After this project is done I am taking the Captain at his word. Car trip ( Buick) to Washington Island and then late summer we are going to take the boat out to the lake for a week. I kind of remember a mention of Harley/Scooter rides also in there. I am struggling to get my Motorcycle license. Didn't know I had to cop a u-turn. I only drive a 110CC but have to have a full license. I also have fun on my 49cc Moped. Okay, time to stop hijacking this thread. ...ppat
We are taking this plane to Havana.... Never minded a good 'ol hijack in my life... I had a pal in High School. Jack Reiter... I said Hi Jack once and he quipped, "Dont say that in an airport..." That was 1972! ws Geoff... going to the TugBoat round up this year? Word has it that the NYBCS is scrapping all the mothballed tugs and barges. Sinking them as artificial reefs. Great idea, but the history will be gone. Pat and i tried this as "Blue Seas Solutions" and couldnt overcome the locals with an inside track. MORAN towing was donating the boats and the state was paying for disposal after a "thorough" cleaning and gutting. Some of the boats still had 20,000 gallons of fuel. Parts, money to sink and fuel at $1.00 a gallon??? Couldnt make it happen. That was 2010. ws https://www.canals.ny.gov/history/tugurger.html Erie Canal fans not ready to give up the ships 5/24 - The tug Reliable, built during the Great Depression in Syracuse and an enduring symbol of the brawny toil of state canal workers, was unceremoniously hauled down the Hudson River by barge last week en route to an ignoble burial at sea. Maritime historians, who love old tugs with an affection some reserve for retrievers, are shocked at the shabby treatment of Reliable and other cast-off canal vessels scheduled to be sunk for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's artificial reef project off Long Island. "A lot of us were appalled watching the Reliable hauled down the river. It is being done so quickly and without time to weigh other options," said Craig Williams, a retired State Museum senior historian and a board member of the Canal Society of New York State. Williams documented the final journey of Reliable with photographs and video and said the sight "made me sick to my stomach." He commiserated along the shoreline with a retired canal worker who was moved to tears watching the old tug taken away. "It's terribly emotional for those of us who love these old vessels," Williams said. Williams spearheaded an effort to save the 1921 Day Peckinpaugh, a 259-foot bulk cargo carrier and the last survivor of more than 100 similar motorships that carried pig iron, wheat, sugar, rye and cement across the Great Lakes and along the Barge Canal to New York City. The ship was purchased in 2005 by the State Museum and a coalition of not-for-profit organizations as a floating museum to highlight the history of the Erie Canal. It is docked in Cohoes but it, too, is in danger of being added to the list of vessels slated to be sunk for the artificial reefs due to maintenance costs, according to Williams. Read more and view photos at this link: https://www.timesunion.com/local/ar...-give-up-the-ships-12935559.php#photo-7990374
Bill: I have not been to Waterford since last Fall. I'm not sure if I can make the tugboat roundup. I did not know about what's going on with the old canal boats. That sure is more than sad. NYS has all sorts of money for useless stuff, but ignores the history of what made NYS great - the canal system. UticaGeoff
Bill, I used my Dremel 3000 with a supposedly Diamond-tipped engraving tool to get through the stainless latch. Sad about the tugs; I hate it when things move too fast to stop and think about. I remember being in Newport, RI a few years ago looking at two old aircraft carriers that they were going to use for artificial reefs. I was a bit PO'd because I paid for the steel in those carriers and I felt that perhaps we the taxpayers should have been able to sell them for scrap. Oh yes, I forgot - the United States has so much money that we don't need to be fiscally careful... I still want to see the SS United States saved, but it probably won't be. Sad.
I think that, once someone officially becomes a politician, common sense leaves them. I never fail to be amazed to the waste of our tax $$$.
