Glimpses of Gowanus 3

Here are earlier installments of this.  And if you’re not familiar the the location of Gowanus or its history, check the links embedded.  If you live in the NYC area and drive or take Brooklyn subways, you have no doubt gone over it.  If you’ve wondered where the name comes from, check this alphabetical listing with great old photos.

Last week I had the opportunity to travel up the waterway, thanks to James Stasinos.  Gowanus Bay is marked by the grain elevators, (built in 1922!!), and the storage ship Loujaine.  For a full history of the cement carrier originally called Bahma, click here.

The tug was headed up the canal, as it does several times daily, is the cleanup, which has recently begun in earnest.

A bit farther in, Diane B turns John Blanche before heading across the Upper Bay. 

As we head in, we first head through the Hamilton Avenue  bridge and under the Gowanus Expressway flyover. The passage is narrow and located on a turn.

Here’s the view to port.

Once through there, we weave between a scrap yard and Lowe’s parking lot.

Above and below, that’s the Ninth Avenue bridge.  Like the Hamilton Avenue bridge, passing involves a conversation with the bridge tender.

Here we look over the bridge  and beyond while waiting for the bridge to open.

This is the view to starboard as we wait.

Once through, we arrive at the pickup site.  Note the excavator that could tell stories

 

of sifting through and removing the “black mayonnaise.”  Nuggets of historical interest are being collected for future display.   It’ll be years before this project is complete.

 

Many thanks to James for the trip.  All photos, interpretation, WVD.

Once I rowed to the head of the Canal here.  And in November 2013, I traveled up the waterway, and photos of the cargo are scattered throughout posts from late November that year. 

Other Peoples Photos 82

After a number of “misfires” this past week, I’ve made some changes.

To inaugurate these new protocols, I’m pleased to share photos you’ve sent in.

First, from Great Lakes Mariner, a few photos of Cheyenne in her new Lake Michigan waters.  These photos were taken in Manitowoc, which some of you will recognize from the context.  Here is a post I did on the Manitowoc River.   Here‘s one of many from Sturgeon Bay.   William C Gaynor (1956) has spent her entire life on the Great Lakes.

See the patina red tug to the left is Erich.  You have seen that before here.

Next, from John Huntington back in March, Jaguar escorts the 1942 oyster schooner Sherman Zwicker to a berth in Gowanus Bay.  Notice Loujiane Loujaine in the distance to the left, and I believe Highlander Sea foreground left.   Previously you’ve seen Jaguar here, here, and here.

And is that John D McKean to the far left?

Seeing parts of “US naval vessels to be” transiting the East River has long been common, but extralime recently caught Patrice McAllister doing the tow, now that Gateway Towing has disbanded.  One of the Gateway tugs that used to do this run is now called Meredith Ashton and is currently in Lake Michigan.

And finally, from tug Hobo, here is a much improved wheel from the one you saw in one of my posts from yesterday.

Many thanks to GL Mariner, John Huntington, xlime, and Donna at Hobo for these photos.

Random Ships 50

Oleander has to be the most regular ship coming into the sixth boro.  Put it this way:  if it’s Thursday, Oleander will arrive from Bermuda, the B in BCL.

Ever Diamond seems basically to shuttle between eastern Asia and eastern US.

Some day I should see how many of the 10 Ever Dainty-class of Evergreen Marine container ships I have photos of in the sixth boro.

IMHO, vessels like Anthem of the Seas are most interesting under some unusual light, like dawn here last week.

I lamented the fact there were no dancers in the glass ball.

 

MV Loujiane Loujaine is part of GBX, serving, I gather, as both bulk storage of cementitious material and movie set.

Has anyone ever seen photos of Loujaine, ex-Abu-Loujaine, ex-Bahma . . . arriving in the sixth boro?  She must have arrived here at some point in the 1990s, by the photo comments here.

Over in Walkabout Bay in the spot where Alice often discharges, Pagona was working the other day.

Rounding out the post, it’s the vessel everyone in NYC should be familiar with, especially her being in proximity to the bridge she nearly brought down.  Recognize her?

It’s Chemical Pioneer.   During the decade I’ve been watching she’s been a hardworking vessel, but

here’s the NTSB report.  Click here for one of her ITB fleet mates, now scrapped.

All photos, WVD.

 

Rowfari to Gowanus Canal

(Doubleclick enlarges most fotos.) When I visited Village Community Boathouse (VCB) late last winter, we discussed a “photographic rowfari” to the Gowanus, come spring.  Spring has arrived, and so . .. yesterday, John Magnus and JML

constructed by volunteers at VCB were lowered into the north River at Pier 40 and

after some adjustments, the hearty crews rowed toward their destination,

making a stop to greet the folks at Red Hook Boaters near Valentino Pier before

heading farther south.

