Posts Tagged ‘Hudson River’
hewing in
A few shots from the Great North River Tugboat Race, in today’s post
– photo by Mitch Waxman
When the wheel of the year rolls around to Labor Day weekend, a humble narrator always has plans.
The Great North River Tugboat Race, produced by the Working Harbor Committee, occurs on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. This year, 12 tugs raced from the boat basin at 79th street (well, Pier I, technically) to 42nd street right by the Intrepid. The winner, I believe, was the red McAllister tug pictured above.
Why not swing over to working harbor to check out the official results? My colleague John Skelson also has a whole series of shots of the race running there as well.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After the race, the tugs get into a “tug of war” competition. They go nose to nose and push each other around. This contest is about a lot more than just raw horsepower, it’s about the skill of the captains and how they handle their boats.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Far and away, my favorite part of the Great North River Tugboat Race is the line toss competition. During this part of the event, the tugs come in at speed towards a bollard on the pier, and deckhands throw the heavy rope at it in an attempt to “get it in one.”
There’s also a spinach eating competition, because as every sailor knows – you’re strong to the finach if you eats your spinach.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Upcoming Tours –
September 20th, 2015
Glittering Realms Walking Tour
with Brooklyn Brainery, click here for details and tickets
stay and sing
Just a short one today.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Recently captured, and one of the first shots acquired with my replacement camera, the John J. Harvey Fireboat upon the Hudson River. The Harvey was saluting the memory of Working Harbor Committee’s own Capt. John Doswell with a water monitor display.
Also, to all of you who offered to help me with the crushing financial burden of replacing the destroyed camera and lens, I’ll have some sort of avenue set up by tomorrow’s post for you to do so. Cannot begin to tell you how much these offers mean to one such as myself.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Upcoming Tours –
July 26th, 2015
Modern Corridor – LIC, Queens Walking Tour
with Brooklyn Brainery, click here for details and tickets.
impelled to
As promised, shots from the Tug race in today’s post.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Last Sunday, the Working Harbor Committee organized this years iteration of the Great North River Tug Race and Competition. A multi pronged assault on the brain’s fun center, it starts with a race that begins at the 79th creek boat basin on the Hudson River. The finish line is at 42nd street, and this year the Robert McAllister tug won. Someday, I’d like to win something, but the only thing I’ve ever been good at winning is being a good loser.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The fun center of the brain is something which I’m fairly sure has withered away within my own skull, likely due to some unheralded ischemic event. Suspecting that my fun center has been “stroked out” of operation, it’s no surprise that the dull and quite existential horrors which typify my days were only briefly punctured by the “tug of war” nose to nose pushing competition segment of the event. It’s all so depressing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Once, this sort of thing would have caused my mouth to form into a horrible gap toothed shape which could be roughly interpreted by others as being a smile. Now, there is only a flat affect and an abundance of dull eyed staring, I’m afraid. At least I can still work the camera, but can’t seem to distinguish the difference between sweet and sour tastes anymore. It takes sewerage or burning plastic for me to take notice of smell or taste these days.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The part of the Tug Race which I’ve always loved photographing, if that’s an emotion I can still experience, is the line toss. The various tugs form a queue and then hurtle at the pier, whereupon they hurl a rope at a bollard. The goal is to loop the rope onto the bollard and the throwers are rated for time and accuracy. I wish I could tell you who won, but a group of teenagers scared me so I headed home and locked my doors securely, back in Astoria where I belong.
The entire race set can be viewed at this flickr page.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
This weekend-
Saturday, September 6th, The Insalubrious Valley of the the Newtown Creek
Walking Tour with Atlas Obscura, click here for tickets and more info.
2013 Great North River Tugboat Race
Maritime Sunday returns with a Tugboat Race.
– photos by Mitch Waxman
For this week’s Maritime Sunday, what I saw last week at the Great North River Tugboat Race.
20th annual Great North River Tugboat Race
Last Sunday, the race was run on the Hudson River. Your humble narrator was onboard the “officials” boat and the following slideshow is what was captured on the day of. How’s that for a “Maritime Sunday”?
The Newtown Pentacle 