Dispersal

One last look, unless you want to see them for another whole weekend;  in the latter case, just head for Norfolk.  You’ll see  some but not all the same cast.  The screen shot below shows some of the vessels, probably getting some sailing and training in.  I notice Ice Hawk (9th foto down) is in Norfolk also . . .  hmmm.

Find the tall ship here . . . foto from Wednesday?  Look extreme right.  It’s Elcano.

Guayas is headed for Norfolk.  OpSail’s almost like a traveling carnival, and I don’t mean that disparagingly.

The Indonesians are headed there.  Find Dewaruci and other tall ships recently in the sixth boro on the screen capture above.

The Spaniards get additional fotos here for literally sailing out . . .

although I’m guessing they were motorsailing.

That’s Elcano way up by the Battery.  McAllister Responder and her identical sibs have been busy, and always is, with or without the sailcloth on her bow.

The Mexicans are headed for Norfolk.  That’s Coney Island parachute jump in the distance.

Appledore V, however, is not following the others to the south.

Bounty avoided the sixth boro for OpSail–opting for her homeport of Greenport instead–and is currently turned pirate in Newburgh.

Mystic Whaler –faux gunports at the ready –continues to work in and patrol the greater sixth boro.

Last Sunday morning at the foot of Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn.

Last wednesday after the procession upriver.

Pioneer, here with $65,000 of new innards and outards and sailing parallel to Gloria, does public sails out of Pier 16 South Street.

Belle Poule, here feted by John J. Harvey, and Etoile make their way for the French islands in the Canadian Maritimes.  Name them?

If you want smaller scale, check out the Bronx River Festival.

For the names of the French islands, click here.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who’s tempted to follow a traveling carnival, any traveling one.

Cast Closeups 2

It had just finished pouring in Red Hook, 8 a.m.  Here, looking SW are the two French schooners (l to r) Etoile and La Belle Poule, RFA Argus beyond extending overtop of the warehouse, Cuauhtemoc, Pohjanmaa  now departed, and the bowspit of Elcano.

Virgin of Guadalupe adorns the jibboom tip of Cuauhtemoc.

This HAS to be one of the best ever figureheads.

The 1932 French schooners fly the French flag with the cross of Lorraine, in honor of their service to the Free French.  Their design was once used by hundreds of French schooners that fished cod off Iceland.

Note the double booms (oh . . . I’m on thin ice with technical terminology  here.) atop the topsail.  I can’t quite figure out how this furling/unfurling system works until I see it happen.

This helm and compass appeared here in April 27 in Jed’s post from Fernandina Beach, FL.

Click to enlarge.  The brass plate shows engine rpms for various orders, AV (forward) and AR (reverse).)

Recall that fleet week/OpSail happens in the context of regular traffic in the sixth boro, although I’ve seen NOT a word referring to these events in the NYTimes.  Should I really conclude that in spite of how many folks stood in line to see these vessels today, NYC in general and in officialdom care  very little for these events.  But I digress . . .  notice something new on the barge company logo?

Click here for a host of changes on Labrador Sea over the years I’ve followed harbor traffic.

Looking NE, that’s JS Shirane, schooner Elcano, and Finnish mine layer Pohjanmaa.

I’m guessing these critters on the superstructure of Pohjanmaa are ermine;  if so, does each symbol represent a number of “ermine laid” maybe?  Sorry.

Argus was once a RORO container vessel called Contender Bezant.  Today her roles include “primary casualty reception [PCR] ship” aka hospital, aviation training, drug interception, and disaster relief.

Self defense?  Sniper rifles on board are used to disable engines of drug boats.

Here’s her engine order telegraph.

Click here for another foto of Argus pre-conversion.

Here’s part of her equipment for PCR duties.

Note the kayaker, seagull size, alongside Seneca.

Looking NW toward the southern tip of Manhattan, that (near to far) Willow and Iroquois.

Tomorrow I plan to visit Elcano, she of the four masts and

and golden figurehead.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Context

I had planned to call this convergence, but the sixth boro or any harbor is much too dynamic a place for that title.  Stuff in and stuff out . . . .  From near to far here is Dewaruci, Arabian Sea, and Swan.  Dewaruci, arriving here already last Thursday, was the vanguard of the flotilla that prompted me to think of this as “convergence,”

When Swan left and sank over the horizon, here’s the track she followed for the rest of the day.

As she headed out, a flurry of other vessels moved out as well, like Mariposa. I’ll bet she’s the updated version of Butterfly, which used to call here. . . and maybe still does.   These are non-interactive screen captures of AIS.

Anyhow, as Swan and Mariposa headed out, notice APL Indonesia and A. r. c. Gloria  arriving.  As thrilling as it was to see Gloria, I felt the same to see APL Indonesia, which I foto’d here three months ago headed outbound for China;  THIS is the return, twice via the Panama Canal.

Let’s follow more KVK outbound shipping.

Sunday night I also noticed Gazela exiting Delaware Bay.  Almost two years ago, I stood watch on Gazela inbound from just east of Cape May and upward toward Wilmington, midnight to six, a thrilling experience.   If you’re local or can get here by this weekend, come see pirate burlesque on Gazela.  Get tickets here.

As Mariposa and McAllister Girls tango eastbound on the KVK, crew retrieve Girls’ line.  Just a few days ago, Girls participated in the foggy loading process of Swan.

In the wee hours this morning, I noticed B. E. Guayas (all 257′ loa of her) approach from the south and Eagle from the East.

Line back onboard, crewman flakes it out for the next job.

Also in the wee hours this morning. APL Indonesia heads back for China already, passing between Pride of Baltimore 2 and Cuauhtemoc, converging upon the sixth boro.   Here’s a quite poor foto I got of her at Pier 17 five whole years ago  . . . before this blog sprouted chin feathers!!  For a guide to pronunciation, click here.

Next . . .

Also by Tuesday morning, more Opsail vessels have converged within the sixth boro.  See Gazela at Pier 25 Manhattan, and over at the cement pier in Brooklyn is . . . . Alice!!!    Alice Oldendorff!!    My point is . . . Opsail happens within a context.

More vessels leave via the KVK Sunday to make way for those like APL Indonesia and scores of others arriving.   Below are Cosco Kobe and MSC Natalia.

And when I woke up this morning, Eagle was doing a turn in the Narrows while Scotty Sky (52 years young . . .  bless her vital Blount-built tanks!) was supplying Gloria with liquid sustenance.

Final shot . . . no one’s walking the plank here.  It’s the docking pilot debarking Cosco Kobe (check out her port history and more here.) onto Catherine Turecamo.

Enjoy Opsail and Fleet Week, starting tomorrow.    All fotos and captures by Will Van Dorp.

Latest . . . J.S. El Cano (1927 built and 371 ‘ loa) has popped up on AIS;  I had seen her in the wee hours.  Cisne Branco, La Belle Poule, Etoile, and all the FleetWeek vessels are still out of range or in stealth mode.

Unrelated:  Who works at the highest elevation in NYC?  Tom Gordon.   And, bothered by the rain today?  Read this from Zinder.

More context:  Click on the word for ships (in no particular order) of the Mexican Navy,  Ecuadorian Navy, Colombian Navy, Indonesian Navy, Brazilian Navy, and Spanish Navy.