Random Tugs 362

Two separate parties sent me this article from the LA Times.  With a title including the phrase “humble tugboat,”  I was interested but not prepared for the fantastic photos.  Thx John and George.  Enjoy.  Meanwhile, here are some more of my recent photos.

James D. Moran assisting on a towline above and Robert Weeks leaving the fuel dock below,

 

Andrea walled off from her barge above and Sarah Ann light below, 

 

Gregg McAllister returning to base and Pegasus heading to work,

 

A light William Brewster and an equally light Daisy Mae,

 

Mackenzie Rose and Philadelphia, and

to close out this installment . . . Kimberly Turecamo assisting a ULCV.

All photos, WVD, who never associated the adjective “humble” with tugboats or their operators, and that’s not a bad thing.

If you’re new to this blog (or even if you are not), I’m always looking for photos from other people and places, especially, tugboats seen in South America, Asia, Oceania, and Australia.

Christmas Eve 2021

Deck the hulls . . .

the bell sound signal device and railings too.

And I’ll leave that song right there. 

 

Kimberly Turecamo has a wreath around the bell also, but

consistent with the Kimberly crew, there’s more.

Merry Christmas all . . .

All photos, WVD.

Here was last year’s M is for Merry.

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 two, WVD.

Random Tugs 356

I hope you’re enjoying the morning light as much as I am.  The first four shots here were all from roughly the same location.  I took this one of Seeley first with the sun mostly behind me, and

then the next three with the sun on my right side. 

The lower 40s temperatures make sea smoke on the warmer water.

 

Then I headed down to Conference House in Tottenville in time to catch

Atlantic Salvor connect with a dredge spoils scow to take to the HARS for dumping.

That’s Great Beds Light, named for the oysters that once thrived there.

While waiting for something that never appeared or happened–I seem to do that a lot, said I to my “wise person”–I had an unexpected treat.  I told my wise person that too, that a plus of waiting for nought is that often what you really need but didn’t know you needed often comes by.  But I digress.

This is the first appearance of 1977 West Coast Kodiak on this blog;  there’s also a 1981 Alabama-built tug by that name.  This Kodiak was built in Long Beach CA.

Heading out to assist Atlantic Salvor with that scow, she passed in front of this surprising terrain over along the south shore of Raritan Bay.

All photos, WVD, who needs a wise person now and then.

 

Random Tugs 355

Happy 31st, aka Halloween, World Savings Day, Day of Seven Billion, National Candy Apple Day, Annual visit a cemetery or graveyard day . . . and more.  If you need suggestions for a graveyard, consider this one.  And just yesterday, I learned of this one and this one.  Who knew?!!?  Want to revisit a tugster ghost post?

For this post, there’s a quiz.  The first part is … name the oldest and newest boat here.  The second part … identify the only two boats here NOT built in Louisiana.  Of course, building is one thing, and designing is another.

All photos taken this October.  Susan Miller,

Miriam Moran and Pegasus,

Andrea,

Gregg McAllister,

Robert IV,

Buchanan 12,

Navigator,

Robert Burton,

Shawn Miller,

Pearl Coast,

Miss Ila,

Mary Turecamo,

and the always seasonal Kimberly Turecamo.

There you have it . . . And I’ll give the answers tomorrow.

And my question is . . .  who is Miss Ila‘s namesake and what do you call that shade of red?

Retro Sixth Boro 42 B

The bridge photo at the end of part A was of Kristin Poling, right after she’d been taken out of service.  In her long life from 1934 until 2011, she carried the nameplates of Poughkeepsie Socony, Mobil New York, and Captain Sam, before taking on her last name. 

Here’s a shot from the bow, and

here from near the stern looking forward along the catwalk.

This is one of my all-time favorite photos.  I wonder where this Coastie is today.

A decade ago, Maurania III worked in the harbor, here alongside the venerable Chemical Pioneer and

here muscling Suez Canal Bridge around Bergen Point.

APL Coral was scrapped in 2017, I believe.  Anyone know what those bolts of green fabric are?  By their location, I’d guess an anti-piracy measure.  Nicole Leigh continues to work.

DEP’s Newtown Creek was in her last days;  currently she’s a dive destination in Pompano Beach, FL known as Lady Luck.

Lygra (1979) went to Alang in 2018, after carrying that name as well as Centro America, Nornews Service, and Transfjord. 

Does anyone know where Captain Zeke has gone to?  I don’t.   If I ever did, I’ve forgotten.

Catherine Turecamo assists SN Azzurra away from a dock. The tanker seems still to be working as Augusta;  she’s also carried the names Blue Dolphin and Stena Commander.  In 2014, Catherine T. went to fresh water and, the last I knew,  became a Chicago area based John Marshall.

