People on the Boro 26

This is a photo emblematic of our time . . .  two seafarers.  I could even speculate comfortably about their nationality.  The older man to the left has no mask, and the other, with mask, is on his device.  This can only be 2020.

Ditto here . . . the masked seafarer standing watch, leaning back on the rail as the vessel heads out to sea.

This can only be NYC, in the 20 aughts or later.  I took it in September 2020.

Here’s a series of three.  See the two crew?

They were testing/arranging something with the jacob’s ladder.

Then, this crewman saw me taking photos and he posed!

Here both the captain of the tug and the two ship’s crew are watching the pilot step across onto Margaret.

The pilot here stands out on the port bridge wing.

And finally, a crewman on a local boat provides lookout on the barge.

All photos, WVD, who loves summertime  . . . as no doubt so do these crew.

People on the Boro 25

Here are previous installments of this title, all conjectural, especially given that the seafarers here might have a difficult time getting tourist visas to walk freely around the other boros of NYC.  Yet here they are, seeing what sights they can as their vessels transit the channels to and from the docks.

Remember the Miroslav Medved story?  I was hoping to find info on a former Soviet-state seaman jumping ship to defect in NYC in the 1950s or 60s, but I can find no record of that.  Anyone help?

And yet, they do some of the same things any of us might do . . . shooting a selfie, for example with part of the ship and the Bayonne Bridge . . . “yes, I visited New York…” he might write on his FB page in whatever language he would write that.

For some, this might be the first voyage, first trip along the the waterways.  Or it might be the most recent of many and they are looking for progress in whatever shore project has captured their fancy.

They may hold political views of recent developments, current manifestations of US-their country bilateral relations.  They may be bitterly homesick or reeling with economic setbacks.

They may have relatives that live in the US, long lost cousins they hope to catch a glimpse of as they steam by.  They might be basking in warmer weather since they were last here in a blinding and numbing winter storm.

Whatever fascinates them might reflect ignorance of whatever else might fascinate were they able to leave the ship and gallivant about for a few days.

And then some are on duty, maybe just come on watch and thinking only about the next task, counting down the days until they get to leave the ship for whatever sad or exciting reunion awaits somewhere on the other side of the world.   This might be the last US port before they head for a home and loved ones they’ve not seen for moths.

All photos and conjecture by Will Van Dorp.