Checking Back 2015 b

Picking up this retrospective post with the beginning of May 2015, it’s a nearly 40-year-old and tired Barents Sea, waiting then as now for what’ll likely be a “fish habitat” future.

The end of May saw Quantico Creek move Mary Whalen to its public space over in Atlantic Basin.  Was there a docking pilot calling it out from the drone?

Here’s first glimpse of an early June trip I’ve never reported on via this blog.  More on this vessel will appear soon–currently working in the Dominican Republic.  The red vessel in the distance is F. C. G. Smith, a Canadian Coast Guard survey boat.

Eastern Dawn pushes Port Chester toward the Kills.

July opens with the ghost of Lafayette arriving back in the harbor aboard L’Hermione. Click here for the set of posts I did about this person. 

I’m omitting a lot from my account here;

The end of July brought me back to the south bank of the KVK watching Joyce D. Brown go by.   July was a truly trying month . .  is all I’ll say for now.

In early August Wavertree awaited the next step into its rehab, and I

made a gallivanting stop in New Bedford, a place I’d not visited in too long.

 

All photos by will Van Dorp.

Ports of the Acushnet

I took these photos in early September.  That’s New Bedford on the far side of the Acushnet River;  I was standing on the Fairhaven side of the hurricane barrier.  Acushnet was also the whaleship name in Moby Dick.

Note the Portuguese name:  Sao Paulo, built 1977

A member of the crew looks homeward.

Mary K, built 1990, and registered

in Woods Hole.

Megan Marie, built 1980, is registered in

Montauk.  If you want to watch fish boats, the hurricane barrier is a good spot.

Sao Jacinto, 1977, and registered n New Bedford. And following them out, it’s

Jim Dandy, 1977,  of So. Dartmouth.

Direction, Westport, MA.

 

Michigan, Fairhaven, 1947.

 

Nicole Danielle, Atlantic City, NJ.

Whitewater, Marathon FL!

Here are four vessels of the Eastern Fisheries fleet. 

There are two boats by this name in New Bedford, as is

true of this one.

The registration on the stern says “New Bedford.”

The density of boats on the docks makes credible that this port is rated #1 in the US for catch value, and has been for the past decade and a half.

 

Check out Cape May NJ and Lowland, NC.

 

All photos taken over a two-day period around the mouth of the Acushnet by Will Van Dorp.

Someone more informed than me could identify what fishery each of these vessels engages in.

Really Random Tugs 29

Photo from Nate Lopez.  Name that tug?  Here are some previous photos by Nate.

Technically Ellsea is a freight ship.  The location for the next set of photos is the Acushnet River between New Bedford (background) and Fairhaven, where I spent the past week mostly incommunicado.  That’s the Palmers Island Light.  New Bedford, former whaling port and more and now the US top fish port?

 

I don’t know the name of this vessel . . . might it be R. Marcel Roy?

Here’s a profile shot.  Beyond her you see a portion of Tucker Roy’s tug named by subtraction as Co.

And here, as seen from the Route 6 Bridge, it’s those two along with another mystery tug, which might be Pleon?

Here, with interesting stern fendering, it’s Sea Fuels Marine’s Emma Nicole.

Here’s a close up of the unusual fendering, and

a clue to previous ownership.

Now, in keeping with the colors of the unconfirmed Pleon above, let’s move way down east to Belfast, where I’ve also touched base recently.  It’s Capt. Mackintire.

And rounding out this set, here’s the identification of Nate’s photo above, it’s Buckley McAllister fueling in New Bedford.

I’m happy to be home . . . in time for the tugboat race tomorrow.   Don’t be late because the race runs at 10 . . .  with a parade before that.  Be there by 9.   I’ll be there.

 

 

Cold Mardi Gras

For the misfortune of all us 25 million sixth boro shore dwellers, it’s cool like below.  Here’s what the the river banks like look for us when Mardi Gras gets scheduled.

Tugs and buoys carry glaze like this or

this . . . .

Even local wrecks (that’s two side by side there) have a glaze that mimics the gleaming white paint they once wore . . . .  And one local water guy whose blog I usually read conveys experiences like these.  Hawsepiper, . . . this goes out to you.

At these times it’s good to remember we have our own deferred (defurred?) mardi gras parade when we ditch our winter burqas and enjoy the summer solstice warmth . . .

sometimes even without parasols

in fewer than 125 days from now.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Loosely related, click here for a bulk carrier named Mardi Gras and a whole youtube channel devoted for Asian tugs, jetfoils, fireboats, and other workboats.