New Jersey Responder

The other day I caught Marine Spill Response Corp.’s  New Jersey Responder in the KVK out for training run. Click here for a list of MSRC’s assets around North America.  Of those assets, the sixteen 208′ x 43′ boats like the one below are the largest and most costly.  Previously I’ve posted photos of Delaware Responder and Deep Blue Responder.

Click here for an example of the 47′ class.

As I said, this Responder is one of sixteen that were built, all not quite 30 years ago.  New Jersey Responder was hull #K008;  hull #K009 was launched the same month, April 1993, as Caribbean Responder, which along with Maine Responder, makes up two of sixteen sold out of the fleet. 

From my understanding, this article is generally accurate concerning the operations and funding of MSRC. 

To get back to Caribbean Responder . . . she’s been sold twice, changed name twice, and is currently on the other side of the world.   Where and by what name?

She’s in the Arabian Sea off Oman somewhere, or last was when recorded by AIS two months ago, which means she could be anywhere on the watery planet.

She was renamed Mamola Responder and then Sophia.

All photos, WVD. 

Local Spill Response Vessels

I wanted to call this local exotic vessels, exotic because they are seldom seen here.  And, you don’t want to see them . . . actually, you don’t want the emergency that brings them out.

Take NRC Guardian.  I’ve seen it docked for several years, but this is the first time I saw them underway.   I know there are drill runs to make sure the team and the equipment are ready to go; still ths is the first time I’ve seen it move.

She was unlocked and loaded the other day.

When this small boat went by, I knew another local exotic might be moving.  Click here and here for more info on NRC.   Since NRC Guardian was built in 1980, likely before NRC, I’d love to know what she was called earlier.

I believe this is one of the smallboats that rides

New Jersey Responder.  MSRC expands to “marine spill response corporation,” somewhat like an ambulance or a firetruck, loaded with all manner of equipment to (one hopes) quickly contain a petroleum spill in the sixth boro.  The New Jersey boat is one a set scattered around US waters.  The link in the previous sentence is dated; I know that Maine Responder was sold out of MSRC last year and is being converted into a Sandy Hook Pilots vessel.

Although I’ve never been aboard either Guardian or Responder, I’m guessing they carry roughly the same type of equipment, differing only in the quantity of such.  For example, oneach of the spill boats I see the orange skimmer.

 

And as the NJ Responder departs the Kills, another pollution response vessel enters, but that’s a different story.

All photos, WVD.

 

Random Traffic March 2016

I don’t actually go looking for parallel posts;  maybe it’s just that my brain thinks and eyes see in similar ways from one year to the next in March, but here and here are posts from exactly four years ago.

Although this blog focuses on work boats, I’ll comment on backgrounds today.  What’s on the water is fluid, but all the constant transformations on the landsides here are more permanent and yet constantly evolving.  Baseline might have been 500 years ago, but even by then it had evolved.  The cruise ship here is docked at what today is called Cape Liberty Cruise Port;  thirty years ago it was MOTBY.

Frances waits at a barge anchorage near Anthem of the Seas

Over on the nearest shore, left half of the photo is evidence of work where next year an attraction called New York Wheel will spin.  I know we’re way past name discussions now, but I’m still for alternatives like Ferries Wheel or NY Wheeler Dealer . . . .  And with the reference to “pods,” I’m thinking of a series of sci-fi movies . . .

Eastern Welder fishes as New Jersey Responder exits the KVK.

The uneven, brown land just off the starboard bow of USNS Red Cloud is part of the Bayonne Golf Club, below the surface of which is a capped landfill.

Discovery Coast passes in front of Red Cloud.

Off to the left, you see current status of the Bayonne side of the bridge named for the same town.

From l. to r., there’s Chandra B, Celsius Manila, New Jersey Responder, and (I think) Robert E. McAllister.

Looking from behind the construction site for the Wheel, some miles to NE are part of the Statue of Liberty and  the iconic 1931 Empire State Building.

Anacostia (2009)  and Tangier Island (2014)  look a lot alike, but the older boat has 1200 more horsepower.

Note the double deck traffic on the VZ Bridge.

l. to r. it’s Caroline Oldendorff and Australian Spirit.

This is looking from the middle of Upper Bay across Red Hook to downtown Brooklyn.

In front of the busy background, it’s Alice Oldendorff, Rossini, and Robert E. McAllister.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Bouchard

Yup . . . close up of a stack;  nope . . . this isn’t only about stacks although I do think Evening Tide has a classy one.

In the foreground here, barge Evening Breeze rides alongside Morton S Bouchard II.  Serious question:  what does Evening Breeze sometimes referred to a “vacuum vessel” transport, what services does it perform?

Barbara E. Bouchard, long, low, and sleek.  For scale, notice the crewman alongside the house just forward of the winch.

Jane A. Bouchard with Amy C. McAllister background left and New Jersey Responder, background right.  New Jersey Responder is MSRC equipment based in Perth Amboy.

Bouchard Girls . . . haven’t noticed it around in a bit.

Ralph E. Bouchard.

Frederick E.

And once again, different day, Evening Breeze this time escorted by Evening Mist.

Before you check the answers here, can you guess which Bouchard tug has lowest and highest horsepower rating of those depicted?  The highest rating of the fleet goes to Danielle M. , depicted here last winter.

All fotos . . . Will Van Dorp.

For a reminder on the hazards of the trade, see this blogpost about the 2003 explosion.

Government Boats 9

It’s not a dead ship, whale, or turtle.  I didn’t get any closer.  It’s a first sighting in the boro for me.

Here’s another shot.  And I don’t think the McAllister has it in tow.  Maybe the submarine is escorting the tug?

Well . . . maybe not.  That was an attempt at humor.  UPDATE:  Thanks to bowsprite . . . the sub is Royal Dutch Navy sub Walrus. More on Walrus, including good foto, on the 9/4/08 shipoftheday post.   And Saturday a second sub Salvatore Todaro -Italian- arrives.  Emerging for the sunshine?  Below, it’s New Jersey Responder.  Sub responding, perhaps?

Photos, WVD.