Never fails that people who walk by are asking if its aluminum or wood. Its hull #6 from 1963. Three More pieces to go. ws
Pat and I were at assembly for the Honor Guard this morning prior to the parade. Her fiend is the Post ladies auxiliary commander and pat is also a member. Her husband (RIP) served in Viet Nam. She also helps fund the wreaths across america thing where all military graves get a wreath. You vets can donate locally! Anyways, I blew off the parade and went to the fortress of solitude. Man! I was going to town, working left handed when I reallized that I had countersunk 26 holes FROM THE WRONG FREAKIN' SIDE!. Managed to save the $40.00 piece of material AND the day by re-doing the c'sinking from the other side... it was a close call. I really felt dyslexic! Got the piece mounted with only a bit to trim, then two more small ones before I call the weldor. PUHLEEZE! Send the cavalary! ws Heard the colonel say "I can still fit in my old uniform... Hmmm, they shouldve issued safety glasses!
Finally finished fitting all the aluminum including the art deco bullet ends. Weldor is unavailable until next Monday or tuesday. The Injun showed up today and got the entire "taft rail" thats the wood rail around the cockpit stripped 99% today. I guess this is our window to finally finish up on years of cruddy wood finishes too! ws
Heres some follow up news on the NYSBC story... ws Photo: Michael P. Farrell IMAGE 1 OF 25 Buy Photo Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton, left, and and local officials get their photograph taken on the bow of the tug Urger as it enters Lock E2 during a 100th Anniversary celebration of the opening ofgrondahlpaul@gmail.com "It's terribly emotional for those of us who love these old vessels," Williams said. Williams spearheaded an effort to save the 1921 Day Peckinpaugh, a 259-foot bulk cargo carrier and the last survivor of more than 100 similar motorships that carried pig iron, wheat, sugar, rye and cement across the Great Lakes and along the Barge Canal to New York City. The ship was purchased in 2005 by the State Museum and a coalition of not-for-profit organizations as a floating museum to highlight the history of the Erie Canal. It is docked in Cohoes but it, too, is in danger of being added to the list of vessels slated to be sunk for the artificial reefs due to maintenance costs, according to Williams. Canal buffs have voiced their displeasure in posts on the Canal Society's Facebook page at the rapid, large-scale scuttling of surplus canal vessels. A total of 29 canal tugs, derrick boats, scows and tender tugs along with recycled Tappan Zee Bridge material are headed for six artificial Long Island reefs Cuomo announced at an April 17 news conference. The reefs are intended to provide new habitat for marine life and to improve sportfishing and scuba diving appeal. "It's increasing the upstate versus downstate divide and pitting one set of interests against another without public discussion," said Duncan Hay, a historian with the National Park Service based in Waterford, who led the effort to get the state canal system designated a National Historic Landmark last year. "It's a lost opportunity because once they're sunk off Long Island, they'll be gone forever. Several communities along the canal have expressed interest in having the tugs as part of a display," said Mark Peckham, a maritime historian and retired director of the state's Bureau of Historic Sites and Parks. Critics of sinking the vessels noted a bitter irony. The state Canal Corp., which runs the extensive canal system, is touting the 100th anniversary of the Erie-Barge Canal this month at the same time it is scuttling its mothballed fleet. A spokesman for the Canal Corp. said in a prepared statement: "The vessels that have been selected for the reef project are out-of-commission vessels that would otherwise need to be disposed of. The Canal Corporation has followed all applicable protocols set forth by the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure that any artifacts or historically significant items from the vessels chosen for the reef project will be removed and preserved." Critics blame the accelerated plan and lack of transparency on the New York Power Authority, the state agency tapped last year to take over control of the state Canal Corp. from the state Thruway Authority. They contend the Power Authority has no interest or expertise in dealing with old canal vessels. The historians' simmering resentment is a mild prelude to the fight they vow over a planned decommissioning of the iconic tugboat Urger, built in 1901 and one of the oldest working vessels in the country. Its rugged, low-slung outline and blue and gold color scheme is used in promotional materials as the Canal Corp.'s floating ambassador. Since 1991, tens of thousands of schoolchildren toured the Urger on field trips about the history and legacy of the Erie Canal and its role in making New York the Empire State. The Urger has been out of service for the past year, tied up at Waterford awaiting maintenance. A proposal is being considered that would haul it out of the water permanently and place the historic tug on land as a static exhibit at a rest area at Lock 13 along the Thruway near Canajoharie, a project Cuomo announced in July 2016. The plan calls for holes to be