Random Tugs 358

I’m posting early today and can’t guarantee I’ll be able to move this on to FB the next few days because I’m traveling.  So, sign up to get new posts straight to your email.  Also check the note at the end of this post.

Here’s one that got away:  the tug to the right is the 1975 Mary Emma, ex-Evening Light.  I’d been waiting in St George hoping she’d move from Mariner’s Harbor eastbound.  Finally I gave up and boarded the ferry.  Partway to Whitehall, I noticed she was headed east, right past where I’d been.  Once in Whitehall I boarded the next ferry south, hoping to get photos near the St George side.  It’s not a great shot and it would have been if only I’d stayed put . . .   but life is full of as many missed opportunities as fulfilled ones. 

Sarah Dann (1983) recently made a big move of a crane from Wisconsin to Maine, a longer trip by water than by land.   Two years ago, she made another long tow with components for a refinery.

Franklin Reinauer (1984) has been based in the boro and carried that name since she came out of the shipyard.

Osprey (1961) is a recent newcomer to the sixth boro.

Christian Reinauer (2001) is the most powerful of this batch, with 7200 hp moving her payload.

A year ago Eastern Dawn (1978) was still painted white.

Andrea (1999) came here without the upper wheelhouse.

Thomas D. Witte (1961) and James E. Brown (2015) pass each other in the Back Channel.

Diane B (1980) seemed to drift through this part of the channel the other day. 

And finally, I believe,  Morton S. Bouchard IV (2004) is the only remaining Bouchard tugboat over at the stack in Stapleton. When will her transformation to Jesse Rose begin?

All photos, WVD, who has left the boro for a while.

By the way, a few days ago I made up some 2022 calendars, of which 17 are left for sale. I used a subjective process for selection this time. More details later but if you’re interested, email me your interest and your address. Send no money at this time, please, but prices will likely be up a tad because, of course, politics.

Random Tugs 357

Quick photo tribute to the variety of the sixth boro . . . with Kirby and Jonathan C. heading for an assist,

Diane B moving petroleum product to the creek terminals,

James E. pushing a mini scow,

Durham moving a scow named Wheezer,

Curtis returning fro the base to her barge,

Gregg assisting Lady Malou, now heading from the sixth boro to Panama,

B. Franklin returning to her barge,

another shot of Durham pushing Wheezer,

and here, finally my first close-up view of this Osprey.

All photos, last week, WVD, who found this story of a bizarre deal involving the Canadian CG buying a light icebreaker from Turkmenistan!!?

 

Dense Traffic 6

I’m surprised I’ve not used this title in almost a year, since the thought often comes my way that some very busy waterways exist in the sixth boro.  Like below with the four Moran tugs and one tanker.  Since three are headed to the left, you might be wondering why.  Easy . . .  those three–JRT, Kimberly, Margaret— are assisting an incoming ship, the single tug, Jonathan C,  in the foreground heading to the right will soon assist another ship coming in.  Polar Cod–a great name–is transferring petroleum product.

Here’s that incoming ship, exciting the birds as the ship and maybe stirring up the menhaden and their predators below.  We’ll get back to this.

Here’s a closer up of that fish/bird stirring ship, a torrent called Torrente.   Portside the ship is Mary Turecamo, and starboard, it’s the Belford-based Osprey. 

And here’s the most dense photo, eight tugboats from four different companies, two loaded container ships, and one tanker, all in less than two miles of waterway.

Getting back to all those birds and fish in the Con Hook Range . . .  a lot of people in small boats are putting their baited hooks in the water there.

Unrelated:  An unconfirmed report with this photo below says the 1912 Argo sank in Long Island Sound off Wading River NY on November 1.  Can anyone confirm that this happened?  I looked for a report but couldn’t find one anywhere.  To see a photo I took of it underway in the sixth boro just over 10 years ago, click here. And here, taken in June 2011.

The photo below was posted by Steve Adkins and said to be taken by USCG responding to the distress.

All photos except the last one, WVD.

Newest Hull in the Sixth Boro 10

Here are previous iterations, newest hulls that have become less new hulls. 

Look closely just forward of the ferry and you’ll see a ready-made caption that this ferry is NEW.

I’m also pretty sure this is the first post featuring Dann Ocean’s Colonel.

The ferry departed the shipyard in panhandle Florida only eight days before.  For outatowners, the Staten Island ferry is free, over 200 years old, and was partly owned at one point by Cornelius Vanderbilt.  This new ferry cost just over $100 million;  two more of the class will follow.

Here are more facts about the SI Ferry.

The ferry’s namesake is a Staten Island native who died in Afghanistan almost exactly eight years ago;  for the story of SSG. Michael H. Ollis, click here.

 

The ferry was eased into the docks at Caddell Dry Dock yesterday by Colonel, James E. Brown, and Ruby M.  At Caddell’s, the plywood will be removed from lower windows and the SSG Michael H. Ollis will be prepared for service.

All photos, WVD, who hopes to hop a ride some day soon.

 

Random Tugs 337

Because the name and focus of this blog is tugster, you’d expect to see a lot of tugboats, both within the confines of New York harbor, aka the REAL sixth boro, and I hope you are satisfied that you find a plethora of tugboats in installments of this blog.  So here’s Random Tugs #337, post 4877, and the tugboat is Foxy 3 moving an aggregate scow.

In the foreground, it’s Crystal Cutler;  off in the distance it’s Normandy.

Diane B here heads east with a cargo in John Blanche.  I did an article on this unit some years back.

Joyce D. Brown pushes an empty scow east.  Notice anything on the scow that identifies it?  See the end of this post.

James E. Brown passed sister Joyce D. that morning in the Kills.

Franklin Reinauer that morning may or may not have been under control of the author of a tugboat captain who shared his tales a few years back.  I will stay mum. Off to the left, that’s Capt. Brian A. McAllister.

