming the state capital by three votes. The architecture of the town is visit-worthy.
So you might still be wondering about the title and the top photo. Here’s the story: as I focused on taking the photos in Hudson, on the shore with a dozen other folks, I heard a chant. “USA USA USA” from a group of kids who were in the park enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I can’t say how the chanting started, but they were certainly looking at this large cargo and noticing the “union made in the USA” sign, and pumping their arms, dancing, and chanting loud enough to get a reaction from some folks on the tugs. My guess is that it was spontaneous. As a friend of mine would say: “Neat!!”
And the cargo, here’s an informative article from Workboat. It’s a heat-recovery steam generator bound for Bridgeport CT; as of this writing (0515 Tuesday), the tow is approaching Newburgh. The schedule has it at the GW at 1700 this afternoon and anchored at the Statue by 2000 (8 pm), departing for the East River at 0300 Wednesday.
The photo below offers a view from the stern of Mister Jim, thanks to Ashley Hutto.
For some previous interesting cargoes moved by CMT tugs, click here (for beer) and here (for a previous HRSG).
Pre-foliage spring is optimal time for seeing the landmarks along the Hudson. This one is near Wilderstein (scroll), but I’d never seen it before.
Esopus Meadows cannot be missed either down bound or up. Get on the wrong side, and you’ll regret ever being here. Click here for tugster posts showing the light in all the seasons.
I wonder what the crew on the anchored bulker thought of the Beaux-Arts structure on the bank. I wonder what some of foreign crews coming up river think of the river as a whole?
Comet heads northbound with segments of dismantled TZ Bridge. The first specific example I’ve heard of reuse is here, in Mount Vernon.
At first glance, I thought this was odd snow accumulation on the banks,
closer up . . . an auto auction lot.
Tilcon operates one of the most conspicuous quarries along the river, seen here last week from the water and here
from the train. Quarrying has been a major activity along the river. And here finally I see the derivation of “trap rock,” which this crushed aggregate is sometimes called: trap, as in stairs, for all those Dutch speakers out there.
I’ve been curious about this large crane near Chelsea NY since last summer. Now my best guess is that it’s related to NYC Water Tunnel No. 3. Any DEP readers help out?
Just below the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, we meet the Buchanan 12 and her herd of barges, heading up to Tilcon for trap rock. For many more views of Buchanan 12, click here. We met her just as she left the sublime highlands.
Of all the many posts I’ve mentioned Bannerman’s in, here and here are my favorites. For close-ups, click here. In this era of gun questions, here’s an article with specifics of his unregulated trade.
Breakneck Ridge looked particularly ominous with afternoon sun cast shadows. It appears MTA trains will stop there if you have a ticket.
And movement on a ridge in Little Stony Point . . . a photographer. Like me. And the “point” . . . it was once an island.
South of here, more beautiful scenery awaited, but I got distracted and took no more photos in the fading light of late afternoon.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
Here’s a Hudson down bound set of three posts I did five years ago, in a different season.
This trip starts at Scarano’s just south of Albany, where a crew picked up excursion boat Kingston for delivery to Manhattan. Last fall after delivery up bound, I posted these landmarks.
Spirit of Albany (1966), operated by the Albany Port District Commission, is a regular for the Waterford Tugboat Roundup parade.
High above Castleton, name going back to Henry Hudson, is that Sacred Heart Church?
Two bridges cross just north of Coeymans are the Berkshire Spur of the NY Thruway and the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge, the furthest south operational rail bridge over the Hudson.
Katherine Walker performs spring buoy planting south of Coxsackie.
I’ve heard a story behind the “parked” marine equipment in Athens NY, but need a refresher. Anyone explain how this came to be frozen in time here? The view is only possible if your draft allows you to navigate the channel on the west side of Middle Ground Flats.
Hudson-Athens Light is one of the lighthouses saved from demolition at a point when all lights were being automated. Back when I did more hiking, I looked down on the Hudson and some of these landmarks from the heights, in “what Rip saw,” as in the long sleeper.
South of Catskill Creek, you can see snow still covering the slopes of the Catskills.
Marion Moran pushes Bridgeport upbound. That’s the east shore of the Hudson beyond her.
By the time we get to Saugerties, snow seems to be creating whiteout conditions on the Catskill escarpement.
We head south, here meeting Fells Point pushing Doubleskin 302.
All photos by Will Van Dorp. For more on the lighthouses, click here. In the next in the series, we head farther south.
And for what it’s worth, I’m still in the market for some “seats” photos.
tugster: a waterblog 
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