bored through the hull to prevent it from floating away in case of a flood. "That scenario makes no sense. I'm aghast that they would want to make a lawn ornament out of her," said Tom Prindle, a retired Canal Corp. official and former executive officer of the New York State Council on Waterways. Prindle was instrumental in saving the Urger from the scrap heap in the late 1980s and repurposing it as a popular floating classroom. He helped get it listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it earned a spot as "the flagship vessel" in the Canal Corp.'s fleet. Prindle and other tugboat aficionados are mounting a campaign to keep the Urger in the water and in service for the next generation of New York schoolchildren. "We're not going to stand by silently while the governor sends the canal's legacy down the river," Williams said. Paul Grondahl is the director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com
Bill: Thank you for the additional information about the NYS canal boats - it is very sad. On a positive note, your boat is looking great!! UticaGeoff
I'd rather see the careers of the decision makers sink. Progress! Soon, you and Pat will be experiencing Smooth Sailing!
Our history is waning. Unfortunately we cant keep ALL the stuff, even war momentos included. The public interest isnt there and then theres the cost and upkeep on the big stuff. This story is from my boat forum that I posted this morning. Theres already several big museum ships (both merchant and military on the lakes) That barely break even with operating costs. Everyone want to save the S.S. AMERICA too. They cant raise enough donated funds to pay for the docking and liability fees, much less open a museum. This poor ol' gal has a lotta history behind her too, but alas, she's headed for the breakers' yard! 5/30 - Superior, Wis. – The American Victory, one of the oldest and most historic boats on the Great Lakes, is seeing the end of her days. For the last 10 years while she was laid up in Superior, her future was uncertain. The question was would she be updated and return to open waters or be scrapped? The answer: scrapped. If boats could talk, the American Victory would have quite the story to tell. "Here is a vessel that served our country during World War II, that it was bombed by the Japanese. There's still a big dent on her deck from an unexploded bomb," said Denise Wolven, the director of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center. The vessel, built in 1942, served the United States in both oceans and the Great Lakes. She's lived a life fit for the history books. “It was vessels like the American Victory that really got me to be a boat nerd more than I was before,” Wolven said. But, she won't be around much longer. "I felt this little connection with the ship and now I'm gonna have to watch it sail away to be scrapped," said Wolven. "So maybe the first that's gonna make me cry is the losing of the American Victory." On Friday, the American Victory was taken to Fraser Shipyards where the process to recycle her parts began. Recycling the historic ship, piece by piece, was a tough decision her owners made. Algoma, an Ontario based company that purchased the 76-year-old ship in December, said updating the ship would have been too costly. "That ship was tough for it to be economical in the US trades," Gregg Ruhl, Algoma's Chief Operating Officer. "For us we did look hard at it's various options and in the short team anyway we were finding it difficult to as a steam ship and her cargo, her length, her capacity to work economically." Ruhl said updating the 80-year-old vessel would have had an estimated 20 million dollar price tag. "We're doing a lot to modernize our fleet. Sometimes older tonnage works well, sometimes it doesn't. And in this case we just couldn't make it work," said Ruhl. "By the time you do all that, at least in the Canadian market, you're better off building a new ship." Even though the boat is being taken apart, it's history will still live on. "Hopefully we will be able to acquire a few pieces for our collection, just kind of walk away with something that we can keep the memory of the American Victory alive here in the Twin Ports," said Wolven. Algoma expects the vessel to leave the Twin Ports within the next couple months on her final voyage, but they still have to determine where she will end up for her full recycling. Officials say the American Victory could stay in North America or go as far away as Turkey. View photos at this link: http://www.kbjr6.com/story/38292071...?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KBJR_6 Thanks for the encouragement guys; you wouldn't believe how it helps! With me and Cam (the Injun', he's Oneida Indian), we'll get a good grasp on some wood finishing. The guy really thrives on detail oriented finesse work too! That goes pretty quick with immediate results; kinda like the wife having you paint the living room. A few years of neglect really festers itself in creating more to do, then never getting around to THAT, and it grows exponentially! Cool and hazy up here today so we aint getting cooked anyways... RAIN STAY AWAY! ws
Thousands of tons of steel in the old Tappan Zee Bridge and the state of New York is going to just dump it in the ocean? I guess that this proves that the above quote is true.
