Happy Birthday, Mary A. Whalen!
The retired oil tanker was the belle of Pier 11 as close to 200 guests hailed her 70th anniversary with a first-of-its-kind celebration in the sleepy Atlantic Basin, presented by PortSide New York in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Former crew members, visiting tugboats, costumed characters and boat tours kicked off the marine revel for the 613-ton, 172-foot-long work boat, which was retired in 1994, after a career of delivering fuel along the coastal areas between Maine and Maryland — with pitstops in the Gowanus Canal.
Currently stationed adjacent to the Red Hook Cruise Terminal, the Mary Whalen is home to PortSide, a non-profit which aims to revive New York City’s maritime legacy as the nation’s third largest commercial harbor with big plans for the vessel; among them, a waterfront exhibit center, water-themed events, and a maritime trail to guide visitors through local history in addition to a compendium of local activities, places to shop, dine or have a drink.
For now, the group is seeking volunteers to help refurbish her.
Named after the mother of a former owner, the Mary Whalen was the subject of a historic Supreme Court case involving the Rockaways in 1968. The boat went aground there on Christmas Day after a Coast Guard’s light was out, embroiling the two parties in a legal tangle, culminated by a ruling that split the blame between both parties, Later, however, the court decreed that in cases of marine accidents, damages should be allocated according to blame.
For more information, visit www.portsidenewyork.org.