In This Newsletter:


  Thought For The Week

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein.

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  A Personal Note From Jack

I can’t speak for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nor can I vouch for the efficiency of their planning. But I trust them. The Corps is one of the only U.S. agencies where its members work to “evaluate” how it spends money.

As this relates to New Orleans and recovery, the Corps has announced it is restoring 159 miles of damaged levees to pre-Katrina heights. Flood gates to close three drainage canals from Lake Pontchatrain are expected to be ready by the hurricane season.

As can be expected, the New Orleans Levee Board complained that this “just isn’t good enough.”

At the risk of making it too simple and insulting to the Levee Board, let me illustrate my own thinking in this matter.

If a skiff is holed and sinking and water is splashing over the gunnels, it is prudent to plug the hole before trying to raise the gunnels.

The Corps planners are not stupid. Nothing to my knowledge indicates that the above planning is “all” that they intend to do. But I think they are prioritizing and doing what will be most productive immediately.

Some say raising levees to Category 3 level immediately is not enough. Well, New Orleans has survived for many decades under those conditions. And if my thinking about construction is correct, you start at the bottom and build up. Eventually, one would get to Category 4 and 5 levels. But to spend money and effort to build to those upper categories immediately while other vulnerable areas are put off makes no sense.

I think those on the Levee Board, which past reports indicate has no professional engineers or others who understand construction, should just zip their lip.

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  Newsletter News

My intentions were good. Nevertheless, I am switching direction again. Last week I said that I would be focusing this week on the Gordon C. Greene and show pictures of it with its different names. But suddenly another query came along that is much easier to handle with the little time I had left to devote to it. I still have some credits to check on the Gordon C. Greene pictures. So this week we will focus on the Wakerobin. Readers will recall that the name of the Wakerobin came up in an email response from Keith Norrington of New Albany, Ind. One thing led to another, and before you know it, we received some dandy pictures, courtesy of Steve Campbell of Vevay, Ind., along with good information from Keith and Steve.

Re: Wm. S. Mitchell. We have been informed that the vessel is near old Lock 37 not old Lock 35.

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  Web Site News

Christmas package specials will continue through the end of January.

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  For Those Inclined To Pray

We have modified the steps for joining our Prayer Circle. If you visit the Prayer Circle link on at www.littleriverbooks.com, you will find that those who sign up are completely anonymous. We do not ask for first names nor states of residence. Joining is as simple as providing an email address to which we can send future prayer requests. Each prayer request list includes a link for including requests.

By joining our Prayer Circle, you can tap into the prayerful support of circle members wherever they are. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone.

Advertising Reach more than 800 B&B newsletter subscribers! Your classified ad can go in this space for $10 for one week, $20 for two weeks, $25 for three weeks, and $30 for four weeks. For details click here.

  On The Waterfront

Press Service Reports Kidnapping Of Four Off Tidewater Vessel

The Associated Press reported last week (January 18) that Nigerian rebels kidnapped four people off the Tidewater vessel Liberty Service, including Patrick Landry, 61, captain of the vessel. Landry is a former resident of New Iberia, La.

Landry told his son, Dwight Landry, that about 40 rebels in three speedboats overtook the Liberty Service. They were carrying rocket grenades, machine guns and other weapons. They confiscated the boat.

Tidewater contracts with Shell Oil to service Shell rigs throughout the world. The elder Landry has worked for Tidewater for more than 30 years, his son said.

While his family awaits word, Shell has negotiators in the area, and they are in touch with the rebels.

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Staten Island Ferry Pilot Gets 18 Months For NYC Crash

The Associated Press reports out of New York that the pilot at the helm of a Staten Island ferrying during a 2003 crash that killed 11 people was sentenced January 16 to 18 months in prison. The city’s former ferry director was sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The assistant captain (the pilot), Capt. Richard Smith said he was too exhausted to have been working that day and apologized to victims’ families.

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Planned Vessel Construction Reported

In addition to hearing last week that Trinity Industries has reached a long-term agreement to build barges for Ingram Barge Company, Geneo Design International’s “Weekly Marine News” reports:

— VT Halter Marine will build another fisheries vessel for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

— Bollinger Shipyard, Inc., Lockport, La, has an agreement to build two 245-ft. class liftboats for Edison Chouest Offshore, Galliano, La.

