Non-Random Tugs 15

By numbers of boats, Vane Brothers has the largest fleet operating in the sixth boro, or maybe it just seems that way because the boats appear uniform, but there are subtle differences in size, power, vintage, and some of you know what else.  It helps to think of this fleet as several classes, not all of which are shown in this post.  The classes here are Elizabeth Anne, since 2015; Patapsco, since 2004;  and Sassafras, since 2008;  here I’ll abbreviate these classes as  EA, PTS, and SAS. 

Elizabeth Anne is now part of the Vane NW fleet working on the Salish Sea aka Puget Sound.  Both Patapsco and Sassafras, now Steven Wayne and George Holland, respectively,  have been sold out of the Vane fleet.  

Nanticoke was launched in 2004, 4200 hp,  and 95′ x 43.’  These are common to all/most PTS class.  Assisting here is Fort McHenry, 2016, 3000 hp, and 90′ x 32,’ standard for SAS class. 

Philadelphia dates from 2017, 4200 hp, 95′ x 34,’ standard for the EA class. 

Wye River is a 2008 PTS-class boat, 4200 and 96′ x 34.’  I’m not sure of that 96′ loa number. 

Choptank is a 2006 PTS boat. 

Elk River is a 2009 SAS boat. 

New York is a 2017 EA boat.  I took this photo in the Black Rock Canal, in Buffalo. This is the only non-sixth boro image in this post.

Cape Fear is 2018 SAS boat.  Fort McHenry in the distance has been mentioned above. 

Charleston is 2018 EA.

Pocomoke is a 2008 PTS.

Fells Point is a 2014 SAS boat. 

Kings Point is SAS, 2014.   Jacksonville is a 2018 EA boat. 

And to close for now, Fort Schuyler is a 2015 SAS boat. 

All photos, any errors, WVD.  Transiting the sixth boro now and then and some stick around, Vane Brothers has at least three other classes of boats in their fleet.

A previous all-Vane post can be found here. 

 

Sixth Boro Details 12

Here are previous posts in the series.

Look closely at the image of William F. Fallon Jr. below;  something is unusual there.

Note that Bluefin below is juxtaposed with the Whale on shore. The Whale might be an interesting location to visit someday.

Bayonne Drydock has Schuylkill high and dry and Go Discovery along the bulkhead.

Hull design and bridge configuration are unusual.  Who designed this vessel?

Big rocks

await some jetty project, I suppose.  Anyone know where?

See the difference in ladder configuration between Charleston and

Jacksonville?  Both boats are Elizabeth Anne class boats, so why the difference in ladders?

Since 2014, October has been breast cancer awareness month, a tradition begun by Moran. 

Other companies like Kirby and Bouchard joined in previous years as well. 

 

This year so far, Stasinos is the only other company I’ve seen mark awareness of the disease this year.  Have I missed anyone?

Finally, getting back to the Fallon photo that led off this post.  Fallon is a pin boat, and yet, she’s attached to the barge Long Island with push gear.  Does this combination really operate this way?  I’m just curious.

All photos and questions, any errors, WVD.

 

Newest Hull (s) in the Sixth Boro 8

Janice Ann Reinauer came on line at some point in the past few months, but this is my first viewing light.

She’s bigger and more powerful than the previous boat by that name:  113′ x 35′ v. 82′ x 24′ and 4720 hp v. 2200.

She might be a carbon copy of the 2013 Dean Reinauer, in the distance, although I’m sure upgrades have been built in.

Cape Fear came into service right about the same time as Janice Ann.

She’s one of two of the latest 3000 hp in the Vane fleet;  her twin in Cape May, which I’ve not seen.

Here Cape Fear goes into the notch, alongside Potomac to her starboard side . . . as Jacksonville passes.  Potomac and Jacksonville are 4200 hp boats.

 

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 305

I’m always on the lookout for “first-timers” in the harbor, but I’m equally thrilled to see the “seldom-seen.”  I realize that some people might see these boats everyday. The “seldom-seen” relates to me.

This is true of Pelham.  The 1960 built is on her sixth name, if I count right.  She started out as Esso Pelham.  You’ll have to scroll, but here are a number of times I’ve posted photos of her, in and out of the water.

Evelyn Cutler, a 1973 build,  is a frequenter on this site.  When I first saw her, she was a Great Lakes Dock and Dredge boat called Melvin E. Lemmerhirt.

In the few months that this boat has been know as Mackenzie Rose, she appears to stay quite busy.  That’s a good thing.

Rae also fits into the rarely seen list, although maybe she was laid up and is now busy again.  Meeting her here is Normandy. Rae and Normandy were built in 1952  and 2007, respectively.

Philadelphia and

Jacksonville are both recent 4200 hp Vane boats.  Jacksonville, 2018, is one year newer than Philadelphia.

I first saw the 1981 Genesis Victory as Huron Service.  Periodically, some of the Genesis boats do make their way into Lake Huron and beyond.

As i said earlier, Mackenzie Rose is quite busy.  Does anyone know her namesake?  I don’t.

