Retro Sixth Boro 41

These photos I took back in September 2011.

This boat became Bouchard Boys and is now in Red Hook waiting to be repainted as Stasinos Boys.  She’s 100′ x 31′ and 3900 hp.

North Sea has had many owners;  currently she’s Sause Brothers North Sea out of Portland OR.   She’s 120′ x 34′ vessel with 4200 hp moving her.

Growler used to be one of my favorites during the years I went to the Hudson River tugboat races.  She’s changed hands several times recently and last I saw her she was in the Arthur Kill.  She’s a 1962 Jacksonville-built WYTL, as the others, 64′ x 19′ powered by a 300 single Cat D-375 V8, or once was.

How about another shot of another attempt . . .  with Maurania III and Ross Sea looking on.

Since coming off the ways in 1979, Miriam Moran has worked in the sixth boro of New York under that name.  From my outsider’s perspective, she has paid off handsomely.  At 99′ x 32′ and with 3000 hp, she has just assisted Seabourn Sojourn into the passenger terminal.

Sassafras then was three years old;  she’s since been sold out of the Vane fleet and now wears colors of Norfolk Tug as George Holland, at 90′ x 32′ and 3000 hp.

Thornton Bros. here was just a few years away from the scrapper;  she began life as John E. Matton at the shipyard in Cohoes in 1958.  Her long run is profiled in a tugster post  here. The “shipyard” link is a couple hours’ good history reading, including a surprise about a well-known naval architect who once worked for Matton.

As part of the 10-year commemoration of 9/11, USS New York came back to the sixth boro after having made her inaugural visit here two years before.  The yellow/brown water reveals the aftermath of Hurricane Irene that gorged all the streams upriver.   USS New York has a FB page here.  Escorting her here is Ellen McAllister.

Yacht Black Knight made an appearance passing the tip of Manhattan while passing from the Sound to the North River in mid-month after theb hurricane. She’s a 1968 product of Goudy & Stevens, an East Boothbay ME yard that has done a wide variety of vessels.

I’ve got a few dozen pics from this month in the archives, but let’s call this the end of this post;  all photos, WVD.

 

 

Retro Sixth Boro 20

November 2009 saw the USS New York (LPD-21) arrive in her namesake city for christening commissioning. Just faintly, the name is visible on the stern.

I also went up to the Lyons NY dry dock in November 2009 and caught Urger, then in seasonal layup. Five years were to go by before I did my season on this Barge Canal tugboat.  May she return!

Firefighter was still working in the sixth boro.

Stephen was working then too, and she’s still working today.

Cape Ann’s Essex Creek is hardly the sixth boro, but you can get there from here . . . . and Essex MA is one of my favorite places, although –truth be told–I’ve been there only once since 2009.

Some miles north of Essex Creek is the Piscataqua River, and back then these were the horses in Moran’s stable on Ceres Street:  Carly A. Turecamo, Mary M. Coppedge, and Eugenia Moran.  Carly‘s now in Maine with Winslow, Eugenia is maybe laid up, and Mary M. is still working there . . . but again I’ve not been there in almost two years.

And finally . . .  she who need not be named alongside a dock in Philly.

Any since we’re on the retired undefeated speed champion, let’s zoom in on the “crow’s nest” in these next two photos . . .

Not my photo although I felt like talent that day . . .   Here and here are more photos from that day, in 2014.

This last photo is by Chris Ware.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

 

USS New York 3

The last in the series includes the short video below and

focuses on some of the folks in the harbor this quite windy Monday morning, including McAllister Brothers and

Sea Knights (thanks Jed for pointing out they weren’t Chinooks) as well as

a Schweizer-300 carrying an intrepid photojournalist and fine pilot.

RB-S boats were hither and

and yon.

Waterfront Commission police have a boat named Rev. John M. Corridan,  the priest featured in On the Waterfront!!

Here’s a closer shot of the NYFD units set up at 130th Street in Manhattan.

Once LPD-21 was secured on the south side of Pier 88,

the local Navy League Council distributed bags of delicious grub to those employed either public or

private.  The Navy League seems to have an impressive mission.

Once Sturgeon Bay was secured back at home port, time for  . . .  shore power!!

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

USS New York 2

OK, as Jed points out in his quite elaborate comment (thanks, Jed)  . . . it’s PCU (pre-commissioning unit) New York for a few days yet.  By the way, by the count of A. G. Sulzberger, this new New York is USS New York number seven.  Might it be that the cost of the previous six combined is less than the cost of this one, comparing uneven dollars?

Behold Sturgeon Bay, the generosity of whose captain and crew made these fotos possible.

Looking through my fotos prompts a thought on this ship welcome and our group identity.  We all have competing identities, and obviously this dozen plus one fotos taken over five hours were deliberately selected, but see where they lead you.  I’ll share my ideas at the end.

Sturgeon Bay, one of nine WTGBs,  receives a small boat long the starboard side while outbound to meet . . .

LPD-21, which here heads north toward a water welcome and past

Our Lady of the Sixth Boro (and so much more)

and soon to pause across from North Cove (fantastic images here).

After heading north as far as the GW Bridge, LPD-21 turns and

makes its way close to the bank near 130th Street where another water welcome awaits.  Later,

an escort follows on the Jersey

side as  (Note:  PT728, DCV Gelberman, and tug Miriam Moran in foreground;  color spray from John McKean 1954)

LPD-21 crew enjoy the NYC and sixth boro greeting and sunny weather as

the vessel is made fast.   Ellen McAllister and Rosemary McAllister here prepare to depart for their next job.)

Refueling begins

almost immediately from barge delivered by Houma.

To say the fire departments were intensely involved in this welcome–as evidenced by both my fotos and those on the New York Times slideshow– is an understatement of huge proportions.  And of course reasons go directly back to that horror less than a decade ago that underlies everything about LPD-21’s existence.  And I certainly honor the Bravest.  I was happy to see you present on both sides of the River, all over the sixth boro.

And this is not to undervalue the efforts of all those folks working on the water yesterday in whatever capacity (public or private)  as part of ensuring that the welcome was appropriate.  This harbor enthusiast thanks you and all other of those working on the water.

Welcome to New York.

Here and here are a few articles about Lt. Scott Rae, commanding officer of Sturgeon Bay.

All fotos here by Will Van Dorp.

USS New York

See Bowsprite’s POV here.  What’s my version of events?  What’s my  story?

Actually what are the stories?

There are many, as

is always the case.  Here and here are links too.   Leave a comment with yours?  Some people call this crowd-sourcing;  broadcast media have done this all along, calling it interviewing reduced to sound bites.

Remembrance and promise and

technology and

fears and

much more, wrapped in a 1.4 billion dollar package.  A complex tale . . . plowshares beaten into swords?  I wanted to put these fotos up quick before hurrying to work.  Tomorrow and maybe Wednesday . . . more fotos.

Many many thanks to Lt. Scott Rae of Sturgeon Bay.   Thanks Pamela for passing along the invite.

<<written 10 days hence ..  . see Bowsprite’s farewell USS  New York here.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.  See Rick Old Salt for visitation hours on LPD 21.