A Memorable Harbor Excursion With a Port of Call

by Brad Hatry

World Ship Society's Port of New York Branch and the Long Island Chapter of The Steamship Historical Society of America joined forces on Saturday, June 1, 2002, for a delightful six-hour excursion through New York Harbor. Blessed with splendid Spring weather, a small contingent of our group of just over 100 passengers boarded NY Waterway's catamaran-ferry FIORELLO LaGUARDIA at Weehawken, New Jersey's Port Imperial, while most joined at the West 38th Street, Manhattan, terminal. Heading south on the North (Hudson) River, with our narrator Ted Scull in command of the microphone, we passed the ever-evolving Manhattan and New Jersey waterfronts. Then, opposite the site of the World Trade Center, our boat slowed and long-time WSS and SSHSA member Vincent Messina offered a few words of tribute to the victims of 9/11/01. So many months after the attacks, it was still a moving moment.

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Words of tribute near "Ground Zero".

The FIORELLO LaGUARDIA then rounded the southern tip of Governor's Island and we had an unusual opportunity to sail into Brooklyn's Atlantic Basin, where we discovered the forlorn looking, 1951-vintage, former ferryboat VERRAZZANO, the last steam-powered boat built for the Staten Island Ferry. Then we scooted through Buttermilk Channel and up the East River, under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges, with a rare visit to Newtown Creek, still a working industrial waterway.

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Our narrator Ted Scull.

Sailing back into the East River and continually accompanied by Ted Scull's narration, we sailed east through Hell Gate past a variety of sites including Riker's Island, home not only to many of New York's incarcerateds, but to VERRAZZANO's former sisters, PVT. JOSEPH F. MERRELL and CORNELIUS G. KOLFF, serving for many years now as adjunct prison facilities tied side-by-side on the river.

After passing under the graceful suspension span of the Whitestone Bridge, we arrived at our port-of-call, Fort Schuyler, home of the New York State Maritime College, at Throgs Neck, Bronx. We were here for a two-hour visit to The Maritime Industry Museum, one of the best repositories of maritime memorabilia, artifacts, models, and art. The Museum's Executive Director, Eric Johansson, greeted us as we arrived at the dock and accompanied us during our all-too-short stay. Our Ft. Schuyler "shore excursion" concluded with a wine and cheese reception in the Museum's Hall of Honor, after which we reboarded FIORELLO LaGUARDIA for the return leg of our trip. While The Maritime Industry Museum, certainly a must-see for even the casual maritime enthusiast, can be reached by either public transportation or by car, there is nothing quite like the majesty of waterborne arrival and departure in the shadow of the majestic and imposing Throgs Neck Bridge.

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Maritme artist Stephen Card (r.) presents a print of his painting of S.S. UNITED STATES to the Maritime Museum at Fort Schuyler.

Our return sailing retraced our outbound voyage, without the need to re-enter Newtown Creek, Buttermilk Cannel, or Atlantic Basin. Off Battery Park we were joined by the historic fireboat JOHN J. HARVEY which regaled us with a plumage of water from her mighty spouts. This was quite a thrill and indeed timely, as the vessel has been designated The Steamship Historical Society's 2002 "Ship of the Year".

 

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Fireboat JOHN J. HARVEY.

Heading north on the North River, we hugged the New Jersey shore while awaiting the sailing of the cruiseships ZENITH, HORIZON, and PRINSENDAM. Celebrity Cruises' ZENITH passed us in midstream, HORIZON backed out next, and Holland America's PRINSENDAM sailed just as we arrived for disembarkation at the West 38th Street terminal. The small group of our passengers making the return trip to Port Imperial had a terrific view of PRINSENDAM, sweeping by her stern as she turned downstream. Not a bad way to end a day in the harbor!

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PRINSENDAM sails down the North River.

Thanks go to Ted Scull for sharing his incomparable knowledge of the harbor and waterfront, to Eric Johansson for hosting us at Ft. Schuyler, and to Tom Cassidy who joined me in planning and organizing the day. But the greatest tribute goes to the 100+ WSS and SSHSA members whose company, conversation and enthusiasm added a near metaphysical aura to our day in the harbor and made the trip so pleasant and successful.