New York Media Boat 1

Photo thanks to John Skelson . . . it’s not a bird . . .  it’s not a plane . . . it’s NY Media Boat, one of the recent recipients of the Life Saving Award from the Marine Society of New York for a February 2014 rescue from a sinking tugboat.

So . . . what might you see on a customized adventure sightseeing tour of the sixth boro aboard NY Media Boat?   Well . . . if you’re interested in fireboats or firehouses . . . they’re near their Pier 25 pick up site.

A bit farther north . . . you can see Chelsea Market or Pier 66 Maritime from the water, a perspective quite different from experiencing either of them by land.

You never know what private boats might be docked at the passenger terminal . . . this one obviously wanting proximity to

the car wash.  Thanks to Phil Little for this unique perspective from the cliff at Weehawken.

You can see the newest NYC scalloper port.  F/V Endurance was back there yesterday.

If Alice is in town, you can meet her up and personal.   Alice Oldendorff, aggregate carrier, was the focus of the very first tugster post over seven years ago, as well as many since.  Use the search window.

The East River offers unusual juxtapositions . ..  like the UN and the WTC.

You might see remnants of industrial Brooklyn riverfront or

demolition happening to IER 17.

You can see classic architectural icons of NYC like the 1929 Chrysler Building or

1976  tramway.   But if you’re like me, you’ll be hoping for

unexpected sailing vessels like Halie & Matthew or all manner of work boats like

Long Island built Maryland.

How about the “interior” side of Red Hook Container Terminal?

Of course, then there’s nothing that beats close-ups of wherever you want on the sixth boro by open boat.  Book a tour here.   By the way, the boat offers warm, waterproof gear and PFDs.

Here’s an article on Bjoern Kils and the boat from a publication of Willard Marine, manufacturer of the boat, which formerly lived on a US destroyer.   Also, here are some recent NY Media Boat clients.

All photos here by Will Van Dorp, except the delightful one of the private boat at the car wash by Phil Little and the lead photo by John Skelson.  Thank, Phil.

 

Treasured Ship

Click here to see why John J. Harvey made this trip to Caddells.  These photos were taken around midday today, as the .org retired fireboat made its way to its home dock.  With new metal covered with absolutely brightest red, nothing but the most brilliant April sunlight would do.  Enjoy these photos!

The trim is not yet finished but there’s some time before her first trip upriver to kick off the season.   Note the sternway wake.

I thought I could jump in my land conveyance and beat them to one of my “offices” along the Kill, but I had to race . . .

to catch them here.

Yup . . . pass the plate.

Here’s a photo I took September 1, 2013 as Harvey knifed its way between fast-moving boats in last year’s tugboat race.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who’s putting this Monday morning post up early.

 

NYC Tugboat Race 2013 b

The race may last for less than 10 minutes for (most) boats, but each participant spends hours before and after.  Here, using the power of thousands of conceptual horses and one very real donkey, all four vessels in Miller contingent make their way upriver.

At Pier 66, crew on deck and crew below start them up.

Lady B (read her interesting history here and here, the latter explaining that the “B” stands for either “Benazir” or Bhutto.”

For boats that arrive on the scene early, Red Hook may have come straight from a job delivering bunker to Norwegian Breakaway, there’s time for what might look like lollygagging, and

(in these next two shots from William Hyman) saluting the spectators or just

being seen.  Does Seagus have another name?

But it’s also getting acquainted time.

Some regulars didn’t show, and other vessels arrived that I’d never seen before.

I had to look up South River Rescue Squad attending the Great North River race . . .

Somewhere in the attractively dressed race day crew on Jake-boat Resolute are two of the principals of tugboatinformation.com . . .  hi Birk and Craig, as well as the force majeure aka Rod behind Narragansett Bay Shipping.

This kayaker stays well out of the stream.

The white bowstriped vessel–Lt. Michael P. Murphy– in the distance won the prize for persistence, finishing the course in a historic half an hour . . . spending most of that time doing a mid-race-course onboard repair.

Despite forecasts of storms–and rain north of the GW Bridge–the only lightning I saw was here and

thunder from the crowds on the piers.  That’s the intrepid bowsprite showing us her drawing/painting arm.

Spectators took advantage of any platform.

