RetroJune 2017-21

The Hudson treats the traveler with magical sights like these.  The castle atop the lush riverbank is still there, but that tug–Viking–is no more.  I’m not sure the disposition of DBL 134.

One morning soon after sunrise that summer 2017 I followed Delaware a ways up the Hudson before overtaking her.

Ernest Campbell had started working in the sixth boro by 2018, but its livery has changed since then.

On the last day of June, I took a ride on the Rondout and saw (l to r) Johannsen Girls, Fells Point, and Severn.  Severn now works in the Pacific Northwest although still for Vane.

Tarpon was working in the boro, but since that time has been sold to interests on the West Coast, although I’m not sure she’s made it there.

In June 2019, I caught Stephen Reinauer heading out the Narrows to rejoin its barge;

North of the border, SLS aka Sheri Lynn S was tied up at a Picton ON dock.

June 2020 one morning, I spotted Kirby Moran meeting ONE Minato, and

Janet D returning to her Elizabethport base.

In June 2021, it’s Charles D passing Adventurer while standing by for an incoming ship.

And finally, Sarah D was eastbound here in the Kills.

All photos, WVD, who may have made some errors here with dates, having had his brain baked in the Louisiana heat.

 

Random Tugs 370

Bet you can guess where that line leads from the bow of Kirby Moran?

Here you go.

Jordan Rose has been tied up in Bayonne for a while, but

Gregg McAllister passes her on the way to an assist.

Michael Miller is one of the venerable tugs of the sixth boro,

having worked here since the mid-1960s.

Cape Fear has been here for a few years, although I’ve not yet seen

her two sisters, Cape May and Cape Henry. 

Ava M. is one of the workhorses, certainly. 

Does anyone know when and if Capt. Brian A. will return to service here?

Kimberly Turecamo has worked the harbor consistently for going-on 30 years.

Here she heads into an orange sherbet dawn.

All photos in the past week, WVD., who has more Canal Society archival photos coming but some contemporary posts demonstrate my temporary anchor.  Also coming up, a photographer high above Hell Gate has shared a new trove of photos from a perspective I’ve missed.  Many thanks for your continued interest.

Random Tugs 369

Happy spring.  All photos in this post were taken in winter two days ago and over a six-hour period.  Before noon, the five boros and the next state were obscured out of existence. I really think they didn’t exist during those hours, just like the imaginary sun crossed (??) the imaginary equator at 11:33 NYC time.  Crossed .  . by boat or chariot or blimp or goat cart . . .  I don’t know.

Kimberly  passed by and Robbins Reef was barely there.  Mariner brought boxes in, and Kirby passed by, and they might as well have been at sea.

Neptune shuttled by, and hints of Bayonne showed themselves.

Justine came by and the sunshine was making progress burning off the moisture.

When Cape Canaveral crossed in front of me, Manhattan was there, albeit like a matte painting;  right, that’s just a movie set, right?

The large gray ship . . . Soderman, that too was a different painted background, this time for Captain D.

Before Mary Turecamo appeared over on the starboard side of New York‘s trans-harbor load  of containers, I had no idea what I was seeing.

It wasn’t until well into the afternoon and–in the near distance–Bert Reinauer passed overtaking the Vane unit that I saw a boat pass by without a hint of fog.  That, however, was mostly due to the proximity

All photos, Friday, WVD.

Meeting Monaco Bridge

Miriam Moran looks to be alone, with a half dozen other units in the distance, but

she’s converging with a pack.

Minutes later, Kirby takes the stern of the ULCV, and

James D. emerges from the far side, where she landed a docking pilot.

Then, Miriam and Kimberly

like choreography

assume their positions and paths

 

 

and assist Monaco Bridge into the terminal.

All photos, WVD, who can’t get enough of this.

Random Tugs 367

Tony A sent this along labeled as “m-o-a-t,” mother of all tugs, and Pacific Reliance is truly a large tugboat at 121′ x 42′

with 9280 hp turning two 12′ diameter propeller and pushing around a 560′ tank barge that carries 155k barrels of liquid product.  But there are larger tugboats.  Justine McAllister gets called in to assist the Crowley unit into the dock.

CMT Pike heads north about to be obscured by an incoming MSC ship.

 

Seeley pushes along a block of four scows.

 

JRT and Kirby prepare to sail a Minerva tanker.  Minerva, Roman goddess of war and other things, seems appropriate these days.

The indefatigable Ellen McAllister passes Barney Turecamo on her way to a job.

Catherine C. Miller moves Weeks crane 577 to a lift site.

Emily Ann returns from a job. 

Nicolas Vinik gallops off to a job,

following Liz Vinik, herself

follwing Gregg McAllister.

And the beat goes on . . . all photos, WVD, except of course the one from Tony A, to whom I am grateful.

Something Different 66

Someone asked a question about nomenclature the other day and it may have been on FB.  The name I know is “shipside door,” and it appears to be used in cases that the pilot’s ladder would exceed 9 meters (29.5′). 

In that case the pilot would enter/depart the ship via the shipside door.

Sometimes a combo of companionway and pilot’s ladder is used.

Other times it’s the shipside door and a ladder as below and

below.

Here’s one more batch.

Note the ladder above and the winch reel below.

 

All photos and any errors, WVD, who hopes this adds some nomenclature. 

Jan Snow 3

Snow is the norm in January in the sixth boro, and we’ve just had unusual weather.  On January 2, I was splitting NY wood wearing a t-shirt in the balmy almost 60 degrees.

As you may have guessed, I slipped my noon deadline today because I wanted some evidence of the normal snow accumulation that happened overnight.

Enjoy the results.

Decks are cleared, but snow blown into the outside of the bulwarks is just decorative.

Docklines and footing DO need to be cleared so that

operations proceed with safety.

 

If you’re not accustomed to this weather, you may not appreciate how unpleasant this pretty stuff can be,

especially if, as I hadn’t, you’ve not waterproofed your boots.  Wearing the right clothes and footwear, helps you stay warm and safe.

 

Bollard pull remains the same, a little snow notwithstanding.

All photos today, WVD.

 

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!!?

 

General Guisan in the Smoke

Quick post today since I just got back at a computer after seeing the General in through the sea smoke.

The sun didn’t rise until 0731, so the timing worked for a tangerine sky.  Are you familiar with General Guisan?  I was not.

 

 

The bulk carrier came in from Chile–so likely carrying road salt–in just over two weeks, and that includes transiting the Panama Canal.

 

Sea smoke is a beautiful thing, provided you have enough clothes on.

All photos, WVD, who offers this link for info on General Guisan.  The ship was launched in 2020.

 

Assists 13

Assisting on the stern is a recent transplant to the sixth boro.  The 2008 4000 hp and 77′ x 34′ Gregg McAllister appears to be substituted in while the newer, more powerful, and larger Capt. Brian is temporarily benched.

Notice the bit of tugboat stern to lower left on the photo above?  Assisting nearer the bow is Ava M McAllister. 

Jonathan C. has a line running up to the bow of the  MSC ship.

No line here, but James D. follows closely on the stern of a tanker.

With a lione to the stern, Kirby assists

Cosco Hope as it heads out with a destination given as Savannah.  Pick a number in Savannah and get in line.

And finally, here’s another shot of Gregg McAllister.  Note in the photo below, the eye of the line is just going up, as

crew of the ship haul it up in order to make it fast.

All photos, WVD, who wants to point out that these assists happen 24/7/365, no matter the weather, temperature, wind force, or hour.