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Photo: ©Mitch Waxman / NewtownPentacle.com
I’m sorry to announce that we have to postpone the May 26 Newtown Creek boat tour. Despite our best laid plans, the NYC DOT announced they will be painting the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge over the next 4 months. What this means to us is, at various (unscheduled) times, the bridge could be locked in the closed position for up to 6 days at a time.
Photo: ©Mitch Waxman / NewtownPentacle.com
From federalregister.gov: The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge across Newtown Creek, mile 1.3, at New York City, New York. The deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge painting operations. Under this temporary deviation, the bridge may remain in the closed position for various times up to six days at a time during a four-month period.
Photo: ©Mitch Waxman / NewtownPentacle.com
Working Harbor Committee’s Captain John Doswell, together with Mitch Waxman, after much calculation and debate over vessel draft and tides, came to the mutual decision to reschedule the trip for the Fall, when the three-hour tour is not apt to be stopped in its tracks barely 30 minutes into the exploration.
Ticket holders should have already received an email from Captain John and refunds are on their way.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience and look for our rescheduled Newtown Creek boat exploration to take place in the Fall.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
Bounty. The mere mention of her name brings prickles of tears to my eyes. I still can’t believe that she and two precious souls are lost forever. The hearings to determine what transpired on that fateful day have been a kaleidoscope of disbelief and heartbreak.
HMS Bounty. Photo: yachtpals.com
gCaptain has been following the investigative hearings closely. Follow the links for their Bounty hearings coverage:
- Day 1: Chief Mate Testifies
- Day 2: Rotted Frames on Bounty
- Day 3: Testimony Highlights the Complexity
- Day 4: The Illusion of Experience
- Day 5: Sins of Omission
- Day 6: The Cost of Waiting
- Day 7: The 17th Passenger
- Day 8: The Whole Truth
Captain John Doswell. Photo: Mitch Waxman
Our own Captain John Doswell, expressed his feelings on the tragic event:
I only met Robin twice, two different times, both as Bounty was moored next to the fireboat on previous visits, and then by email several times, mostly about OpSail (we tried to get Bounty in the parade). When the vessel sank and many were quick to damn him, I held back and said let’s wait for the investigation, let him rest in peace. As a writer in Sea History Magazine said, “If he made a mistake, he paid the ultimate price”. But now it seems like a long series of mistakes and bad judgments, some going back months & even years. Hopefully, as the Coast Guard intends, the lessons learned from this tragedy will be helpful in saving future ships and lives. The final report will come out in CG Proceedings Magazine soon, which I get and will pass on at that time.
I do recall the first visit several years ago when Bounty was visibly and shockingly in bad shape. I went below decks. For the movie the steel frames had been covered with fiberglass fake wood, and one was cracked allowing me to see inside to the frame itself. She was generally dirty and not well-kept. Spars were broken and drooping, dirt everywhere. Robin admitted the boat was in bad shape but said he was about to embark on an ambitious plan to upgrade everything.
HMS Bounty. Photo: Tahiti.com
I saw her again a few years later and indeed she looked much better, almost like new. I think this was after the movie so some $ had been spent. She did manage to run her bowsprit into the back of the stage on Pier 66 – but eventually managed to land alongside John J Harvey. I went aboard again and everything I saw looked good, but I did not do a complete tour below decks, engine room, etc. The testimonies above are shocking to me. I would not have guessed any of that.
Sobering reading. It’s important to remember, Bounty was not a normal case. I believe most tall ships are very well run and I would not hesitate to sail on one in blue water. Bounty was a sad exception. In fact a close friend and also a captain, Maggie Flanagan, will be sailing on two in March, first on the USCG Cutter Eagle, then on Mystic Whaler, and I’m not in the least apprehensive.
As for Robin, I could not draw any conclusions from the two times I actually talked to him. I liked him. But, as Mario said, tall ship crew members and captains are very easy to like & admire. As damning as the hearings are at the moment, you have to assume he meant well and somehow lost sight of reality.
HMS Bounty and Fireboat John J Harvey at Pier 66 Maritime. Photo: Working Harbor Committee
Here is a pic from the 2nd visit – about 2-3 years ago I think – looking very shipshape.
