Random Tugs 119

First . . . this foto by Bob Dahringer of Katherine (1979 in Louisiana).  As of this writing, Bob is back upriver playing with Hudson River ice cubes.

Next . . . this foto from Key West, thanks to my sister, who’s gotten a camera upgrade.  Yay!  A few years ago, I was snorkeling–sans camera–off a Key West beach and came up to notice two tugboats that looked a lot like these.  My first thought then was–wow!  K-Sea tugs in the Conch Republic.  My second thought was . . . I have no camera and therefore no one will ever believe me.  I’m now pretty sure I saw Titan (1974 in Long Beach, CA) and Ocean Atlas (1964 in San Diego, California).

Brian DeForest took this foto of Marjorie B. McAllister (1974 in Louisiana) last week of a very icy sixth boro.

And recently . . . in a springy waterboro of NYC, Brendan Turecamo (1975 in Louisiana) assisted a tanker on its way out to sea,

Doris Moran (1982 in Louisiana) assisted a chemical tanker into port, and

Miss Niz  (2003 from Alabama) moved some dredging equipment around.  Note the survey boat–Michele Jeanne–reading the bottom contours over on the Bayonne side.

Thanks much to Bob, Maraki, and Brian for use of their fotos.

Crazy Patterns 2

Here was the first of this series, from over four years ago.  And what’s this?  whose wake prints?

Answer?  It’s the flotilla assisting Hanjin San Francisco into Port Elizabeth.  Four months ago I caught San Fran outbound . . . here . . . scroll through.

Let’s do an anatomy of wakes on a curve called Bergen Point.  That’s Marion Moran on the stern quarter, a New Jersey State Police boat overtaking on the port side.  Click here to see a now/then foto of Shooters, the island just beyond the container vessel.

Marion clings, presses while moving “sideways” through the water.

Laura K passes.

In the same general time frame, surveyboat Michele Jeanne

and lube tanker Emma Miller scribe the surface with their own signature, as

does Ellen McAllister and as

a commingling with

Catherine Turecamo.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Small Craft 3

Small craft to come, but first . . . the missing foto from yesterday’s post . . . how DID the heaving line get through the eye aka “closed chock”?  Hope this foto helps;  I do believe I see the monkeyfist flying upward from the crewman at the rail;  crew on the upper level passed it to the crewman forward of the chock?

It’s been over two years since I’ve used this title. Small craft  come in many shapes,

are operated by professional mariners,

respond to emergencies with versatility,

and shuttle specialists between shore and much larger craft.

This one I first thought was transporting booms but now I think had some festive mission, given what appears to be a sizable bouquet over the engine compartment.

They operate for many agencies,

commercial entities,

government services, and

and law enforcement groups.

They work in diverse

weather, all

year round.

Enjoy a few more:

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who apologizes for not knowing who operates some of these small craft.