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About a hundred of these were built during WW2, and according to this site . . . caveat emptor . . , about 11 have been recently active, 4 of which in other countries.
Tilly was among a dozen of the DPC tugs built in the Bronx. Chris Roehrig, a former owner, sends along the next three photos from 1990s.
Here Chris and John Malik bask in fame after the tug races on 1993.
The photo below from Harry Thompson has appeared here once before, but I want to include it again.
Unfortunately, Tilly passed into the wrong hands and currently lies on the bottom not far from Key West, marked by a buoy but not a diving or fishing destination.
Click here for this series. “Fifth dimension” designates these as not contemporary, i.e., archival.
“HT” here is Harry Thompson, who sent me these photos, all from 1986. I’m not going to say much about the photos because I don’t know much. I was not in New York then. I will say what I know, but please . . . comment away.
Elise M was then a Poling boat; now you might know her as Morgan Reinauer.
The three identifiable boats here are all still around: Jane McAllister is in Eastport, Dragon Lady is now Bridgeport, and Mary Turecamo is still Mary Turecamo. Anyone know the excursion vessel and container ship out beyond?
Here’s another of Dragon Lady.
Dragon Lady . . . has been mentioned, Tilly has had a sad demise, and Emily S I have no info about. There is a fourth tugboat beyond Emily S, but I can’t identify it.
Here’s another of Tilly and an unidentified Berman vessel beyond here. Tilly was built in the Bronx.
This is a CROWDED harbor as it’s not seen anymore. I can’t identify anything there, but it reminds me of a hypothetical photo I’d love to see . . . Grand Erie (scroll) was in the harbor for this centennial celebration of Lady Liberty. Might anyone have a photo of her in the harbor for that fest?
And we’ll end here with a mystery three-masted schooner. Anyone identify her?
All photos by Harry Thompson . . . and done on film. More tomorrow, so please send in your comments now.
Sometimes I get queries about collaboration; I really enjoy doing it like this.
Unrelated: Here are the results of the Erie Canalway photo contest.
This is probably the last of this series as well. These photos were all taken between October 2 and 19 in an area of the western canal, the extreme western portion of which is now more than a little snow-covered. I don’t know much about this little 1985 one-off (I was told) fiberglass tugboat named Tilly. Not the Tilly that’s currently underwater.
Mandalay . . . said to have down east fishing origins from the first decades of the 20th century . . . is a stunner. Reminds me of Grayling, third photo down here. Mandalay is on the Genesee river, not technically the canal, although their waters commingle.
Capt. Green . . . another Genesee River denizen said to be a converted landing craft.
Any word(s) on this?
Truly a unique craft of western NY, cobblestone architecture–its height came during the first few decades after the completion of the Erie Canal) is celebrated in this museum just north of the canal in Childs, NY.
Heidi, a 37′ 1941 Richardson, is truly a gem on the western canal.
And this looks like almost too much fun!
This brown “sculpture” made no sense to me when I first saw it, but then at a farmer’s market in Lockport, I notice a reference to “farm to pint” and local hops sales and tasted a range of local craft beers . . . of course . . . it’s a huge representation of a hops cone.
Hobbit house? dungeon?
Try . . outlet for a 19th century water power system in Lockport.
And for a feat quite unimaginable to DeWitt Clinton and his cronies, here’s the Red Bull take. Click on the photo below.
Finally . . . I know I’ve posted a version of this photo previously, but this culvert under the canal begs a tip of the hat to that craftwork of an earlier era.
I was truly fortunate to see this variety of craft, but for a time traveler’s view, you must read Michele A. McFee’s A Long Haul: The Story of the New York State Canal. One of my favorite sets of photos from the New York State Archives and featured in her book relates to Henry Ford . . . his 1922 vacation on the canal and subsequent decision to ship auto parts on the canal. In fact, on p. 193 there’s a photo of new automobiles shipped across the state NOT by truck or train but by barge!
Of course, there is Tilly, seen afloat here just a few weeks before she was allowed to sink near Key West.
And then there are a set of ice yachts, built in the Bronx but not listed on this website, although I’m not sure why.
And then there was sub chaser PC-1264–two dozen projects BEFORE Tilly, sold for scrap but never scrapped.
Close up of 1264 starboard at low tide.
A view of her port side . . . three years ago. But if you go decades farther back in products of the Bronx, there is
this!! Here’s an article from a 1916 issue of Power Boating (scroll to p. 37) on the Speedway products of the Consolidated in the Bronx. Besides Consolidated, the Bronx also had Kyle & Purdy and
Here’s a Bronx product of Lyon-Tuttle shipyard, previously Kyle & Purdy.
And here’s another . . .
All photos by Will Van Dorp, who snapped the last three photos above at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton NY, a must-see for anyone interested in recreational boats.
And although this is a bit late, I’ll be at the midtown main branch of the New york Public Library this evening with Gary Kane to show and discuss our documentary . . . Graves of Arthur Kill.
I had fotos of Tilly on this blog about six weeks ago here, and on a cold sixth boro day that threatens to get colder, I want to salute smart folks like Mike Knape who a) spent it in a warm place and b) sent me a set of fotos of this boat which had the good sense to travel south itself.
Tilly is from 1943 and built in Morris Heights in the Bronx at Consolidated Shipbuilding. An online museum should be created with images of as many of Consolidated Shipbuilding products as photos can be located of. For example, this one. Morris Heights also produced some of these iceboats . . . to give a seasonally appropriate vessel for the sixth boro.
Here, here, and here I did some posts from the Conch Republic myself a few years ago, although I had the poor judgement to go there when upnorth was warm. Next time I should make my way here when a walk on New York streets is incomplete without glances over my shoulder in case a pack of polar bears might be following. Poor Fred up in Fort Edward is hunkered down in his boathouse with famished Ursus maritimuses circling.
Mike . . . many thanks for passing along these fotos from a warm place.
Here was 24.
It’s T’day, and one of many things I’m thankful for is readers who write back and send fotos like these.
First foto, it’s Tilly! Stephen Freer sent this from Key West, where he seeks investors to get this 1943 vessel built in the sixth boro operating as a tug co-operative using waste vegetable oil for off-grid island fishing and farming co-ops. He plans to equip a work-barge with cast-off engines, bikes, and equipment for solar/wind/organic. Tilly‘s crew are co-op shareholders. Stephen says there’s some urgency to get her out of her current location. You could use this blog to get in touch with Stephen.
The next three come from Frank Garvey, who wants folks to see “his” pretty docks in Port Jefferson.
It’s Resolute and Evening Star.
Next, thanks to Jim Browne, this foto from two months ago, 9/20/2013 at Point Lookout, NY, headed east in Reynolds Channel just west of Sea Dog Creek. Jim says the people he works with are still pulling tons of Sandy-debris per week, and will be doing so for some time to come. I’d love to know more about this “pastel-yellow” tug. Pastel yellow? Might I need my color-correcting lenses replaced?
And finally, from a Captain Nemo working the holiday, this foto yesterday of Fiesta Mail from Port Everglades. I’d never heard of this Bahamas-Florida vessel, Tianjin China-built 2002.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, how ever you spend the day. I’m grateful for the naked bird in my kitchen somewhere in size between a plucked hummingbird and a yanked ostrich.
Many thanks to Stephen, Frank, Jim, and Nemo for these fotos.
And finally, Wendell sends along a business site.
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