Und zer you go! The old and the new... No injun today; at least he called and was only 10 minutes late LOL... I took over and finished all the outside scraping. I was gonna hose the stuff off and then thought that this was the perfect time to really wash the wood. Theres a little hardware store in town and all they carry is a HD deck wash. Hmmm. There was a ton of warnings on the label so it must be good. Got to thinking that I had some Oxalic Acid left so took a side trip home and actually found it! I sprayed on the deck wash and as it was dripping on the wood below it, the drips were actually reacting by raising the dirt and mildew stain stuff right to the top. Let that stuff dry in the sun and then made up a coffee can full of the oxalic and soaked it in with a stiff scrub brush. That label said to rinse 3 times. I did 6 until it quit foaming. It was beginning to dry by the time I got all my stuff put away and was looking like brand new wood. Tomorrow is a stain and maybe 3 coats of thin varnish to seal it. Gotta take advantage of the weldor not being available till Tuesday. Finally, some real progress! The starboard side cap is already finished and the rail is bare, the port side is all bare and still wet from rinsing. I think it looks good! ws
Every day John, Every day! Freshwater beats the pants off of seawater anyday! The Injun showed up with his squaw this morning. I cant pay her but she still gave it hell. I stopped by at 0700 hrs today and grabbed some pics of the dry wood. Went to the R/A doctor and got back and on it at 0830. Cam showed up at 1000 hrs and went to work. The red stain is a can of linseed oil with about 90% solids that clump in the can overnight. I grab a screwdriver full and put it in a dish with 2 oz. of mineral spirits. Brush on and wipe off. Then followed today with two thinned coats of varnish. INSTANT RESULTS. Cam grabbed his first brush full of varnish having never done this before and I watched it run down his arm and dribble on the deck, and THEN gave him his first varnish lesson. The guys a natural now! Never met anyone that follows instructions and absorbs them at the same time like Kemosabe! (Get it??) We dont even need to mask anything! Tomorrow is gonna be a light sand with 280 and then start some real bright work! That is if it doesn't rain. The last pic shows a telephoto shot from Crack Arnolds of the unpainted aluminum job. ws
I managed a nice 0730 start today. The injun had a job interview at 1000 so he was a no show. Got everything sanded down with a single pad of 320(!) by hand, of course, and wiped down. It sure was a windy beautiful day tho; 65F and a dew point in the 50s with a 20mph breeze off the lake. Perfect varnish conditions. Got a 3rd thinned coat on all the way around in 1-1/2 hours, and by then it was almost dry for the 2nd. I got it down to an hour per trip and managed 4 full coats. Its really coming back to life. That ol' wood needed to breathe for a few days. The "furniture" are covers for the fuel filler pipes. Theyre on about 15 coats so far. The rail was after one coat this morning...Pic is cruddy as camera was acting funny. Probably dust in the lense actuator. Time to throw it away and buy a new one. Its a little Canon digital ELPH. Just right for today's throwaway society. Tomorrow is another dust off with 320, then some varnish in earnest. Out comes the Masters' brush; a $30.00 badger hair brush that really sucks to clean! Meanwhile, Pat brought the wrecking crew back from Champaign, Il. Daughter and hubby and 4 kids up from Springfield Mo., and the two OJ's in town here with their two midgets--- Cheeseburger and Onion Ring. She's the new one at 3 weeks, and CB is a 4yo. Ill be smiling at that sandpaper all weekend LOL...Life continues... ws
