No wonder no one's allowed on the island - they'd catch a terminal case of poison ivy! (That's what's growing thru the window here!)

Well, what a wonderful journey this has been!
When my dad still had his boat, every few years we'd make a round-trip around Staten Island, and I ALWAYS thought the Island's most fascinating side was the Arthur Kill & Kill Van Kull. There's stuff back there that can ONLY be seen from a boat. Exploring it in a kayak must be even better - cause when you're in a 30 ft power boat, you just don't dare to get in nice & close. So, I recommend to anyone who finds these photos interesting, to find someone with a boat & take a ride on "the other side". Most people are only familiar with the Raritan Bay side, with it's beaches & nice homes. Trust me - you won't regret a tour of the Arthur Kill. And you might even get some free "Cheap thrills" if a tug passes & throws a big wake at you! Yee-haw! Happy sailing.

Here's another (shorter) poem:

Just my luck
I lie in the muck
I wouldn't be here
If I'd been born a truck.

:) Just a little competition for Mike.

I'm amazed that this tug was built over 100 years ago! I had no idea they were that old. And to think she offered over 1/2 century of service before being laid to rest with her buddies. That's a good, long useful life for a working vessel.

I doubt there was a whole lot of dancing on any of these ships. From what I see, most are work boats: tugs, tankers, ferries, etc. Sorry if I burst any of the imaginative bubbles going on out there! These were no Poseidons or Titanics...