Once past Erie Basin, we turned into Gowanus Bay, past the Loujaine, the grain elevators,

part of the Vane fleet, docked where the previous tenant’s name still graces the wall,

past the experiment vessel Jerko

with its famous tender Mare Liberum. . . floating above all manner of artifacts there for the collecting . . . farther up the canal untl we reached it . . .

huge bubbles?  Reverse maelstrom?  Vortex reversus?  Belch of sludge lusus naturae?  Maybe it’s just evidence that the flushing canal actually functions in spite of its sisyphean task of cleaning what has been rendered most foul?

In spite of Gowanus‘ uberpolluted condition, an ecosystem exists, with feral cats,

mussels,

an intrepid canoe club,

predators and prey.

Is the intention of this sign (above a novel use of tires) to invite us back?  See the VCB version of events here.

Questions I have are . . .  how soon might the Canal’s Superfund status show results?

Unrelated but possibly good news related to South Street Seaport   . . .  we all who pledged may have the pleasure of sending in our Benjamin Franklins . . . .

And a heads-up for next week . . .  Hudson River Pageant, involving some of Village Community Boathouse’s rowing gigs!

Related and very important . .  . if you’re in a human-powered and relatively small vessel, be aware that you are difficult to spot for huge cargo vessels of all kinds that travel fast and have limited maneuverability.  Read Towmasters post here

Sixth Boro Buttermilk Channel

Vantage point here is the Buttermilk Channel, looking roughly west toward the Bayonne and Jersey City side of the sixth boro;  that’s the Bayonne Bridge in the distance.    Any guesses about these vessels?

Schooner turns out to be Spirit of Massachusetts  (1984), doing programming in New York.  I usually keep opinions on such matters to myself, but it boggles my mind that an out-of-town replica vessel comes to New York for such programming when less than a seamile away, two authentic schooners stay “chained” to the dock at South Street Seaport, eager local crews grounded and frustrated by a museum administration that says nought , an unseemly and surreal turn of harbor affairs.

Captain Dann (1974) pushes a scow eastbound.

Meanwhile over in Gowanus Bay  (aka the mouth of the canal),  the cement ship with the interesting stack . . .

aka Abu Loujaine (1966) has been moved to a new location beside the (abandoned) Port Authority Grain Terminal (1922).    Both appeared in this post from 14 months ago.

At the north end of the Buttermilk, Sea Bear (1990, Bay Star) enters the East River from the Jersey side.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend . . .   all fotos here taken yesterday by Will Van Dorp.

Raving about Rae

I first saw Rae before she was Rae, when she was red and called Miss Bonnie.  Scroll through here.

Rae is approaching 60 years, two years shy of it.  And she’s not a behemoth:    46′ x 15′ x 5 with (at one time at least) 450 hp.  Rae hails originally from Texas, not far from the Louisiana border.

In the confines of at the mouth of Gowanus Canal, Rae might be the perfect tool. Some jobs call for dental picks and others for crowbars.

Whoa!!! And then sometimes small can do impressive work moving crushed rock!  And does it only look like Loujaine, the cement ship is assist vessel?  For other fotos on that ship, see here.

All fotos thanks to Jed, for whose work I am grateful.

This recalls the summer of 2005, though, when a smaller tugboat–Rachel Marie at 43′ x 16′ x 5′ — towed an artificial continent (based on drawings by Robert Smithson) round and round the sixth boro.  See tugster fotos here.  Has anyone seen Rachel Marie recently?

As to artificial continents, someone’s new vision for Governors Island-makeover includes hills and according to this article, canyons with vistas.

Unrelated:  Here’s a 2.5 minute audio slideshow for an article in the 4/19 New Yorker magazine, a story of a family towing life written by Burkhard Bilger.

East River Mysteries 3

Never did find out the last one, but in a quick post, here are three more. Pix all by me in the past week.

 

That clearly says “Japan Coast Guard,” and last I checked, Brooklyn is not along Japan’s coast; in fact, it’s not even in the sixth boro. Hmm? If anyone reads Japanese, here’s a closer up shot of the stern.

 

Gojiba? Someone translate the hiragana?

 

This long shot shows a commuter boat I spotted twice last week, each time when I was headed the other way and busy. This time it was leaving the East River headed into the Hudson past Pier A. Looks like a classic, and I’d like to know more. Anyone?

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

 

Finally–I know it’s in Gowanus Bay, not the East River. Loujaine, visible from the BQE, has been here at least a half dozen years. I recall reading a Times story long before I moved to New York about a skeleton crew left on a ship in Brooklyn after the owners declared bankruptcy or some such. The crew were from South America and threatened with harm if they left the ship even though they were no longer paid. But I can’t locate the article now. Anyone know the story of Loujaine?

PS: Pete Hamill, whom I respect mostly, made a blanket statement about bloggers doing what they do without leaving their apartment. What?!!? Kind of a reach there, sir?