24 July 2020

MOVING DAY

That Friday, the high tide was at noon, so we were told to expect to depart Pier “G” around 1100. The early part of the morning was spent bringing the yardarm aboard, and all the various parts we had scattered around the pier. Around 1000, the two Henry Towing tugs made up alongside, and we waited for word that it was time to move. In the meantime, the skies opened up and it began to pour rain. We started to wonder if they would move us in a downpour. As I explain this, keep in mind that all parties involved here are equipped with a multitude of communications device including cellphone, walkie talkies, and marine radios. Eleven hundred came and went, and nothing was happening until the figure of the top man at the yard, Steve Kalil, was seen walking towards the wharf in his raincoat and hard hat, in the pouring rain. Steve said something to the effect of “Are we going to get this thing moving, or what?” and he began throwing our lines off the bollards. It was a stellar performance. That got everybody moving.

The tugs eased us away from the gangway that had been beating up our paint for two weeks, passed the Staten Island Ferry that was in Dry Dock 6, and into our new home, Dry Dock 5. It took a couple hours to get the dry dock pumped out, settle us on the blocks, and a new “Ladder from Hell” set into place.  Power, water, and sewer were quickly connected. The blocks were set perfectly, and though there was the usual concern about the sonar dome, the blocks were set with room to spare and two feet under the sonar dome to the floor of the dry dock. The gang from Battleship NEW JERSEY was aboard and posted several videos of the process on to their website.

In Albany the crew completed the work on the aft gangway. They welded the skid plates on the aft gangway, cleaned and descaled it and the sea wall attachment. They also inspected the cargo safety net and that inspection led Shanna to order new ones.