Port Richmond

November, port month on tugster, ends here, making this GHP&W 30.  Here’s how the month began.  One thing I learned putting together this post is that Port Richmond and Mariner’s Harbor appear not to share a border, at least according to the wikipedia map.  Between the western edge of Port Richmond and the eastern edge of Mariner’s (the west side of the Bayonne Bridge) is a neighborhood called Elm Park.  I’d never heard of it.  Also, look at the northeast tip of Port Richmond . . . it’s in the water only and includes the Caddell yard.  Furthermore, Port Richmond never seems like much of a port if you see it by road only.  Click here for photos of the land portion of Port Richmond.  Click on the map to make it interactive.

A google satellite view shows the northernmost margin of land is port-intensive.  Click here for many vintage photos of Port Richmond, pre-Bayonne Bridge, back when Port Richmond was a major ferry/rail link.

Although the late fall midday sun backlit these shots, let’s cruise the waterside of Port Richmond, starting at its northeastern point, where the Wavertree (1885) project is ongoing.

Delaware River & Bay Authority’s Delaware is undergoing some major repowering work. 

Frying Pan . . . light of the night vessel from up at Pier 66 is having some work done.

In the belly of Frying Pan, where the engine and machinery used to be, a night club sometimes comes to life.    Click here for some renderings of the vessel by the elusive bowsprite.

Miss Liberty, built 1954, is nearly finished with this dry-docking.  Notice here she is high and dry?  Well, just 45 minutes later, she had been

splashed and was being towed to a wharf by Caddell’s own L. W. Caddell (1990).

Continuing to the west, it’s the yards of Reinauer and Moran. From l to r, here, it seems to be Meredith C. Reinauer (2003), Laurie Ann Reinauer (2009), Reinauer Twins (2011), and Dace Reinauer (1968 but JUST repowered). . . and Joan Turecamo with (?) Brendan Turecamo.  The McAllister tug between the Reinauer ATBs . . . I’ll guess is Bruce A. Marjorie B. McAllister.

This photo, taken a half hour earlier and before Joan Turecamo (1980) tied up, shows Kimberly Turecamo (1980), the very new and beamy  J. R. T. Moran (2015), and Brendan (1975).

On the west side of the Moran yard, it’s Cable Queen (1952).  Click here for photos of this cable-layer at work through the years.

And for the last shot of Port Richmond–although this may be straying westward into Elm Park waters, it’s Metropolitan Marine Transportation’s newest Normandy.

All the photos today by Will Van Dorp.

So as I said at the beginning of this post, so ends the “gunk holes, harbors, ports, and wharves” series.  However, precedent on this blog makes it really easy to do a Port Richmond 2, 3, 4 . . . . etc. post.  also, if any of you feel like contributing a set of photos from a port of gunk hole, no matter how large or obscure, I welcome it.  Besides, there’s always then possibility of doing an “upland” version of any port, focusing on land-based businesses serving the work vessels.

And as for December, let me reprint this idea for a December theme:

How about  antique/classic workboats, functioning or wrecked.  Of course, a definition for that category is impossible.  For example, NewYorkBoater says this:  ‘The definition of an antique boat according to Antique and Classic Boating Society is a boat built between 1919 and 1942.  A classic was built between 1943 and 1975 and the term contemporary, are boats built from 1976 and on.’  Hmm . . . what do you call an old vessel built before 1919 . . . a restoration project?  antediluvian?

If you take another transportation sector–automobiles, you get another definition:  25 years old or more.    And for the great race, here were the rules for this year:  “Vehicle entries must have been manufactured in 1972 or before.”  Next year’s cut-off will likely be 1973.

So my flexible definition is  . . . photo should have been taken in 1999 or before, by you or of you or a family member, and in the case of a wreck, probably identifiable.  Exception . . .  it could be a boat built before  . . . say  . . . 1965.”

Many thanks to all of you who sent along photos, contributed ideas, and commented in November.