Out of sight, a little damage to her bowsprit from hitting the stage building as she was trying to land. I was there, along with Krevey.
Eventually, after about 30 minutes, she got herself turned around with no tug or push boat to help.
Rest In Peace Claudene Christian. Photo: ClaudeneChristian.com via twitter
Rest In Peace Captain Robin. Photo: Dave Souza via the Herald News
Our heartfelt prayers to the families and friends of their lost loved ones.
Sailors Prayer
by Charles D. Williams
Sailors pray,
For fair winds and a following sea
The smell of salt in the air,
The feel of their skin as it’s touched by the spray
An albatross soaring above,
Dolphins in the ship’s wake at play
To witness a work of art that only God can create,
The sunset at the end of day
At night a million stars in the sky,
Safe anchorage in an islands lee
When the time comes to die as for all it must,
To awake in Sailors Heaven where nothing ever rusts
And always there would be,
Fair winds and a following sea
by Mai Armstrong via Captain John Doswell for Working Harbor Committee
An update from Captain John Doswell, Executive Director, Working Harbor Committee
In general, most commercial vessels, including historic & educational vessels, fared well in New York Harbor with a few notable exceptions (See this about a tanker run aground on a street in Staten Island).
Most damage was to waterfront facilities everywhere – but especially in New Jersey.
The South Street Seaport Museum’s schooner Pioneer was safe up river anchored near Verplanck (where Capt Doswell took her last year during Tropical Storm Irene) but we hear the marinas up there, as in other locations, are in shambles and/or gone.
photo: Working Harbor Committee
Back at Pier 16, Pioneer’s floating dock is fine, but you can see in the photo above, the huge camel for it floated up and over the pier railing and got stuck there. The same thing happened to the lightship Ambrose – ship fine, camel on the pier.
South Street Seaport Museum lobby after the flood waters receded. photo: via SSSM facebook page
The two tall ships at the South Street Seaport Museum were fine, thanks to good shipkeeping by the Museum’s Waterfront Director, Capt Jonathan Boulware. The schooner Lettie G Howard was well out of harm’s way in Mystic CT. As for the Museum itself, although the exhibits and artifacts are all on higher floors and suffered no damage, the Museum’s tenants and programs, as well as the lobby & mechanical equipment were hard hit. For the complete story and how to help, click here.
Meanwhile at Classic Harbor Lines at Chelsea Piers, operated by WHC Steering Committee members Sarah and Susan Greer and Meghan May Hart, and owner Rick Scarano, a great WHC supporter, the boats came through fine. But Rick & crew had a tough time keeping the floating docks in place. And the Classic Harbor Line office and stock room were ruined by flooding, with about 4 feet of water filling the building, which sloshed everything around.
According to Bill Buckley at our Hidden Harbor Tour partner New York Water Taxi & Circle Line Downtown, again the boats came through fine, but facilities suffered. Gus Markou, CEO at Circle Line 42nd Street and another great tour partner and supporter of WHC, said the story was much the same.
Sandy Hook Pilots. photo: Richard Drew/AP/Corbis via New York Magazine
The large container and ro-ro ships that we see on our tours all went to sea for the event, and area tugs found safe places to hide – The Reinauer tug fleet holed up in Erie Basin according to VP Bert Reianuer. We saw the Sandy Hook Pilots boats spend the evening stemming the tide in the North River, an option that was considered for John J Harvey before we decided on Pier 25.
Other historic ships came through well, according to their owners or keepers. The steamer lighthouse tender Lilac and historic tug Pegasus were fine at Pier 25, and the Showboat and Museum Barge (Lehigh Valley No 79) and tanker Mary Whalen (PortSide NewYork) fared well in Red Hook – but again facilities – and the neighborhood of Red Hook, among others – suffered much damage. And, as mentioned above, Pier 66 Maritime was not damaged, nor was the historic lightship Frying Pan, nor Manhattan by Sail’s boats Clipper City or Shearwater.
As for the NY Harbor School on Governors Island, falling trees spared the school building and the fleet docked at Brooklyn Navy Yard survived. Captain Aaron Singh reported, “Our boats survived the storm with little to no damage. They are in good shape”, thanks to the efforts of faculty, staff, and students.
