NEW YORK's ships by Bill Miller

Along the great piers of New York City, I was always fascinated by the pairings of liners -- which ships were berthed together. It was, in ways, like a great, big game of Checkers. In this view, from 1984, the Royal Viking Star is docked at the same pier as the Galileo.

The Lives of the Liners: Pier 56 at West 14th Street had been built in 1907 & hosted the world's biggest and grandest liners ... the likes of the Mauretania, Aquitania & Majestic. There were midnight sailings, festive bon voyage parties, champagne & dancing, a smartly dressed Rudolph Valentino & Gloria Swanson swathed in furs ... and those tossed streamers & throaty whistles sounding. But time passed and, by the 1960s, Pier 56 was unused, locked-up, left to decay. Only the faint sounds of those Boat Deck orchestras echoed ... and of happy passengers and well-wishers on the pier. 

When I took this photo in March 1977, that decay had deepened --- a great cavity in a mouth of gold fillings that is otherwise gorgeous Manhattan. It was not until 1993 that the 900-ft long shed was finally demolished.

When they were at berth, especially along Luxury Liner Row, Piers 84 thru 97, the liners were, and almost like the Empire State & Chrysler buildings, part of the cityscape. They too in ways were great structures. Here's the mighty France, loading at Pier 88, in a view from 1968.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright Bill Miller. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

Chaminés tipo QE2

Um dos aspectos revolucionários associados à estética do paquete inglês QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 foi a sua chaminé extremamente original. O impacto foi tão grande que depressa influenciou outros navios, com destaque para os gémeos da Royal Viking Line de 1972-73, cujo primeiro paquete, o ROYAL VIKING STAR é agora o BLACK WATCH da Fred. Olsen, cuja chaminé fotografámos no Tejo a 16 de Janeiro último, à largada na sua escala mais recente.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

Proas lançadas

Quando vi esta proa pela primeira vez, achei-a exageradamente lançada e com um escóvem ortodoxo. O navio estava atracado no Funchal e era o Verão de 1972. O nome gravado nesta proa era então o original: ROYAL VIKING STAR, primeiro de três gémeos construídos no estaleiro Wartsila em Helsínquia em 1972 e 1973 para uma nova companhia norueguesa, a Royal Viking Line.

Levei alguns anos até começar a apreciar as linhas modernas destes ROYAL VIKINGs, mas os anos foram passando e hoje quase se podem considerar clássicos.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

Cais de Alcântara, 3 de Junho de 1975

Paquete ROYAL VIKING STAR em manobra de atracação ao Cais de Alcântara no dia 3 de Junho de 1975. Pela popa vê-se o GALILEO GALILEI, do Lloyd Triestino, e entre os dois navios, a pilotar no Bom Sucesso, o QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, que depois foi atracar ao Cais da Rocha.
O Cais de Alcântara apresentava ainda a sua configuração original, com diversos armazens de carga junto ao Entreposto de Alcântara Sul e para juzante, a Estação Marítima de Alcântara junto à muralha. Na década seguinte, com a reconstrução do cais entre a Rocha e Alcântara esta paisagem mudou substancialmente e conquistou-se ao Tejo mais um terrapleno que depois deu origem ao terminal de contentores da Liscont.

The Norwegian cruise ship ROYALVIKING STAR docking at the Alcântara Passenger Ship Terminal, in Lisbon, on 3rd June 1975. Already fast at her berth is the Lloyd Triestino liner GALILEO GALILEI on one of her final round the world voyages and between them the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 is sailing past the Bom Sucesso Pilots and later berthed at the Rocha Passenger Terminal. One of my early b&W photographs taken 33 years ago... Of the three ships in the picture, the GALILEO is long gone, the ROYAL VIKING STAR still cruises as the BLACK WATCH and the QE2 is doing her final world cruise prior to her sale to Dubai with delivery next November. Click in the photo to enlarge it.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia