Archive for July 23rd, 2013
blind alleys
You never know what might float by.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Recently, while onboard the Staten Island Ferry, I noticed the gargantuan DonJon tug Atlantic Salvor towing an interesting rig. Atlantic Salvor is a 151 foot long “ocean going anchor handling tugboat” whose engines operate at about 6,480 HP. The rig she’s towing is a crane barge, which is called “Newark Bay.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The crane barge is being towed in an “on the hip” fashion. This means that the starboard side of the tug is tied off to the port side of the barge at roughly the center mass point of the tug. Your humble narrator has little understanding of why one chooses the various methods of attachment that are available to tug captains, but I’m sure there is some utterly prosaic reason governing the choice.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
What caught my interest wasn’t really the crane barge, a bit of kit we will be seeing a lot of on Newtown Creek in the coming years as the Kosciuszko Bridge rebuild kicks into gear, instead it was the smaller towing vessel (which might be a work boat, just to be nit picky) which was being towed along with the crane.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The vast majority of towing observed in the harbor is fuel, garbage, or cargo related. You’ll notice the occasional crane or dredge barge, of course, but they are witnessed with far less frequency. Atlantic Salvor was built in 1977 and is operated by DonJon towing.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Want to see something cool? Summer 2013 Walking Tours-
Kill Van Kull– Saturday, August 10, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
13 Steps around Dutch Kills– Saturday, August 17, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Newtown Creek Alliance, tickets now on sale.
The Newtown Pentacle 