Retro Sixth Boro (and Beyond) 31

I took this photo in Waterford eastern terminus of the Erie Canal on November 1, 2010, and the canal had not yet closed.  I had just returned from part of a transit, and we had met lots of boats.  Although we had been bound for the Great Lakes, most, like the intriguing Baidarka, was bound for sea.  As of this writing, Baidarka is back on the Canadian Pacific coast.

A week later, in the sixth boro, docked in front of USNS Sisler, it’s the “love it or hate it” Sea Raven, now turned into new steel.

Sea Bear was engaged in the deepening of the sixth boro, and here a crew on the sheerleg was repositioning the anchor.

Lots of dredges including GLDD New York were involved.  More later.  Captain D, currently in the sixth boro on other duties, was dredge tender.

Then, as now Atlantic Salvor, was active.   I particularly like this shot with the 0730 “golden hour” light.  A very different set of buildings then largely defined the Manhattan skyline.

Wanderbird swooped through the harbor on their way south.

Padre Island and Terrapin Island were regulars recontouring the sixth boro bed.

Beaufort Sea, 1971, is no more. 

The brilliant colored Little Bear, built 1952, became a DonJon vessel, but I’ve not seen her since the Disch auction.

Susan Witte . . . I can’t tell you anything about her either.

Back then I would spend my Thanksgivings in Philly, and the high point of that holiday was not the excellent food and drink and company, but rather seeing the big barge for the first time.

Pilot towed in La Princesa, here assisted up the Delaware by Grace and Valentine Moran.   Pilot has been sold Panamanian, and La Princesa–577′ x 105′–I’ve neither seen nor heard from.  I believe Valentine is still active, but I don’t know about Grace.

All photos, WVD, who looks at these and wonders how a decade has so quickly passed.

 

RIP Sea Bear 2

Here was the first of this sad series.

The photo below–taken by Bjoern Kils of New York Media Boat–shows what a half year under the water does.

 

Again, thanks to Bjoern for sharing this photo.

RIP Sea Bear

 

Condolences to the family, comfort to the survivors, and

gratitude to the rescuers.

Here’s a Newsday account.  And here the NYTimes article.  The photos above I took in 2011 and 2010.

Other photos I’ve taken of Sea Bear can be seen here and here.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Sixth Boro Lights December 2013

The foto below is Nellie Crockett, a 1925-6 Tangier Island “buy boat” that may never have cleaved sixth boro waters, but–used with permission here from the FB page Chesapeake Bay Buy Boat–certainly conveys the notion of a workboat decorated for the end-o-year holidays.

The rest of these fotos come courtesy of Justin Zizes, taken earlier this week in the Hudson off the west side of mid-town.   Circle Line does lights this way.  Here’s how you could get on board.

Nearby, World Yacht does it this way.  And although you can’t get on for the end-o-year holiday, there are many other events.

Notice anything interesting about this arrangement?  Look to the left side of the foto.

It’s Sea Bear aka Sea Gus as the red-nosed draft animal.

Here’s that same small tug without the Rudolphian accoutrements.

Many thanks to Justin Zizes and to Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats for permission to use these fotos.

In the next week or so, if you take a foto of a workboat–or mariner– with colored lights a la Christmas, please send it to tugster.  I could possibly even come up with a gift for what we deem as the best foto.   By the way, I’m still mildly obsessed with finding a foto of the 1997 transport of the Rockefeller Center tree down the Hudson via tug Spuyten Duyvil and barge.

And what is the story of Sea Bear aka Sea Gus?  It looks to be cut of the same plans as 8th Sea.

Random Tugs 106

Upriver at Magdalen Island, here’s a followup to Ooops 3 . . . Mary Alice  (1974) brings in bucket on dredge Delaware Bay (2006) to begin process of raising the beached scow.  That’s Leopard Albany-bound on left side of page.  See Leopard anchored  in the sixth boro in the second foto here.

These fotos come thanks to Dock Shuter.

Resolute (1975) heads for a rendezvous with Zim Qingdao.  That’s High Mercury and the ferry terminal in the background.

Anyone know who takes credit for that white arch atop the terminal?

Headon view of the new Mary Gellatly (2000).  Actually, I wish the green trim along lower side of house windows were left . . . even enhanced.  That’s Maersk Caitlin in the background.

Tied up along the salt pile . . . it’s Vane’s Red Hook (2013) and Hunting Creek (2012) They may be the two newest tugboats in the sixth boro.

Catherine Turecamo (1972) closes in to meet UASC Jeddah.

And here . . . high and dry and needing a shave, it’s Specialist.  Here (scroll through to the end) is a foto of the same vessel–house up–three plus years ago.   Is she really a 1956-build?

And finally, heading into the Narrows, it’s

Sea Bear (1990).

Thanks to Dock Shuter for the Mary Alice fotos.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated:  Here’s a NYTimes 12-minute documentary update report on the voyage of Break of Dawn and the Mobro barge of Islip garbage.  Thanks to Old Salt Rick for calling it to my attention.

Random Tugs 33

Kudos to Harold E. Tartell for correctly identifying the “mystery tug” in RT 32 as  Harry McNeal.  I took the foto below at Howland’s Hook May 2008.   (McNeal …Louisiana 1965.)

Here are more.  Weeks’ Virginia, who positioned in the plane-receiving barge about two weeks ago, Ocean   (Virginia …Louisiana 1979, ex-Bayou Babe or “By you, b’abe” )

Peter F. Gellatly raced southbound in the Arthur Kill just yesterday, a new vessel to my eyes,  (Peter F. …Louisiana 2008)

Hornbeck’s Brooklyn Service–another new vessel for me– headed north on Thursday,  (Brooklyn …Louisiana 1975, ex-Peggy Sheridan),

Dann Ocean Towing’s Allie B has done a lot of work in the boro this winter,  (Allie B …built Louisiana 1977, ex-Express Explorer)

Henry Marine Service Dorothy J headed westbound in the KVK a week or so ago, (Dorothy J …Louisiana 1982, ex Angela M)

as did Mary H,   (Mary H …Louisiana 1981)

as well as Sea Bear,   (Sea Bear …Illinois!  1990, ex-Bay Star)

and a far-off shot of Baltic Sea, 11:09 am the other day, upbound North River.  (Baltic …of course, Louisiana 1973, ex-S/R Albany and ex-Tahchee).  Anyone upriver have fotos of Baltic breaking ice upriver?

Please check out the history blog bowsprite and I collaborate on to mark the 400th anniversary of  Henry Hudson’s memorable trip through our boro.  Primary and secondary sources coupled with imagination’s license generate Henry’s Obsession.  A new post about a January 1609 non-random web of characters in Amsterdam has gone up today.

Photos, WVD.

Cargoes

What do you suppose is in the clamshell being lifted out of the hold of Pleiades?

Here’s my shot a second later.

 

Before I tell you my guess, check out these burlap bags in a warehouse in Red Hook and speculate what they contain. Hint: the bags are on their way to a certain mid-Pennsylvania city that starts with”H.”

The “H” city is Hershey. Do you suppose that white stuff is sugar getting delivered by bulk carrier to go with the cocoa? Nah…. it’s probably just salt, road salt.

But let’s just have some fun with this, given that Valentine’s Day approaches. So with sugar, cocoa, the Buttermilk Channel, all that’s lacking is nuts. Aha! Check out this six-foot piece of debris that we sailed past last week. It’s not uncommon. It’s why the Driftmaster is in the harbor.

The nuts are out in summer racing around the harbor too fast to see what’s floating toward them. Now we’ve all the ingredients for that food of Valentine’s. Let’s get cooking.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.