East River Tow

Tech astounds me . . . yesterday morning I got an email from a New Yorker in the UK telling about this event;  tugs are already under way, he said.

I missed the first tug but arrived in time for Liz Vinik, shown here in classic NY context as well as state-of-the-art architecture.

Following Liz was Vinik No. 6., another classic, one I’d not seen in a while.

Both veteran tugs were on the move.

 

Five hours later, and after both my VHF and cell phone had died, leaving me to wait on sheer faith that this was going to happen, the tow appeared into my field of view, westbound at Hell Gate.

TS Empire State IV VI was headed for the yard in dead ship mode.

 

With Liz on the bow and No. 6 alongside, they made their way to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to GMD, where she would make her way into the graving dock after dark yesterday.

Nicholas tended the stern. Previously she was Maria J. 

 

Had she come around the bend by Hell Gate 15 minutes later, i would have missed this, since I had late afternoon chores waiting.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who is grateful to Steve Munoz for that early morning email from the UK.

 

Landmarks

The idea here comes from the “eyed but not seen until it’s noticed” department.  I noticed the Brooklyn church on the hill behind Linda Moran only recently.  I’ve no doubt I’d seen it many times before, but my glance never lingered there.  Now, I am unable to NOT see it.  It is the basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, OLPH, for short.    Between Linda and OLPH is the Brooklyn Army Terminal, designed by the legendary Cass Gilbert.

This got my wondering about other churches visibly prominently  from the sixth boro.    Like St. Michael’s in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.  I know some might find this heretical, but as a newbie in the sixth boro, I considered the possibility that the 200′ egg-tipped spire might be a minaret.

Just forward of Megan McAllister is St. Mary Star of the Sea in Bayonne, as seen from Richmond Terrace, Staten Island.

Just above Ellen McAllister‘s stacks, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is mostly obscured here by the IMTT tanks.

St Peter’s in New Brighton, Staten Island can’t be missed.

Just astern of Kristy Ann Reinauer, St Patrick’s in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has two spires.  The single white spire to the right of the courthouse tops First Presbyterian on Broad Street in Elizabeth, a congregation going back to 1664.

From this 2007 foto, it’s Riverside

Church in Manhattan.  In the foto above, left to right:  Dorothy Elizabeth, Patapsco, Lucy Reinauer, and unknown.  Can anyone identify this Moran boat below?  Answer below.

And since I’m asking, here’s a church along the Brooklyn side of East River aka Easy River, taken in 2007, I cannot identify.  Anyone help?

If you wish to add other church landmarks, let me know.

All fotos here, Will Van Dorp.

Moran boat below Riverside Church is Paul T. Moran, answer thanks to Allen Baker.