Peter’s Evolution

November 2009, not very long after she was delivered  from the Thoma-Sea yard.

September 2013

January 2014 . . . Peter F. Gellatly has seen some subtle exterior changes.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 93

Tugboats in the sixth boro of New York City vary not quite infinitely, but almost.   Consider Pegasus (1907), here with Lehigh Valley 79 (1914) alongside.  And my social medium tells me they’re about to link up and travel again soon.    Watch Pier 25.

And Coral Coast (1970) versus its fleetmate,

and newest tugboat in the boro .  .  . Discovery Coast (2012).

Amy C. McAllister (1975) and

Bohemia (2007).

Taurus (1979) and

James Turecamo (1969) along assisting Scott Turecamo (1998).

Thornton Brothers (1958),

Caitlin Ann (1961), and

Maria J (1958).

Rounding it all out . . . is JoAnne Reinauer III (1970), here passing the unmistakeable Torm-orange house of Torm Thames (2005), and see this spotlight by selfabsorbedboomer.

Having called this set almost infinitely varied, I must say there’s NOTHING operating in the sixth boro quite an unusual as Joseph Thompson Jr. (portions from 1944), the tug portion of an ATM unit currently working the North Coast between US and Canadian ports.   Thank’s to Isaac Pennock aka tugboathunter for introducing me to this vessel;  For the dizzying set of transformations, read the bio by boatnerd here . . . and follow the fotos, especially the ones by Mark Vander Meulen, Steve Hause, Lee Rowe, and Rod Burdick.

Foto of Discovery Coast by Joel Milton;  all others by Will Van Dorp.

People on the Boro 14

It’s been over a year since I’ve used this title . . .  I worry sometimes that someone I catch in the act of working might feel intruded upon. Such is the farthest thing from my intention.  I’m certainly not the first or last to state there’s dignity in labor, whether it’s performed indoors or out.

Here Doubleskin 37 approaches NYK Rumina (named for the goddess of breast-feeding mothers!!!) as

day breaks to refill

the bunker tanks;  Coral Coast (1970, McDermott, and attractive) in pushgear.

Green Bay shuttles between dredge and

shore, throaty as she pushes water.

Paul Andrew seems headed for a shore base as well,

as Sarah Ann heads for Newark Bay

with a deck barge.

Scott Turecamo pushes New Hampshire into the interior of Arthur Kill land.

And Maria J moves a crane barge in

the same direction.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who’s mindful that for every member of the crew outside, there are possibly four inside.

Landmarks 2 Revisited

I did this post just over a year ago; note the prominent change happening in the Manhattan skyline, as seen from the north coast of Rockaway Queens.  The last time you saw the tug shown here was December 2011.  Any guesses what Patty was towing yesterday?  Answer tomorrow.

Most of my views of the rising tower come from my “office” on the north coast of Staten Island.  It looms there, beyond these McAllisters,

Na Hoku,

Caitlin Ann,

Magothy,

Penn No. 6,

Thomas J. Brown,

Norwegian Sea,

JoAnne Reinauer III,

Hayward,

Elk River,

and Resolute.

Unrelated:  Following their own landmarks, a new crop of aeons-old silvery slime has reportedly returned to sixth boro waterways.    What . . . you ask?  Click here.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Pioneers in the Sixth Boro 2 and More

Here was the first one, two years ago.  Actually . . . this post should be called “waiting for Pioneer, ”  one 1885 steel and iron schooner, said to be transiting through the Kills back to South Street Seaport.

But in the unpredictable ways of the sixth boro, this is the first Pioneer that showed up, stern first and

made securely to a McAllister–Michael J.–one I’ve never seen before.

Anyone know from whence?  Actually Crowley Mars also arrived that way midday today . . . stern by bow of Bruce A. McAllister.   More fotos of the Crowley visitors tomorrow.  Anyone know what the plans are?

About an hour after Mars and Pioneer transited to the west, I saw the unmistakeable lines of a schooner . . .

the Pioneer I was expecting.

In the next month, volunteers will sweat and tie spars and sails onto the poles and

this vessel–so absent all throughout 2011–will again gallop or wallow across the Upper Bay.

This Pioneer had an Anacostia-escort for a few minutes before the schooner took the tug’s stern and

made for Manhattan.   Meanwhile . . .

this vessel, Katherine G, a liftboat–not a tug–whose foto I took about a year ago here–had

a mishap over on the north side of Liberty Island and ended up like this.  This foto was taken at 10:16 this morning.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.   Thanks much to eastriver for the heads up . . .  .

For more on Katherine G, see what Newyorkology has to report.

And this Halifax-centric tugboat blog to check out . . .

Really Random Tugs 10

Ryba’s Tenacious (1960 Mississippi-built) in lower right, then barge Great Lakes with tug Michigan (1982 Wisconsin), and USCG Mackinaw (not WAGB 83 but WLLB 33).

Durocher Marine’s tugs from near to far: Ray D (1943  ?), Joe Van (1905!! Buffalo, NY) , and Champion (1974 Louisiana).

Barbara E. Bouchard (1992 Mississippi)  afloat and

araised and dry.  Those props are at least 10′ diameter . . . I don’t know the exact number.  Barbara E. first appeared here in 2008.

Kirby’s

Davis Sea (1982 Florida).

Danielle M. Bouchard (1997 Louisiana),  who first appeared on tugster

three years ago but I hadn’t seen since.

And of course with the gray training wheels and hard in pursuit of APL Spinel, it’s

Ellen McAllister (1966 Wisconsin), here neck-n-neck with Amy C. McAllister (1975 Louisiana).   Ellen may have appeared on this blog more often than any other tug;  here … with some additional lettering on her flanks … I believe is her debut post.