For the latest on the state of New York Harbor from the NY Times, Click Here.
After the storm: Sun coming up on the city & Pegasus from stern of Harvey. photo: Renee Lutz Stanley
But even with relatively good news about many vessels, this was a destructive event on a historic scale that has brought great loss and misery to so many, including entire towns, especially in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and many other waterfront areas in NYC and New Jersey, where many of our readers live, and our hearts go out to all those who have suffered from it.
Pleas for help are coming from many neighborhoods around New York and New Jersey. We can’t list them all here but please check websites and twitter feeds for information on how you can help in your area.
If you would like to help but don’t know where to start, here is the Red Cross link for Hurricane Sandy. (Click Here)
by Captain John Doswell, Executive Director, Working Harbor Committee
Have you watched this amazing short film by Jessica Edwards about Tugs? Join her as she gives us an intimate glimpse into the world of the marine towing industry in our working harbor. Our very own Capt. John Doswell, in addition to consulting on the film, makes a cameo appearance towards the end, around the 8 minute mark.
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TugsFilm.com: Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s busiest harbors, “Tugs” is an ode to the hardest working boats on the waterways and the people who pilot them. Once filled with scallywags and salty dogs—rugged seafarers who virtually lived on the water—the marine towing industry in New York City has matured, but the traditions of family, community and hard work persevere. “Tugs” admires the legacy and longevity of these boats and the strength of their position in the country’s history and future.
Jessica Edwards‘ films have screened at festivals around the world including Sundance, SXSW, Hot Docs and on PBS’s documentary series POV.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
Working Harbor Committee’s Hidden Harbor Newark Bay tour offers an seldom seen look at the working harbor of NY/NJ – Brooklyn’s Erie Basin, Staten Island’s Kill Van Kull and the container ports in Newark Bay – as we tour our vital working harbor.
photo: Mitch Waxman
Hidden Harbor® Newark Bay
Departs Pier 16, South Street Seaport
Tuesday August 21 at 6:15 p.m.
Click for Tickets
The tour will be narrated by maritime expert Ed Kelly, executive director of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ and member of the Newtown Creek CAG together with Captain John Doswell, executive director of the Working Harbor Committee. They will describe the ins-and-outs of our working harbor, 3rd largest port in the nation, its role in global economics and the bright future ahead in the age of post-panamax ships.
Ed Kelly narrates a Hidden Harbor tour. photo: Mitch Waxman
“We are a maritime nation, and people don’t know that,” said Ed Kelly, executive director of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ, who will be the special guest narrator on the August 21 Hidden Harbor Tour. “The maritime industry delivers the American way of life. It is essential to the nation’s security and economic well-being. But because we have gotten so good at what we do people don’t even know we do it any more. It is hidden away. That’s why tours like this are so important.”
photo: Mitch Waxman
Departing from South Street Seaport, the Zephyr* will tour along the Brooklyn waterfront, past the Red Hook Container Terminal and into Erie Basin, home of Hughes Brothers Barges and Reinauer Tugs.
Then across the harbor to “Tugboat Alley” (Kill Van Kull), one of the busiest maritime highways in the world. The KVK, as mariners know it, is a narrow waterway separating Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
photo: Mitch Waxman
Cruising by tug yards, oil docks and marine repair facilities to the Bayonne Bridge, we will see the giant container ports of Newark Bay, Port Newark and Port Elizabeth where the world’s largest container ships dock.
Passing by Military Ocean Terminal, we will visit the 9/11 Teardrop Memorial, a gift received in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001 before sailing on past the Robbins Reef Lighthouse. We pause at the Statue of Liberty for a photo-moment at dusk before returning to South Street Seaport, Pier 16.
photo: Mitch Waxman
“This tour amazed me. I’ve lived in New York City my whole adult life, and I had no idea all this activity was going on in the harbor,” Stuart Dworeck, a media professional and recreational sailor, said at the end of the July Newark Bay Tour. “I am coming back and bringing friends.”
Hidden Harbor® Newark Bay
Departs Pier 16, South Street Seaport
Tuesday August 21 at 6:15 p.m.
