#21 The Sixth Boro

From the RIDICULOUS antics of installing a new starter motor …

 

To the SUBLIME cruise down the Hudson the following day …

 To the HARROWING final leg the day after that …

And the EXCITING day with a world famous water blogster.

It's never dull aboard the Sally W. We like it that way.

Rescue missions are always appreciated. And we needed one. After two plus months, 8000 photos and twenty-one posts the trusty laptop began to groan. It needed an upgrade. Allan ordered more memory and had it shipped to the home of longtime friend John Bulcroft in New Jersey. John has rescued us in the past, and we figured we could impose once again.Mr. Bulcroft is a very considerate man who enjoys going beyond mission requirements. He drove 45 minutes from his home to meet us in Haverstraw Bay and delivered the computer memory. 

He also brought lunch, three bottles of wine, and yummy fruit tarts. We agreed to consume only one bottle of wine, and enjoyed bubbly Prosecco. But that's not all. With skies darkening, John drove us to a grocery store for much-needed provisions. We arrived back at the boat, hugged him good-bye, and dashed aboard just as sirens were signalling lightning strikes. Thank you JB!

Obviously, weather patterns are unstable. It's still hazy, hot, and humid. Each day forecasts thunderstorms and boaters must plan accordingly. On the morning of our final leg down the Hudson, the weather radar showed strong cells moving northeast from Philadelphia. 

 We decided to try to beat it. It was a wild ride, more nail-biting than battling the elements. Fortunately, we were spared the severe cells to the west, and experienced rain and moderate winds. It didn't make for great viewing of the Big Apple, but we weathered it well.

The rain had stopped by the time we reached Liberty Landing Marina and tied up for the rest of the day. We washed the boat and prepared for the arrival of a special guest the next morning.

Will Van Dorp, aka “Tugster” calls himself a water blogger.

www.tugster.wordpress.com 

Allan is an ardent fan, and we invited Will aboard for a day on the water.

It was a very busy Saturday.

Will's niche is the waterways around the port of New York. He calls them the sixth borough. More specifically, it is what is on the waterways that interests him. 

 His favorite area is the Kill Van Kull, where there is a great concentration of BIG commercial marine activity. 

All ships that come into the port of Newark use this waterway, passing by Shooter's Island ...

... and under the Bayonne Bridge. Believe it or not, this tug is going to maneuver the barge to pass under the bridge.

The Kill is the tugboat nerve center.

 The Moran tug design was the inspiration for our Victory Tugs. 

 

Use a little imagination here.

 

 Will teaches English 101 at a community college. The course objective is to hone research skills. He got his start blogging six years ago when he began researching the vessels he was observing. He not only knows their names, but their history as well. 

 

When he heard we were coming down the Hudson, he asked us to shoot an old ferry which had been converted into a restaurant; only to be destroyed by a storm last fall. The pending demolition is controversial, and Will needed pictures of the port side. When he saw them, he was surprised that the boat had deteriorated so much since initial damage last fall.

 The blog has received many accolades and invitations from captains to hop aboard. But most of the time Will shoots great pictures from the shore. Although he and his wife lived aboard for three years, he doesn't own a boat at this time. A waterside Getty station on Staten Island is his “office.”

It was a privilege to have this guided tour with the celebrated Tugster. Thanks very much, Will.

 Our tour of the sixth boro ended with the trip up the East River on a hot Sunday afternoon. We waited for the current to change in our favor and enjoyed the sights.

If you're a New Yorker, a plane on the river isn't anything to get excited about. We found it unusual. But hey, it's New York.





Jet skis ...

Fireboats ...

... barges in tow. This could be a terrifying sight ...

 ... for a captain. It kept him busy.













 

Final approach into La Guardia just added to the circus.
 

And it didn't let up in Long Island Sound. Watch it there, little guy.

The day ended tied to a mooring in Manhasset Bay. At long last, a peaceful tie-up.