The tug only visible as an upper wheelhouse is Potomac.  The bridge just beyond the flottage is the Queensboro . . . memorialized in this song.

Potomac (2007 and built along the Bayou Lafourche . . . third foto)  moves neck-n-neck with . . .

Resolute (1975 Oyster Bay, NY), she currently with the most fibrous fendering in the sixth boro.  In between the two is Weddell Sea (2007 Rhode Island).

And of course you recognize the tallest portions of Manhattan, a few miles across the Upper Bay looking across the southeastern tip of Bayonne, NJ.

Fotos here credited to Kyran Clune, Allen Baker, and Birk Thomas:  thanks much.   All others by Will Van Dorp.

Considering the shipyards mentioned above, I’m wondering why–so far as I know–no active shipyards remain on New York’s Great Lakes shore, and when the last one on that shore closed.

Rounding Bergen Point 2

10:18  Note Shooters Island.  Charles D. McAllister is on port bow, out of sight.  An unidentified Vane unit (yellow front) stands off to allow the containership to round the bend.  Maurania III is on starboard near stern.

Bergen Point is more than a 90-degree turn.

10:21  With the Zim ship through the turn, the Vane unit moves through.  The tug upper right hurries toward the Arthur Kill for an assist there.

1036.  It took me less than 15 minutes to get to Faber Park aka “the swimming pool” for these.  In the meantime, a Bouchard unit rounded the point westbound after the Vane unit had passed eastbound.

African Spirit is next to round the bend.10:37.  Ellen (ex-YTB 793)  on the port bow.  That link takes you to Jed’s recent post about his YTB experience.

As it turns first to starboard and then to port around Shooters and into the Arthur Kill, here’s the surface governing a large part of the force.

10:39.  The tow passes Laura K. about midway through.

Less than 20 minutes after assisting the Zim ship, Charles D. is on the stern of African Spirit.

10:40

By now . . . a little over a week later, the Zim ship is in Jamaica*, and African Spirit is out of AIS range, somewhere southward.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

* Not surprisingly, as of midnight, March 7 into 8, Zim San Francisco awaits passage through the Panama Canal at Colon.

Rounding Bergen Point 1

That bit of land on the upper right of the foto is Bergen Point.  The shadow I hope you recognize as my favorite bridge, and the Sunday morning light plays with the water, bridge, and the pinkish

bulbous bow.

Here, at 10:14 the tug is 1967-built Charles D. McAllister, featured in countless posts in my archive.  Note the boxes on deck of fastening hardware

to keep the stacked containers securely lashed together.

Note Charles D. again, as it assists the 902′ loa x 105′ Zim San Francisco in rounding Bergen Point.   In the distance on this side of Shooter’s Island, a yellow-fronted Vane unit stands off.

Behold the nostril!

Complementing Charles D.’s effort, it’s Maurania III starboard stern quarter.

Zim San Francisco rounds safely despite the general gustiness.  Once a safe rounding is confirmed,

10:21 a.m.  Charles D. spins around, racing back to the west end of the KVK to assist the next vessel westbound under the Bayonne Bridge, while Brendan Turecamo heads over to the Arthur Kill for an assist there.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Footnote:  last Sunday I took fotos of APL Indonesia as it exited the east end of the KVK for sea.  Last night . . . i.e., seven days later, I took this “screen grab” of the same vessel standing off the Panamian port of Colon waiting to enter Manzanillo port!!

Random Tugs 89

Meredith C. Reinauer (2003, 7200 hp) and Kristy Ann Reinauer (1962, 2000 hp)

Hunting Creek (2011, 3000 hp) and my first view of her, not that I wouldn’t be able to predict what a Vane tug would look like.

Hunt Girls (1983, 1800 hp)

Coral Coast (1970, 3000 hp)

Buchanan 10, 1967, 1700 hp)

Thomas D. Witte (1961, 3000hp)

Linda G, 1943 and I have no idea how much power she generates, but that’s quite the tow she’s minding.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 86

This short dozen tugboats chosen because they passed on a given part of a morning recently differ in size, age, tasks, and number of fleet siblings.  Less visible are their differing histories and crews.

Laura K Moran, 2008 built in Maine 87′ loa and 5100 hp here escorting in Ever Devote.  Below her is Caitlin Ann, built in Louisiana in 1961.  70′ loa and 2400 hp.

Vane’s Bohemia and Quantico Creek differ in many respects:  2007 v. 2010, 4200 v. 3000, Louisiana v. Maryland, and 96′ v. 90′ loa.

Below them, escorting Dubai Express,  is James Turecamo, 1969 built in NY, 92′ loa and 2000 hp.

Greenland Sea, built in Louisiana in 1990, 4200 hp and 112′ loa.

Below her is Barbara McAllister, 1969 built in Louisiana, 100 loa and 4000 hp.

Charles D. McAllister, 1967 built in Florida, 1800 hp and 94′ loa.

Margaret Moran, shown twice escorting Cosco Tianjin, 1979 built in Louisiana, 99′ loa and 3000 hp.

Two former SeaBoats tugs are now Mediterranean Sea and Weddell Sea, both built in Massachusetts and powered by 4500 hp.  Mediterranean Sea (110′ loa)  was launched in 2004; Weddell Sea  (105′ loa) launched 2007.

Finally, it’s Nicole Leigh Reinauer, Alabama-built, launched in 1999, 119′ loa, and 7200 hp.

All fotos this week by Will Van Dorp.