— The U.S. Navy plans to build 51 new ships by 2011. A draft of the $69 billion plan calls for continued building of one Virginia-class submarine a year, a new aircraft carrier, new DD(X) destroyers and littoral combat ships. (But see our editor’s note.)

(Editor’s note: There are those who disagree with the Navy’s draft plan and say that the “long-term shipbuilding scheme presupposes the shipbuilding budget will increase substantially in the coming years.” Outside analysts are questioning the “realism” of the projections. This is no done deal, and arguments will continue to surface.)

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Tug Sinks, Two Dead, One Missing, Six Rescued

It is being reported out of Wilmington, N.C., that the 135-foot tugboat Valour sank January 17 while moving a 500-foot tank barge in gale-force winds about 40 miles off Cape Fear. Two are reportedly dead, one is missing, and six crew were rescued by another tug. (Earlier reports said five were rescued. That has been changed to six.)

The barge, carrying 5.5 million gallons of fuel oil, was found safe on January 18 and was secured to another tug. The Valour is owned by Maritrans Inc., Tampa, Fla. Company officials said they didn’t know why the boat sank.

It was learned later this week that the tug that responded to the SOS was the Justine Foss. There were 15-20-foot seas and 40-knot winds at the time. When it got the call, the Justine was running light, northbound to Philadelphia to pick up her next tow. The Justine’s crew successfully made up an emergency tow wire to the Valour and proceeded to Wilmington.

Although three crewman were lost, the Justine’s crew successfully rescued five [six?]. The body of one of the three was recovered by rescuers. As of Friday, the two others are still missing.

The rescue efforts by the Justine Foss crew were the focus of a message from Don McElroy, a Foss representative, who said, “It goes without saying that once again our Foss crew has responded quickly and heroically to save life and property under very difficult conditions.”

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Boat Builder Expands In Gulfport, Miss.

The ebb and flow of business continues as recovery from Hurricane Katrina progresses on the Gulf Coast.

“Bizneworleans.com” reports that United States Marine Inc., plans to construct a third building at its site in the Bayou Bernard Industrial District in Gulfport, Miss. The firm moved to Gulfport after its New Orleans operation was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The new facility will provide the firm with another 26,600 square feet and be open by June. Company officials say the facility will allow the operation to build more and larger boats than it could in New Orleans.

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Housing Needed for Gulf Workers

WorkBoat online reports that while progress has been made among Gulf Coast marine businesses, housing is scarce and living conditions are not ideal.

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Spilled Concrete Stalls Ship Traffic On Sabine-Neches Waterway

A barge being rented by Dunham Price Group, a ready-mix concrete company based in Westlake, La., accidentally dumped ninety-four concrete pilings into the Sabine-Neches Waterway on Tuesday, forcing officials to close the waterway to larger ships.

By Friday two-thirds of them had been removed. By Saturday 40 ships were waiting to navigate the waterway. Priority was given to crude tankers carrying oil to are refineries.

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Railroaders Report Barge Sinks With 5 of 10 Barges Completely Submerged

The Train News Wire reported January 10 that a barge operated by the Cross Harbor Railroad sank in New York’s East River while workers moved 10 railcars loaded with cocoa beans onto its deck.

The barge, docked at Brooklyn Marine Terminal near Cobble Hill, began taking on water at 9:30 a.m. as workers moved the freight cars onto its deck. Five of the cars were completely submerged the report said. The day of the event is not certain (to B&B) but the report indicated it was a Sunday, so perhaps it was January 8. The Coast Guard determined the barge and its cargo were not an environmental threat.

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Visit the Little River Books Message Board!

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You can contact the editor directly at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com.

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  From Our Readers

I don’t know if you are “up” for a little more additional information about the Mitchell, which Carl Jones pointed out is a sister boat to the USACE Dredge [William M.] Black, which is now part of the Mississippi River Museum and aquarium, but I will give you some anyway.

Both the Mitchell and the Black were built at Point Pleasant, W.Va. for the Corps of Engineers in 1934. They were built by Marietta Manufacturing in Point Pleasant. Both dredges were built in just 210 days from start to finish, and both dredges cost less than $700,000 each at that time. Both dredges were sailed down the Ohio, up the Mississippi and into the Missouri where they worked out of the Kansas City District for the Corps. They both began dredging in the spring of 1935. The Black was decommissioned in November 1973, and the Mitchell continued dredging into the 1981 season.

