Retro Sixth Boro 36

April 1, 2011 … and this was not a joke.  More on this distressed vessel at the end of this post.

McCormack Boys and

Turecamo Girls with Barney Turecamo.  All three are still working in the same liveries, I believe.

Long Island-built Escort was phased out as a certain coal-fired power plant shut down.  She’s taken on new life as Northstar Innovator, based on NJ’s

Maurice River, although I’ve yet to see her. 

Stad Amsterdam is not currently in Amsterdam;  she’s not far away though in Scheveningen.  If you want to pronounce this shibboleth as a Dutch speaker would, have a listen. 

Spring sunrises . . .  Coming into port is the 2017-scrapped Atlantic Cartier

escorted by Ellen McAllister and

passing Bow Clipper and Maria J.  That tug is now Nicholas Vinik. Bow Clipper is now in Santos Brasil. 

The venerable Chemical Pioneer was ushered in by Ellen McAllister and McAllister Responder. I say “venerable” because she was built using the stern of Sea Witch, after a massive conflagration in the port, told here by the Fire Fighter site.   .

Two small USMMA boats made their way through the fog.   I’m not sure the name of the vessel to the left, but the one to the right was Growler and she’s back (though hidden away) in the sixth boro.

Of course, I post a photo of Kristin Poling, which had only a few months of service left at this point. She started service in 1934 as Poughkeepsie Socony.

Marion M . . . I’ve been told she was sold to parties in the Chesapeake who planned to restore her and put her up for sale in 2018.  Does anyone have an update on that?

And finally, we return to Le Papillon . . .  the 48′ steel schooner was dragged off the beach but I lost track of her after that.  I believe she was cut up.

It all seems like stuff from long ago . .    all photos, WVD.

Other Peoples Fotos 29

All these photos come from bowsprite, who is known to scale the cliffs and trees of lower Manhattan to photograph and sketch the ships go by.  From auspicious time to time, she shares her photos with me, as she did recently.

Northbound . . . Stad Amsterdam in formation with a sludge tanker.

This past Sunday she caught Topaz.  Some years back, I caught Skat, a yacht built by the same yard.

Here and here were photos of Stad Amsterdam I’ve taken in recent years.

The Intermarine vessel (Industrial Echo taken on April 6) is evidence of expansion of wind power generation upriver.  Thanks to David Silver for identifying the ship.

In the foreground Gateway tug Bridgeport (Thanks for the help!)  and in the distance the all-knowing, never shrinking from difficult work Michele Jeanne.

As we move through these photos, bowsprite must have descended the trees or cliffs, because here she’s incorporated early spring arboreal detail into her compositions . . . Gran Couva (with “lower” Jersey City) and

Afrodite and Stad Amsterdam and

Voge Freeway.

For the current tip of bowsprite’s opus, click here.  For the most recent tugster post showing her work, click here.  Her photos clearly show the variety of large vessel traffic northbound between Manhattan and Jersey City/Hoboken.

I am grateful to bowsprite for her permission to use these photos.  To see and buy her work online, click here.

Pioneer

…will soon be sailing again out of South Street Seaport. And it’s a beautiful thing.

 

I never make comparisons. Once the SSSM season is on, check out the Pioneer ride. Peerless.

No comparisons, mind you, but imagine Pioneer up on plane like the YouTube clip. Then imagine Stad Amsterdam scudding along, all 700+ tons of her, all 150 plus miles to Albany. Wow!

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Figureheads 2

Tugboats don’t have them although it’s interesting to imagine what part of the human anatomy they’d project forward if they did: one open hand or two, butt, shoulder, chin, etc. Figureheads have mostly disappeared from the seas now after living there for millenia. My favorite figureheads have to be those on Viking ships, but a regret is that I’ve not seen any lately.

This golden man who rides the bow of Danmark may have Viking ancestors. The intensity of his forward scanning eyes dazzles me. Does he have a name? Recall this post? Would a close-up of the man on the Harrier show similarly dazzling eyes?

Leave it to my Dutch cousins to place this on the Stad Amsterdam. But if she rides the bow at 17 knots, her clingy deshabille is understandable. Isn’t she chilly? The Amsterdammer “belt” is precious; I’m getting one. Echt mooi klaboutermannikintje!

 

A very different attitude is projected by “Joe,” I assume, figurehead of the Joseph Conrad at Mystic Seaport. I love Joe’s stories, but his pallor always leaves me feeling seasick.

 

Last one for now, Amistad‘s eagle is certainly more impressive than the one borne by the Coast Guard Eagle I wrote about a month ago.

To me, figureheads are about inspiration. I’m writing about them because I’m looking to be inspired. Any inspirational figureheads you know or motivational images or thoughts you would share?

All photos by Will Van Dorp.