Page 41: of Marine News Magazine (July 2005)

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July, 2005 • MarineNews 41

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International participation was up this year, with four foreign navies among the honored guests. Canada and the U.K. were repeat visitors, France and Pakistan arriving for the first time, each with a guided missile frigate or two - the PNS

Tippu Sultan from Pakistan, the FS Jean

Bart and FS Tourville from France.

Canada's trio of Halifax-class frigates -

HMCS Halifax, HMCS St. Johns, and

HMCS Ville de Quebec - made-up the most eye-catching block at the Stapleton pier, where the sum of the ships on both sides of the dock - originally designed for a Surface Action Group of six - called for three abreast in a few cases. HMCS

Athabaskan, a destroyer, rounded-out

Canada's imposing display.

The HMS Nottingham arrived for the

Royal Navy, representing the Type 42 guided missile destroyer described as the backbone of the Fleet's anti-air warfare force. A visitor boarded the Nottingham along with the public visiting the Staple- ton pier, whose collective effect — rows of prows and masts, people hustling past in varieties of uniforms — was impres- sive and infectious. The visitor abruptly wished for a souvenir, which would be a cap labeled "Nottingham" sold for $20 at a table aboard.

The Public Eye

The U.S. Navy's website offers to arrange interviews between media and commanders and other Naval authorities, and encourages homecoming coverage of any of the 6000 sailors arriving in town who happen to live there. These and other programs promote the "human" face of the services for that part of the public that hasn't discovered ships. But much of the public has discovered ships, and docking them three abreast was surely a sight to behold. Except for the Pakistanis, most of the international arrivals were the day after the parade, this time in glorious spring sunshine, all at Stapleton. And all, of course, arriving as the tides brought them, for as the Navy pointed out, this would not be a parade. It would not do for them to bunch-up in the Narrows, but there was only so much a dispatcher could do. Each of the participating tugs had to be thoroughly swept at the start of the day, and each carried its own soldier. It was not a situation where some tug could be called-in fresh off a container job if additional assistance were required.

As it was, the pace was kept steady, a new form arriving under the Verrazano bridge just about in time for a tug or two to go greet it. What then would arise was a great deal of froth, as tugs overcame the effects of some of New York's most spir- ited waters. It's generally said that the

North and the East Rivers, bound for the ocean, flow across the bay to Staten

Island, then make a left out the Narrows.

Whatever their exact patterns, Capt. Gary

Kafscak noted that during a short respite between ships, the Joan was making a knot and a half from the current alone.

The sight of the tugs flexing their mus- cle, performing their famous choreogra- phy and reckoning with the currents, must have made quite a spectacle for the eyes ashore, as each sensitive warship was placed against the next, as if light like a feather. This used to be the stuff of news- reels, back in the days of the first Queen

Mary, somewhat forgotten in the day of bow thrusters. Besides docking at Staple- ton, there was redocking as the USS Carr, for example, went on a brief cruise while the FS Meuse arrived, the Carr then resuming the outboard position at the pier.

A brief allision between FS Jean Bartwith the PNS Maowin during docking, described by the Staten Island Advance as "A fenderbender," is still being studied by the Coat Guard at presstime, with mis- communication on the bridge the seeming cause.

How does an international constituency sign-up for Fleet Week? "Invitations to participate were sent out to our fellow sea services throughout the world," said the

U.S. Navy, "and the Canadian, French,

Pakistani, and United Kingdom navies responded. We hope for their participation in future events." And maybe other navies too? This could be better than the

Olympics, "as our Navy operates in a global environment and New York City is recognized for its cultural diversity."

Now there's a thought - the navies of the world gathering in New York to foster just what our Navy describes - "a celebra- tion of the sea services [recognizing] the bonds of sailors and marines, and our common thread - service to country." In addition to the warships, service includes the two tankers, plus the USCG bouy ten- der Katherine Walker at Stapleton, and the

Office of Naval Research's Afloat Lab, docked at South Street Seaport. And serv- ing them all was the armada of tugs, with moves that had to be seen.

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The Fleet Week Shipdocking Extravaganza

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