Several of us from the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, including myself on two occasions, have been over to Covington, Ky., to salvage parts from the Mitchell for replacement on the Black. When the Black was taken out of service in 1973 it was tied up at the USACE boatyard at Gasconade, Mo., until awarded to the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in 1979, and the Mitchell was wintered over at that boatyard for those years. Apparently the Black was a good source of spare parts that helped keep the Mitchell in service through those years.

The last time I was on the Mitchell, four or five years ago, she was looking pretty rough, and the “USS Nightmare” name fit her well. She was tied up on the Kentucky side of the Ohio about 10 miles above Covington. I am surprised that she’s still afloat.

Roger Thiede, Historical Educator
Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium
Dubuque, Iowa

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(Editor’s note: Last week, as our readers traced the history of the Wm. S. Mitchell, former Corps dredge, the name Wakerobin came up. This week we received an inquiry about the Wakerobin. Its history is interesting. As per our note above, we are holding off on the Gordon C. Greene till January 30’s B&B.)

Re: Wakerobin Query

Thanks for all the good information of all the things going on the waterways. The Mv. Brimstone brings back memories of easy days on the Mississippi. I have forgotten what kind of vessel the Wakerobin was. Can you inform me?

Byron Rozier
Salem, Ark.

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Reader’s response:

The Wakerobin was a lighthouse tender for the United States Lighthouse Service, meaning that she pushed a barge up and down the river with the supplies for the navigation lights — mainly on the Upper Mississippi.

When she was retired in the late 1940s (I think), she became a landing boat for the Tresler Oil Company at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was there for many years, almost completely intact, save for her sternwheel. She was sold in 1975 to Capt. Dennis Trone, who took her to Chattanooga, Tenn., to use for his excursion steamboat Julia Belle Swain, which spent the winters there.

I well remember the day the Wakerobin came down through the Louisville, Ky., harbor in tow of the Betty June Walker. We were upbound on the Belle of Louisville and met the boats at Six Mile Island. The Walker was out of view and it appeared that the Wakerobin was towing the barges!

In 1987, Trone sold the Wakerobin to the late Ben Bernstein, who planned to restore her into a floating restaurant here at Jeffersonville, Ind. Mr. Bernstein’s health declined and he passed away. The plans for the restaurant were dropped and the boat became the “U.S.S. Nightmare”, with a haunted house attraction on board. The boat was open during the Halloween season at Cincinnati for several years and was even taken to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a time. In the 2002 and 2003 she was here at Louisville, spending the winter at McBride’s fleet below New Albany, Ind. She was towed back to Cincinnati in November 2004 and sank during the spring high water of 2005.

Salvage attempts proved futile, and the boat was scrapped. Her hull has been refloated and foamed. It reportedly is to become an outdoor dining facility adjacent to the Mike Fink restaurant boat at Covington, Ky.

Hope this helps!

Keith Norrington
New Albany, Ind.

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(Editor’s note: Wakerobin: There was considerable information in “Way’s Packet Directory: 1848-1994” but it is duplicated in other references we use. So we decided to not to repeat it.)

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Re: The Wakerobin, from Coast Guard historian’s web site.

From Coast Guard Historian’s Web Site:

Wakerobin was a 182-foot, 622 ton, stern paddlewheel river tender. She was steel-hulled and had a wood and steel superstructure. She had two horizontal steam engines powered by two coal-fired Babcock & Wilcox section header boilers. Her maximum speed was 9 knots and she had an economical cruising speed of 5 knots.

She was commissioned into the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1927 and was decommissioned and placed in storage in 1948. She was temporarily transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers in 1949, and in 1955 the transfer was made permanent. During her Coast Guard service she was stationed in Memphis.

In 1948 the always parsimonious Coast Guard noted in an official report that “the cost of operation of the Wakerobin is approximately twice that of diesel cutter Foxglove engaged in similar but more arduous duties.” The Coast Guard then decommissioned Wakerobin, ending the era of side and stern paddlewheel cutters.

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Re: The Wakerobin, as found elsewhere on the Internet.

Found on Internet: (Editor: The name was listed as WakeRobin. We changed it to Wakerobin.)

Steamer Wakerobin replaced Steamer Dandelion as a lighthouse tender in the early 1920’s. U.S. Wakerobin built for the Department of Commerce, Lighthouse Department 15th district. Designed as a lighthouse tender. Built 1926 by Dravo at Neville Island Pennsylvania, a steal hull, 182' x 43' x 5.3. Condensing High Pressure engines 18 strokes 7 1/2 foot. 550 horse power. Call letters NRXQ and radio telephone dial number 125583.

