Retro Sixth Boro 8

One satisfying thing to me about these retro posts is noticing how much the local fleet has changed.  All these photos I took in November 2008.  Coral Queen was scrapped at least eight or nine years ago.  Maersk Donegal has had two name changes since 2008, now know as Santa Priscila, and no longer calls in the sixth boro.

SPT Guardian, still under the same name, is currently operating out of Lome, Togo.  Note the NJ State Police boat alongside.  I don’t know if they are still using that boat.

ITB Groton is gone as well.

The huge K-Sea fleet in the boro has dispersed.  Solomon Sea is now Emily Ann,

Falcon, I believe, is still Falcon but wears Vane livery,

Davis Sea still has the same name but Kirby colors and operates in the Gulf,

and Aegean Sea carries the same name but works for Burnham Associates in my old stomping grounds north of Boston.  NYK Diana has moved to the Pacific to the US West Coast.

This Rosemary McAllister has been replaced by another Rosemary McAllister, and has spent only part of one day in the sixth boro.

Stapleton Service takes the prize for the greatest number of name changes, three since 2008.  She’s now Michael Miller.

Buchanan 15 has become Dory, although I’ve not seen her in a while.

Coral Queen‘s smaller fleet mate was John B. Caddell, which became a hurricane Sandy victim:  grounded, sheriff auctioned, and scrapped.

I made a jaunt upriver aboard the only and only Half Moon–now sold abroad– in November 2008, and saw

Champion Polar but she’s now

–ice bow and all- dead and likely scrapped,  as well as

a more intact Bannerman’s Castle.

All photos by Will Van Dorp in November 2008.

 

 

Life Savers/Life Saving

Mr. Pena . . . below is a foto of your life saver aka CABO ROJO taken in the East River NYC in November 2010.  Note that on this day she was pushing three scows just south (west) of Hell Gate.   The connection to your story was made by Gus Pervolarakis.  Thanks much,  Gus.    Since I added Mr Pena’s note  to yesterday’s post late (I do go back and add “stuff” sometimes), let me reproduce part of it here:

“we owe our life to the captn and crew of tug boat CABO ROJO; they saved us from capsizing on 13 of may 1966 on rough weather crossing from cuba to florida; our boat was a 17 footer; l was 18 yrs old at the time.   now at 66 l would like to have a photo of the ship or crew. … note at the time of our rescue, tugboat CABO ROJO was pulling 3 barges behind it with molasses on a trip from puerto rico to new orleans.  who was to tell that  [our] faint far away light was seen in the distance.  it was going to be our salvation. thanks a million captn god bless. tugboat CABO ROJO and his crew. …  our boat the ANITA was abandoned to the mercy of the sea; every time l remember seeing it fade away under the lights of the reflectors of tugboat CABO ROJO l can’t stop tears . thanks again for saving our life. gratefully yours r.a pena”

I’m not sure where CABO ROJO aka Solomon Sea (ex-Brandon Roehrig) is at this moment, maybe tied up in the yard.  Any commercial vessel coming upon a distressed boat in nasty weather would do the same.

Here’s a scene I caught the other day when Hellespont Pride had just entered port.  Shot was taken from Fort Wadsworth.  Note where the lifeboat is, astern of the barge and Jane A. Bouchard.

A closer-up a little later and

still later.  As with any safety drill, it’s important to do these under calm, practice conditions.

Here the lifeboat’s locked back in.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

For some great old freshwater tug fotos, check out Isaac’s tugboathunter here.

Mondegreen

I’d never heard that word before today on a radio show.  But here’s evidence that it exists, although I know some folks bad-mouth wikipedia.  So . .  if you hear the Creedence Clearwater line as “there’s a bathroom on the right” instead of “… a bad moon on the rise…”  or misconstrue some explicit words in “Louie Lou-eye,” then you understand a mondegreen.  So while nursing a thermos of coffee over along KVK today, I thought I heard reference on VHF  to an inbound container vessel called “Emirati.”

And then it came around the bend, a black hull delivering trinkets and essentials for Black Friday,  escorted by Gramma Lee T Moran,  with Solomon Sea as opposing traffic.

and then I heard traffic on the radio again referring to the vessel as “ham… (long hesitation)   berry, ”

Hamberry?  It’s starting to sound like a parody of a Thanksgiving menu.    “Have a slice of hamberry pie with that borrel, auntie johanna?”

It’s spelled out clearly right there from left to right and then from right to left.  Hammurabi.

Mr. Lawmaker, the original “eye-for-an-eye” guy.  In his ancient code book, I’ll bet there’s a a stiff consequence for mangling his name.  No mondegreens when you’re talking about Mr Ham Berry.  Or was that Danbury?

Happy Thanksgiving where ever you might be.  I might do some blog “cold turkey” a day or so.

Unrelated:  Check out a new blog on my blogroll:  piratebook.

Funrelated passed along from Mage:  Is it Stan, Buy Me ?  It doesn’t matter… just dance.

Photos, WVD.

Random Tugs 27

Hoboken, 43′ loa, and never been anything but Hoboken living on Frank Sinatra Drive, launched 1963;

Meredith C. Reinauer, a pin boat since launch in 2002, 123′ loa;

Megan McAllister, ex-Arthur F. Zeman Jr., 77′ loa, launched 1985;

Penn No. 4, ex-Morania No. 4, 1973 and 120′ loa;

Penobscot, ex-Wm J. McPhillips, 99′ loa, launched 1959, and registered in Boothbay;

After bunkering Nowegian Dawn, here’s Solomon Sea, ex-Brandon C. Roehrig and Diane E. Roehrig, 89′ loa and 1964;

Paul T. Moran, 138′ loa and since 1975 dba Ocean Venture, S/R Golden State, Exxon Golden State, and Eliska;

and Java Sea, ex-Patriot, 1981 and 110′

and the oldest is . . .  Penobscot.  What?  I already said that?  Just back from self-assigned project weekend.  Details will follow.  Welcome back too–you know who yous are.

Photos, WVD.