Shipdocking Extravaganza 2007
By Don Sutherland
The U.S. Navy is an organization that refers much to tradition, though from a distance, as Arleigh Burke class guidedmissile frigates file past, it's not always clear which tradition we mean. Those aren't the newest of our warships, but they're still a long ways from Old Ironsides. Tradition must mean other than traditional hardware, referring more to the intangibles of spirit, duty and service, pride and honor and all the rest. But when the U.S. Navy brings its ships to town as it has for almost 20 Fleet Week observations in New York, it kicks other traditions into action by proximity. Take the tradition of shipdocking. It was once a commonplace scene, to the metropolitan observer, when tugboats conducted ocean ships clear up the upper bay, into the North River, as far up as midtown, for docking at finger piers on both sides. The captivated onlooker could watch tugs handling both, cargo and passenger ships in almost endless succession, all over the city, a tradition that found itself interrupted by the mid-1960s. Containerization hid the tugboats' work with cargo ships in Newark Bay, over the ridge, around the corner, out of sight. Passenger ships despite their thrusters sometimes need a bump or a nudge from a tug, but are metropolitan observers captivated by their romance any more? The way to tell most modern cruise ships from the Ramada Inn at the airport is, the cruise ship has the bow. So something that revives the old shipdocking tradition revives a depth of understanding about the observer's life.
Reduced Numbers
There were just seven naval visitors this year, a middling number in a field that has mustered a dozen and more at times. But of course, ships being ships, they're available when they're available. As it was, seven ships pretty-much max-out the places to dock in New York, before embarrassment sets in. For sure, another three vessels could have fit at the Navy pier this year. But there was the time not many years ago when over a dozen guests arrive, and a warship ostensibly visiting New York set for sea for a day's cruise, while the cruise ship whose berth in occupied rebunkered its fuel and its revelers. This general downsizing this year made things that much simpler when it came to securing tugs. McAllister holds the Navy contract, and has the tugs to handle the highest number of ships. But beyond Portland to the north and Baltimore to the south, there may come a point when the cost of fuel just for travel makes local charters economical. The Jennifer Turecamo and Catherine Turecamo were among this year's shipdocking fleet. McAllister's high-end shipdocking tugs, at least in New York, are so-called YTZs, or Navy tugs converted from shaft-andpropeller to Z-drive. The original Navy architectural lines softened, in pursuit of improving visibility for the skipper, makes the remade tugs look like a now form of classicism. Purpose-built Z-drives, with their "greenhouse" topping and angularity make outstanding boats from every perspective, except that they are not what the metropolitan observer searches for in a time of tradition. Along with the updated classics, actual classics have for years been part of the
The YTZ Ellen McAllister escorts USS Wasp toward Manhattan, where it will find a berth at Pier 80 for the 20th Fleet Week year. (Photo: Don Sutherland)
tugboat diorama during Fleet Week. The Stamford, a noble old sight for 55 years now, certainly belongs to any traditional shipdocking-fest. She's attended the past two Fleet Week extravaganzas, and the
LEFT Capt. Brian Fournier attended to business in a cap as green as the Reliance, bearing a big, red "B." It was not company issue, but it drew many admiring comments in New York. (Photo: Don Sutherland)
fine old J.P. McAllister has shown-up at least once.
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RIGHT Towmaster for the Intrepid shift, Capt. Pat Kinnier, gives a good stern look at the proceedings. Did it help? All we can say is that the move went as smooth as butter. (Photo: Don Sutherland)
24 � MarineNews � June, 2007