Frederick E. Bouchard is the second boat to carry that name.  She was built in 2016 and operates with 6140 hp, but

these days she looks quite light and her exposed waterline somewhat rusty.

Barney Turecamo, the fourth (?) boat to carry that name, brings 5100 hp to the job.  When she was built in 1995, she had a different upper wheelhouse.

All photos, WVD, and taken in the past month.

 

Random Tugs 290

Nathan G comes toward the Narrows with

a max loaded scow.

B. Franklin Reinauer heads into the Kills

 

Hunting Creek heads west and

Jacksonville, east.  By the way, what is that blue flag halfway up the mast above?

N is for Nicholas Vinik coming by to

to assist Genesis Victory with GM 6506 out of IMTT.

And we’ll hold it up here.

Remember my virtual tour.  It’s 45-50 minutes, no advertisements, and you get to ask questions.

You’ll travel through time and space Tuesday, May 26, and if you can’t listen in then, it’ll be archives so you can listen whenever you feel like.  Book it, please.  It’ll answer every question except . . . where Sal was born.

 

Random Tugs 279

Radar helps when you can’t see in the fog, but

even on a clear day, you can’t see the crew operating this 2013 2000 hp tugboat, or its history . . . how it got to become a fixture in the sixth boro.

Ditto this 1994 tug, operating with 3000 hp.  Here Kimberly Poling is docked, and the outside viewer knows no reason why.

Brian Nicholas was launched under a different name before Nixon was elected.  If only one could be privy to all the conversations and dramas even happened aboard.

Mister Jim was based for 30 years in the Gulf of Mexico, although without looking at her logbooks, who knows where all she worked.

Ellen McAllister has the distinction in this post of having been launched before Nixon was elected also AND worked both sides of the Atlantic, and I would suspect she’s appeared on this blog more times than any other of the machines here, but still . . . even I, what do I know about her quirks and feats?

Helen Laraway, unless I tell you, would you know that she was working before Kennedy was elected POTUS?  And with rehabbing and repowering . . . she’s as good as new, I believe, and working hard for a 63-year-old.

James E. Brown is the youngster of this post, built in a fishing village originally called Coq d’Inde, now anglicized.

Finally, back in the fog . . .  It’s Stephanie Dann, a product of the Carter era.  As to these dates and use of POTUSes as time references, it’s not political, but you’ll see my point here in tomorrow’s post.

And yes, all photos and info here by Will Van Dorp.

 

April Fish 2

 

Well, maybe your subscription to something has expired, but reading tugster requires no subscription, and no lucre flows into tugster tower from your –I hope–daily habit of checking in here.

It is April first, and I quite like the day. Here was what I did April 1, 2010, and here  . . . .   the day in 2009.  I don’t always mark it, although once I shifted focus of the blog entirely to trucks, the first time.  That generated a bit of hate mail . . . which led to a whole new division of tugster, i.e., trickster. which autocorrect always wants to spell incorrectly.  Truckster it is.

Since you’re here, let me share some miscellaneous photos.  Sea Hunter has recently turned up near the McAllister yard.  I posted my photos of Sea Hunter as she appeared in Boston three years ago here.  Anyone know what fate she’s hunting for in the sixth boro?  Also, on the photo below, there’s the Atlantic Trader barge.  That’s  the short-sea shipping hull I last saw in 2015 here.

Here’s a dense shot:  near to far, the far tugs are Crystal Cutler, Jacksonville, Navigator, and another unidentified Vane tugboat.

So while I’m at it, let me share some mail.

From Phil Gilson, an article about fast US Navy vessels converted into shallow draft speedy banana boats, and that’s no April Fools joke.  See it here.

And finally here’s an oldie-but-goodie from Steve Munoz.   Jane McAllister (1968) and Margaret M McAllister (1928, converted from steam to diesel in 1957)  assist a Sealand ship in Port Elizabeth back in 1986.  Note the Old Bay Draw is still bissecting Newark Bay in that shot.

Thanks to Phil for the story/link and Steve for the photo.

The other photos by Will Van Dorp, and inscribed in tugster tower by invisible watermarks.

 

Random Tugs 243

I missed Josephine Reinauer (actually I saw her but couldn’t get a clear shot)  when she visited town recently, but I did catch Jacksonville, the latest Vane machine in the harbor.

For some reason I expected her to look different, but it’s an Elizabeth Anne class tug, which’ll look a lot like most of the rest of the Vane fleet.

Eric and the other McAllister escort tugs have been quite busy recently.

Ernest Campbell has been here about a half year doing bunkering, I believe.

Trevor usually works as a dredge tender, focusing on the Jersey shore this fall.

Brooklyn was called Brooklyn Service when I first discovered the sixth boro.

Daisy Mae is just over a year old.

Normandy came to the sixth born from Colombia a few years ago.

Rowan has been working in the sixth boro of late.

In fact, almost seven years ago, it was Rowan that brought Patrice McAllister into the boro after the tragic fire during her delivery from the Great Lakes to this salt water.  These days, Patrice is looking great.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who has heard about but not yet seen Hunter D.