Click for Tickets
$29 adults
$22 seniors (65+)
$15 children (3-12)
Snacks and beverages, including wine and beer, will be available for purchase.
Zephyr* will depart from South Street Seaport’s Pier 16 at Fulton Street and the East River.
Directions to Pier 16: Subway: 2,3,4,5, E, J, Z or M trains to Fulton Street, or A and C trains to Broadway – Nassau. Walk east on Fulton Street to the pier
*The tour boat is subject to change to a New York Water Taxi pending day-of conditions; if so, Water Taxis board at Pier 17, South Street Seaport
photo: Mitch Waxman
Upcoming Hidden Harbor Tours:
Brooklyn Waterfront Tour: September 4, at 5:30 p.m. Narrated by Dan Wiley, Community Coordinator for a Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez in southwest Brooklyn and will talk about Brooklyn’s maritime heritage and the changing Brooklyn waterfront from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to Sunset Park.
Newark Bay Tour: September 18 at 5:30 p.m. Featuring the Kill Van Kull and Ports Newark and Elizabeth. Guest Speaker to be announced.
The Working Harbor Committee is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to spreading the word about the rich history, current vitality and future potential of the New York/New Jersey Harbor including an extensive youth education program, senior tours and other events. For more information, visit www.workingharbor.org.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
Hidden Harbor® North River Tour with renowned maritime historian Bill Miller
Tuesday, 7 August 2012 – 6:15 pm
Our special “North River” Boat Tour will feature the changing waterfront of the Hudson River: From ocean-going ships to kayaks. Renowned maritime historian Bill Miller will recall the days when ocean liners and cargo ships crowded a riverfront that is now home to waterfront parks.
From his website, Bill Miller At Sea: Bill Miller is considered an international authority on the subject of ocean liners & cruise ships. This includes those great ships of the past, those “floating palaces,” as well as the current generation of cruise ships, the “floating resorts”. Called “Mr. Ocean Liner,” he has written over 60 books on the subject: from early steamers, immigrant ships and liners at war to other titles on their fabulous interiors, in post card form and about the highly collectible artifacts from them. He has done specific histories of such celebrated passenger ships as the United States, Queen Mary, Rotterdam, France, Queen Elizabeth 2, Costa Victoria, Super Star Leo and Crystal Serenity.
The tour begins by cruising around the southern tip of Manhattan and the large ferry terminals, continuing on past Staten Island and Governors Island. We travel north up along the west side of Manhattan passing by historic Castle Clinton and the Battery, then sailing upriver along much of Hudson River Park.
Captain John Doswell, joined by esteemed guest speaker Bill Miller will talk about historic ships, ferry terminals, fireboat terminals, historic Pier 57, Chelsea Piers, the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum and the passenger cruise ship terminals, past and present.
We then cross the Hudson to New Jersey touring the historic Hoboken waterfront of “On The Waterfront” fame, another active shipyard, the Morris Canal entrance culminating in a visit to the Statue of Liberty for a spectacular photo opportunity before returning to Pier 16.
This two-hour Hidden Harbor Tour® takes place Tuesday, 7 August at 6:15pm. Departing from Pier 16, South Street Seaport, Fulton Street and the East River in Manhattan, on the luxury passenger boat Zephyr*.
*Subject to change to New York Water Taxi pending day-of conditions, check at the NY Water Taxi ticket kiosk on the pier for details; Water Taxis board at Pier 17, South Street Seaport.
TOUR TIPS:
- All Hidden Harbor Tours take place aboard the Luxury Yacht ZEPHYR* (not a tugboat)
- ZEPHYR offers two fully enclosed decks, plus an open-air rooftop deck – all boasting breathtaking, panoramic views
- The main deck of ZEPHYR is the only wheel-chair accessible deck
- Two cash bars on board with beverage service and select snack options available for purchase
- Parking is available throughout the South Street Seaport vicinity and neighborhood – as a precaution, please allot for extra time to find a spot
- All Hidden Harbor Tours operate rain or shine*
- A portion of the ticket price supports the non-profit programs of the Working Harbor Committee
- Learn more at workingharbor.org