If you click on no links in this post except this one, you will be pleased;  it’s the legendary 1937 commuter yacht Aphrodite.  HERE is the link.  Those all-caps are intentional.

Note the raked forward portion of Maersk Murotsu, getting an assist from Kimberly Turecamo. The tanker is currently known as Ardmore Seafarer, which I have seen but not photographed in the boro.  It’s impossible to keep up . . .  hang on to that thought until the end of the post.

And let’s close out  with some busy photos, here Barbara McAllister moves a barge, East Coast follows light, and Gramma Lee T Moran assists a tanker.  Barbara is now Patsy K.

And finally, the waters here are churned up by James Turecamo, Resolute, and Laura K Moran, as well as a few tankers off to the left.

All photos, WVD, who’s astonished how much changes if not daily or monthly but surely by decade.

And about that thought I asked you hang onto:  I’m considering taking a break, a sabbatical, or as Chapter 17 of Moby Dick explains . . .  a ramadan, a term used with respect. I say this as a solicitation of advice.

 

Random Tankers 9

Someday I’ll have to quantify the tanker traffic in the sixth boro. For now,  just photos of three that moved all within a few hours.  And I have to say again . . . the other five boros and greater geography depend on this watery boro activity. 

Kimberly and Jonathan C assist this tanker from Ust-Luga, Russia.  Check out this port on the Gulf of Finland and what closely neighbors are there. 

 

Lines go on for the docking right across from the east end of Caddell’s.

A bit later, an interestingly named Chem Bulldog heads out. 

 

She’s was heading for the SC port of Charleston.

 

Mr. Leo came in from Portugal, a voyage of just over 11 days.

 

 

She passed SCF Ussuri on her way into the Kills.

All photos, WVD.

 

Random Tankers 7

Elli, built in 2010 and with 113k capacity, gets an assist out of the berth from Ellen McAllister.

Kimberly and Brendan assist STI Finchley,  2014 and 38k, out of a dock, and 

and Ginga Cougar, 2005 and 26k, heads into that same dock.

See the blurry name above, and somewhat blurry below?

I’d seen it before in the boro as King David and then King Dorian. 

 

 

Khawr AlAdid is a crude tanker, 2006 and 106k.

 

When I saw Maersk Navigator on AIS, I’d expected a box ship. 

It’s a tanker, 2016 andn 46k.

Seabreeze is 2007 and 54k.

 

Persepolis, a classical name for a world heritage site,

was launched in 2018 and 74k.

Front Clipper is huge for the harbor, 157k and built in 2017.

And closing it out . . .  all rise for The Judge, an asphalt tanker, 2016 and 37k.

All photos, WVD.

Here’s a tanker with a great name I stumbled upon while looking through the November 2016 archives.  St Aqua . . . i’ll expand that St to “saint,” who we sometimes need  . . .

 

Random ULCVS 10

Most of you know that dawn is my favorite time. Yesterday dawn–between 0545 and 0645–was quite busy;  two of the five vessels that transited the KVK were among the largest–so far–that call in the sixth boro.

Pink sky with gradations, faded purple Brooklyn, huge but silent shapes, and spots of artificial lights.

Birds silhouetted and reflections in the still water make the scene as one point over by central western Brooklyn turns a deeper shade of red.

When the ship blocks the blinding rising sun, its name becomes legible.

Once CS Rose passes my vantage point, all that light illuminates the details.  Three tugboats along her starboard, one on stern, and one on the far side, the port side.

Not much later–another smaller container ship has passed–the next hulking shape appears, and the light has already turned gradations of yellow.

When CMA CGM Mexico blocks the rising sun, details become available  . . .

 

By now, 0645, the light suggests the sun has created daylight.

 

Tugboats on Rose include  James D, Mary Turecamo, Kimberly Turecamo, and Kirby.  Tugboats on Mexico include Marie J Turecamo, JRT, Kimberly Turecamo, and Miriam.

All photos, WVD.

 

Random Tugs 332

Mornings on the KVK can be busy.

Above, Sea Fox (1971) follows Barney Turecamo (1995), and below, Kimberly Poling (1994) is followed by Mary H (1981)

Kimberly Turecamo (1980) and Marjorie A. McAllister (1974) head east to escort different incoming ships.

Chesapeake Coast (2012) assists Gulf Coast (1982) moving the cement barge out into the current.

Bruce A. (1974) and Patrice McAllister (1999) hasten out for work.

Thomas A. Witte (1961 when she was called Valoil) returns to Port Newark.

Joyce D. (2002) passes the docked Normandy (2007).

And Cape Canaveral (2019) makes for her yard.

All this and much more during a few hours one bright, mild morning recently by WVD.  Any errors, my blame.