Old Year 2011

My parents called December 31 “oud jaardag,” if I spelled that right . . . meaning “old year’s day.”  I like the idea of a “look back” day, a last chance to catch up, my opportunity to TRY to catch up on the social part of blogging.  Thanks to all of you who send me fotos from hither and yon, a wealth of images that sometimes overwhelms.  Please continue to do so in 2012, although I can’t always keep up.

Foto below from Rene Keuvelaar from the many steams of the Rhine delta.  Translation is “happy holidays and a great new year.”  Maybe someone can identify the steam tug.

Foto below came from Pam Hepburn of Pegasus Preservation Project.  Foto from 1960 of Pegasus ex-John E. McAllister, assisting in the Newport News launch of Enterprise CVN-65.

Foto below from Jan van der Doe, open cockpit Handyman, Rotterdam harbor, 1941.

Foto from John Watson less than two weeks ago, Charles D. McAllister assisting Centurion out to Mighty Servant 1 for transport to Nigeria.

Foto from Richard Wonder of the supply vessel Twin Tube, a Blount-built harbor boat.

Foto compliments of John Kopke of 36500, the most-rescuing 36′ lifeboat ever, famous for its rescue in February 1952 (the month and year I was born) of crew from tankers Fort Mercer and Pendleton.  Here are some more.

Another oldie from Jan van der doe . . . 1944 foto of Englishman in Rotterdam harbor.

Thanks to Kenneth Bailey . . . Algoma Discovery, 1987-launched laker, heading through the Detroit River less than two weeks ago.

Again, from Ken Bailey, Barbara Andrie, a 1940-launched tug at work on the Detroit River last week.

My foto from yesterday on the Tennessee River, the 1926 steamer-turned hotel-hoping to return to passenger trade . . . Delta Queen.  I’d love to see fotos of her when she worked the West coast and when she traversed the Panama Canal to access the Mississippi waterways.

A mystery tug/pushboat I got a foto of yesterday in Chattanooga.  It seemed to be overseeing several dozen covered barges.

And a foto by my sister . . . she insisted I pose in this foto of the SS William Clay Ford pilot house.  Thanks, sister.

Twelve fotos for old year’s day.  Thanks to all for sending me fotos.  If you sent one and I didn’t use it, either remind me or blame my absence of imagination or my disorganizational skills.  Resolution matters, too;  at least 400k is needed.  If you send a foto, please tell me immediately if I have permission to use it and how to attribute it.

I’m off from Atlanta area to Wilmington, NC and then Newport News in less than 24 hours.  Happy 2012!  Bonne annee.