People on the Boro 33

Keyport Princess dropped anchor in front of the Statue the other morning.  Does anyone need more proof that fish are currently thriving in the boro?

Climate Change also came through the boro from the Sound, no doubt heading for warmed waters for the next half year, but while transiting, 

this boater takes in the beauty of the day in the seas’ water of the boro.

Red Hook and RV Blue Sea pass each other, making me wonder what the students might be learning about the GUP vessel it’s passing.

James William alternates between containerized trash and crushed rock.  Here a deckhand has pleasant weather for the job. 

Over in Whitehall, three workers on a beam

attend to maintenance on a “wall” of the ferry rack. 

Hayward periodically serves as a boro VIP excursion vessel.

The intended purpose of that boom is fishing out floating or sunken debris that might pose a hazard to navigation. 

Pioneer takes another set of folks around the sylvan edges of the Upper Bay to enjoy the warmth of the waning year.

And finally, I’m grateful that in the design process for the latest generation of ferries, decisions were made to ensure that Sandy Ground and her two sisters have ample space for folks to enjoy the views as they transit the Bay.

All photos, WVD, who himself loves this time of year.

Sixth Boro Sampler

It’s the end of another month, and maybe because everything’s been so bleak of late, let’s just admire and enjoy the complexity of the sixth boro.

Diverse people work here on diverse missions.

Places like NY Harbor School and M.A. S. T. as well as SUNY Maritime College and King’s Point MMA are here.

On foggy days a narrow navigation channel gives the illusion of being as expansive as the ocean.

Keeping it as ideal a place as possible is the mission of many people and much infrastructure, seen and unseen.

Professionals pass through the sixth boro without ever technically entering the space, both a boon and a bane to all involved,

and their safe passage is ensured by the named and the nameless.

Work and recreation can happen in the same space because of

professionalism.  If you have a lot of time, you can binge watch these videos by a pro who works the sixth boro and beyond.  Now, when I hear his voice on VHF, it’s familiar.  There are books as well.

The universal language of gesture is powerdful.

The sixth boro has at least as much specialized equipment as the other five boros combined;  another way to put it, the specialized equipment of the sixth boro enable the other boros to perform.

And if the land boros have spirit, don’t imagine the sixth boro  lacks anything.

Photos and sentiments, WVD.

Gallimaufry 3

. . . aka a jumble.

I took the foto below of Stephen  L. Colby (St. Louis, MO-built, 1967, 144′ x 40′) on 1/4/2013 in Cairo, IL.  Yesterday, the boat sank into 14 feet of water farther north on the Mississippi.

Below, s/v Concetta meets Charles D. McAllister (Jacksonville, FL, 1967, 94′ x 29′)  in late October.

Twin Tube (Blount, 1951, 64′ x 19′)  passes the polytube rack.  If you click on the link in the previous sentence, you’ll see the very next completed Blount project was of Ceres, a “grain elevator.”  A google search turned up no fotos.  Anyone know of any?

I took this foto a week and a half ago.  Currently, Grande Sierra Leone has left Dakar bound for Cotonou, passing the older Grande Buenos Aires en route.

Bow Hector in the Kills a few days ago . . . now in Morehead City.   Bow! Hector!

Taft Beach . . . shuttling dredge spoils, inbound.

Sludge tanker North River noses past 118,000-bbl  barge Charleston.

On Marathon Day, this was Explorer of the Seas ( I think) approaching the Narrows, as seen past the stern of Transib Bridge.

A few days ago . . . it’s Challenge Paradise.   I wonder if that’s ever a command. . . .

And at the same moment, crude oil tanker Felicity.   By the way, I passed between felicity and challenge paradise . ..  steering clear.   Both vessels are currently southbound off the coast of the Carolinas.

Finally, in the Buttermilk, it’s MAST’s r/v Blue Sea, passing Wilson Newcastle and McAllister Responder.    Responder and Charles D. are two of the triplets built near the end of the run at Gibbs Gas Engine, currently a place to sleep and stroll.   The last time I saw Roderick-the third triplet– in the sixth boro was here.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.