1938 The vessel is taken over by Treasury Department and made part of the United States Coast Guard. The Crew uniforms changed to Coast Guard uniforms. Prior to 1941 the U.S. Wakerobin made 4 trips per season from St. Louis to St. Paul. In 1941 She was replaced by the Cutter Sycamore for area north of Dubuque: The Lantana for the area Dubuque to Saverton, Missouri, and the Popular for the area Saverton to St. Louis. The U.S. Wakerobin like the cutters of today, always towed a buoy barge. She was known for throwing a huge swell from her wheel.

Her crew includes Captain Perry Ruby, Master; Captain William Nolden, Pilot; Captain Harry Andreesen, Mate. (Later Captain Nolden became Master and Andreesen became Mate and Pilot.) In 1945 she is given two B & H three pass water tube boilers and fuel burners. After 1950 She operated under lease to U.S. Engineers, Memphis and shortly after they took title in 1955 She was sold at public sale to Coment River Company, Cincinnati Ohio. In Cincinnati she was a landing boat with little appreciable change in architecture until sold to Captain Dennis Trone. He took her to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where in winter 1975-76 changes were made to use her as a harbor landing boat.

In 1978, towed to Illinois River, Captain Trone Still had her. Most all brass was gone from engines, engine room. Pitmans, shaft and wheel when at Tresler dock. Mickey Frye removed levers, life boards and name boards (mounted). A cylinder cover is in Jim Blum’s collection. Early 1980 vessel is purchased by Northern Kentucky restaurateur Benjamin L. Bernstein, who towed the vessel back to Cincinnati Ohio. Bernstein had plans to renovate the vessel into a floating 400 seat restaurant, modeled after the Mike Fink restaurant, another sternwheeler, for the Jefferson Indiana waterfront. After surveying structural integrity plans for the restaurant renovation were scrapped. The helm has been removed and restored and is in the collection of Alan Bernstein.

The vessel was placed in storage in Cincinnati fleeting area, where vandals completed the transformation of the U.S. Wakerobin into the USS Nightmare in 1992. As the USS Nightmare the vessel is in an arrested state of decay and proudly used as one of America’s premier haunted riverboats.

Spring 1998, Gateway Clipper Fleet leases vessel for operation in Pittsburgh Pa.

Keith Norrington wrote:

“The first time I saw the big double circle pilotwheel from the Wakerobin (in 1974) it was displayed on the dining room ceiling of a Cincinnati Marriott Inn. The menus were circular with a rendering of the wheel and told its history. Later, the wheel was displayed in a restaurant on the big Covington Landing complex before being sold to a hotel in La Crosse, Wisconsin (I think that’s correct isn’t it Judy?) where it is beautifully displayed amongst other river artifacts including a piece from the ferry W. J. Quinlan, and Mike Blaser provided a wonderful big harbor scene painting featuring the Str. Avalon.”

(Editor’s note: Our thanks to all who contributed to the above photography and information about the Wakerobin.)

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  Boat Photo Center

Change in plans, as previously noted. This week we are featuring the Wakerobin — eight pictures, six photographed by Aaron Richardson and two others without photographer ID, provided through the courtesy of Steve Campbell at the nudging of Keith Norrington. We also have three views of the Laredo, Viking Queen and Joe Bobzien, sent in by Thomas Waller, who took them right after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf.

The Wakerobin pictures provide a very nice variety and help trace the written history of the boat very well.

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  Recipe Box

Do you have a good recipe you’d like to share? Submit your recipes here!

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  The Book Beat

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2006 Inland River Guide - Compiled and pubished by The Waterways Journal
Soft cover. Comb binding. Nonfiction: This book is a river-industry, marketplace tool containing alphabetized lists of the various businesses involved in the overall scheme of water transportation, including: barge and towing companies; terminals; fleeting, harbor and tankermen services; shipyards/repair facilities; marine contractors, including dredging; refuelers and boat stores; equipment and freight brokers and other professional services; divers, salvage and pollution control; distributors and manufacturers services; government agencies, associations; and miscellaneous listings such as lock statistics and bridge clearances. Updated book published annually. This book is a must for anyone in the marine business. Our Price: $60.00 (plus S&H)

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