People Movers 2

Here was the first in this series, from quite a while back.   The next two photos below were taken late last week by Brian DeForest.

Miss New York, Blount built in 1993 leaves the Statue quite dramatically.

Ferry Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, Mathis built 1956, was named for this West Point grad.

That’s Explorer of the Seas in the background.

Water Taxi and NYC Audubon operate this winter cruise to watch the water mammal between the boat and my lens.

Seals in the harbor are the real people movers.

And finally, let’s move from those mammals to one painted on the ferry Major General  William H. Hart, Staten-Island built 1926 . . . now rebranded as SS Meow Man.

On pages 450-1 of Peter& Norma Stanford’s A Dream of Tall Ships–which I reviewed here— there’s a description of this vessel’s hand-over from the USCG to South Street Seaport, where for a period of time it served as a marine trades training school, partly funded by Brooke Astor.  Here was a post where I used a slightly different version of this Hart photos.

Thanks to Brian for use of the first two photos.  All others by Will Van Dorp.

Specialized 4 Revisited

Has it been more than three years already since I posted on “specialized 4,” back when Red Hook’s sugar mill still stood?    It hardly seems possible.  Do you recognize this daffodil-colored object below?

They gallop faster than 20 knots, carrying many dozens of passengers, and they’re locally made at Derecktor Shipyards, just a jaunt up the Sound.

They bounce or dance on these twin hulls in a way that makes me

hope some inspired folk talent revisits Harry Chapin’s Taxi song;  a lost-love story called “water taxi,” about a passenger and a captain (or crew) who meet (or don’t) years too late (early).

Who is this Curt Berger?

And Ed Rogowsky, depicted in the last foto of the post in 2007, who was he and where is this vessel that now goes as Heavens Gate?

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Specialized 4

New York streets have long been dominated by the yellow cabs, maybe even before Checker days. John D. Hertz started the color association: yellow was the easiest to spot, he thought; I think he was right.

There are other water taxi companies, and if you’ve never ridden one, choose according to the route. I’m not an agent for any of them. The division of routes vaguely recalls the rivalry between Fulton’s ferry empire and Vanderbilt’s entry. Read this link; look at the section “ferry empire.”

South Street Seaport is one of the stops for the yellow ones. Another is Red Hook, although if you were to go there today, the landing would no look like this or even be back here as it was in 2005.

Hauled out and high and dry, here’s the portside pontoon showing draft markings.

May 2007 a ship powerplant that could supplant the diesels will be here after crossing the Atlantic. And check this out.

I’d like to see photos of water taxis in other cities, other continents.

All photos by will Van Dorp.