TS Empire State VI Departs 2022

What’s happening at this bridge?

Approaching on what appears to be a wooded river is an antiquated cargo vessel.

Know this sylvan location?

Might this be a not-so-obscure location referred to as the UES, 

the Upper East Side of Manhattan?  That certainly appears to be a section of the river campus of Rockefeller University . . .  

Of course, this is the non-river but a tidal strait referred to as the East River, where the first  pre-fabricated portions of the new campus were lifted in place only six years ago here. 

And of course this is Empire State VI, launched as a cargo ship in 1961, converted on the Great Lakes to be a training ship, and serving as such for SUNY Maritime for over 30 years now, and departing on her last summer sea term for that school. See here.  

Old as this training ship is, she turned heads along the East River as she headed out for sea.  Many past departures and returns and shifts have been the basis of posts on this blog in recent years.  I’d love to see photos of her transiting the Welland Canal and Saint Lawrence back 30+ years ago after conversion to training ship. 

Happy, safe, and instructive cruise, cadets.  As of posting today, she’s off the east end of Long Island with next port of call–if my info is current–Philly.  I wonder if there will be a sail-past of the new NSMV at the Shipyard there . . . .  It would make a great photo op, with the old and the new. 

All photos, any errors, WVD.

 

TS Empire State VI Returns 2021

Welcome back from Summer Sea Term this year.  An FDNY boat provided a water display welcome on the far side of Governors Island, but my vantage point, as suggested by a SUNY grad, was Brooklyn Heights.  This was the view from the Esplanade and Pierrepont.  To see my perspective on previous occasions, click on the tag above.   From the Heights, the overcast and almost precipitating morning dimmed the many gantry cranes in the distant port.

When she was delivered in 1962 as a break bulk freighter SS Oregon, she would have been typical of freighters on the high seas.   Since 1990, returning aboard from summer sea terms has been a rite of passage for thousands of SUNY grads.  I hope I have my dates right;  if not, I’m sure you’ll correct me.

Passing the ferry terminals at the tip of Manhattan must have looked quite different back 30 years ago; the sight from 100 years ago would have differed dramatically. . . 

as would any FDNY or NYPD escort vessels.

Back then, in the foreground, there would be commercial activity and warehouses, not

parkland with

an ever-growing cover of urban forest

almost obscuring the training ship as it passes beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Welcome back. 

All photos, WVD, with thanks to Steve Munoz to try out this view.

Another training ship came through here just a week or so ago.   Here are a few more from other maritime academies.