More soon.   Thanks to William Hyman for his fotos, especially the one of an exuberant W. O. Decker, which I featured hard at work using Seth Tane fotos from over 30 years ago here.  Click here for John Huntington’s superb fotos from a wet place in the race . . ..

Again, my hat’s off to all who must work on Labor Day, including my son, who always works holidays for the higher hourly rate.  And if you’re inclined, read what Paul Krugman has to say about Labor Day.

NYC Tugboat Race 2013 a

Uh . . . what’s this?

It’s Buddy, living breathing braying hoof-beglittered mascot of Debora Miller.  If you’ve never been to the New York’s race, there’s a best mascot category.  In the past there’ve been  . . . dogs, hermit crabs, even a chicken . . . but Buddy redefines the contest.

With the threat of rain, someone made a wise decision and advanced the start of the race.  Here Resolute, Catherine Miller, Tasman Sea, and Red Hook move toward the starting line . . . feted by now-retired 1931 fireboat John J. Harvey.

Foto thanks to William Hyman . . . the line up.

And at 10:29:30 . . . they’re off . . . with 1930 wooden tug W. O. Decker taking an early and easy lead!!

45 seconds later . . . W. O. Decker has dropped back.

Here’s they are 15 seconds later.

John J. Harvey is not a tug, but to see the speed out of this octogenarian . . . was humbling.   An engineer toiling away in the engine room later told me all four engines were driving propulsion.

The red tug–Resolute–went on to win, although I don’t yet have the official times.  I could have written them down, but I was far too busy applauding and taking fotos.

And here’s the crowd at the finish line.

Part B tomorrow.  Thanks to William Hyman for foto 4.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

Many thanks to Glen Miller of Miller’s Launch for my ride this year.

Unrelated and almost forgot:  Here’s a query from Jeff S, a frequent commenter on this blog:  he saw a “very weather beaten wooden sailing vessel (hull) at the Jersey end of the Goethels Bridge, about 65-70 foot long , two deck cabins and a bowsprit.”  It was parked in the oversize lot waiting to cross the Bridge when traffic gets light.  Anyone have an idea what this may be?

 

Stormy 2 Evening

Foto by Hugh McCallion.  Pier 25 Manhatan.  Three hours til high tide and not much pier left for Pegasus and Harvey to rise.

Also pre-high tide on Rockaway, and water washing sand over the boardwalk onto Shore Front Parkway, finally justifying the name “sandy.”

Thanks to Hugh, Pam, and Barbara for the fotos.

Prayers for safety for all.

Pegasus Afternoon

Today marks the end of the four-day historic ship festival and the official opening of Pier 25.  Friday and Saturday I worked on Pegasus.  Click on that link and you can find details of her history, starting from her inception as Standard Oil No. 16, including a time when she sported the flying horse on her stack.  1907 was a recurring number in the history-oriented tour:  the date of Pegasus launch in Baltimore and the date of the opening of the Kenneth M. Murchison-designed Hoboken terminal of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

Drydock tug Hoboken dates from 1963, but

Yankee ferry, the only surviving Ellis Island ferry, entered service in 1907.  Click here for much more about the Philadelphia-built Yankee.

Here’s a view of Union Dry Dock & Repair company . . . from Pegasus.

Also giving tours on the water was the historic John J. Harvey.   Type Harvey into the search window on this blog and you’ll see more fotos I’ve taken over the past five years.

Folks including me took fotos of Harvey from Pegasus, just as folks on Harvey zoomed in on us.  In the cowboy hat, it’s Mitch . . . of Newtown Pentacle.

Over 150 folks enjoyed a FREE!@#@!  Hudson River ride on Pegasus Saturday.  Lucky them!!  I’m just saying . . .  this is a rare treat, and you could make it less rare by joining in this way or that.  FYI . . . the engine burns about 35 gallons per hour, if I recall correctly.

If you’re in or around the sixth boro tomorrow, you may see this scene above.  I took that foto about a month ago.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who yesterday befriended MV Algolake. a bonafide facebooking, literate ore carrier!   Be the first among your FB friends to befriend an ore carrier;  for me it’s therapeutic, helping me forget the bulk carrier Alice that has made distance between us!!