HMS Liberty muscled a barge full of bunkers to deliver to a thirsty ship over in New Jersey.

Centerline operates both Liberty above and HMS Justice below.

Susan Miller moves some material and equipment over to the project just west of the St. George ferry terminal.

Brendan Turecamo heads over to the next and the next and the next job.

Bruce A. McAllister assists a container ship into port.

Bergen Point came off the ways at Blount Shipbuilding way back in 1958.

So that scow Joyce was pushing above is called Maria and

this logo says it was once in the Disch fleet, now sold off in many directions.

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 329

Sea Fox as a cold front moves across the Upper Bay.

Mary Turecamo off to the next job.

Dorothy J returns from an assist.  I’ve lots more photos of the assist to post soon.

Joyce and James eastbound in the KVK to start the work day.

Dean Reinauer heads over to fuel up.

Kings Point going over to Gowanus Bay.

Brooklyn going to pick up her barge.

Fells Point returning from a job.

The very busy Patrice waiting for a ship as Dobrin heads over to her daily projects.

The always moving Brendan making money, as all these boats and crews are. 

And finally Sea Lion outbound in the Lower Bay.

All photos, WVD.

 

Other Peoples Photos 83

This series I use to feature others’ photos that are different from what I typically shoot, different in either location or perspective or subject.  I am very grateful to you, readers,  when you send these photos in.

David Silver sent this in just yesterday, taken in Norfolk.

Down in Norfolk, Mike Vinik and Rhino had just finished a tow there, and stopped by David’s workplace. I visited Vinik No. 6, Mike, and Rhino earlier this year, although it seems several years ago now. In case you’re wondering, Rhino weighs in at a trim 140 pounds.

Xlime promenaded along the East River  in Brooklyn the other day and saw some sights.   She writes:  “I happened upon three Brown tugs this morning – Thomas, who’s always so picturesque and the mighty James and Joyce (a literary pairing) who I’ve seen together twice now bringing reinforcements to the piers project in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I happened to be on Pier 3 this morning when they pulled up. Okay, maybe I doubled back when I realized where they were going. “

I’d never thought about the literary ring of these names. 

 

A few (2013!!) years ago Brad Ickes sent me photos of Cable Queen.   Recently she was hauled out and here are the photos he sent.  Brad writes:  “Queen was just cleaned up, repainted and made pretty again.”

 

Pretty she is, and I still hope some day catching her at work.

 

 

One more here . . . although I found this on youtube . . .  a streaming music/light show on Bannerman’s Island, coming up in a few days.  Tickets are available now. 

And a last one, survey vessel Shearwater was working at the Narrows the other day.  Her track on AIS illustrates what she was doing.

Many thanks to David, xlime, and Brad for use of these photos.

Random Tugs 311

Behold an entire fleet, and the current boats of a family business operating boats in New York since 1927.

The Brown family boats are distinguished by their color and meticulous condition. 

 

Maybe you can’t tell by their condition, but one of these boats dates from 2015, one from 2002, and one from 1962.  Styling may give it away, if you don’t just already know.

With all this foggy weather fading out the background, the green livery and polychromatic trim really pops out.

 

 

 

Off to work.  In case you don’t know, Thomas is from 1962, and James . . . from 2015.

All photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 301

We’re past the big 300 and on our way to the 400, maybe.   Nine tugboats appear in this post.  Can you arrange them greatest to least in horsepower?  Longest to shortest?  To make it easier, you can rank them in top group of three to bottom group.

Ruby M eastbound one early morning,

 

Sarah D entering,

Sarah Ann with a flotilla of crane barges,

James E Brown going to work,

Larry J Hebert and the the dredging operation near MOTBY,

Mister Jim departing the Kills by the Back Channel,

John Joseph entering the Kills,

William Brewster heading for the fuel dock,

and finally, East Coast entering the Kills.

She’s generally moving the sugar barge.  Has anyone seen Sea Robin recently?

Ranked in three groups by horsepower, it’s Larry J Hebert (3600), John Joseph (3400), and Sarah Ann (2700).  Next group are Mr Jim, East Coast, and Sarah D. Third group is Ruby M, William Brewster, and James E. Brown (1000).

Ranked in length . . . East Coast (120′), John Joseph, Ruby M.  Sarah D, Larry J Hebert, Sarah Ann.   Mister Jim, James E. , William Brewster (65′)

Info comes from Birk Thomas’s fantastic database.

All photos, WVD.

 

Random Tugs 292

On we go . . .  Alexandra does not appear frequently here. If my count is correct, this is only the third time since and including 2008 that this 120′ x 34′ 4000hp boat’s been posted here.  She’s currently working on a dredging project near Sandy Hook.

An action shot here of Mister T doing what the 82′ x 24′ 2400hp Mister T does.

Pegasus has to be among the cleanest looking boats, a fact accentuated here by the rusty stains on the hull of the tanker beyond her.  Dimensions . . . 75′ x 26′ x 1900hp.

The Browns . . . James  and Joyce, move this car float across between Owls Head and Greenville.  The absence of leaves on the trees shows how long ago I took this and most of these photos.  They are 74′ x 30′ x 1000 and 78′ x 26′ 2400, respectively.

Patrice, 105′ x 34′ 4500, has been here almost 10 years.

Nathan G, 73 x 24′ 1200′, moves a scow  westbound on the KVK.  I’d have guessed her larger than that.

Paul Andrew does the paper barge.  She’s 64′ x 23′ and 1200hp.

And finally, JRT sees one ship out and positions herself for the next job.

Here was my first photo of the 6000hp 89′ x 38′ tugboat back in late 2015.  The photo reminds me I should use the fisheye more often.

All photos, WVD.