Choptank and Double Skin

Off loading

 

Ripples in the water reflect an oil tank barge and its tug at an offloading facility.   

 

Both the tugboat "Choptank" and the oil barge "Double Skin 56" belong to the Vane Brothers Company of Baltimore, Maryland.  The company has been in operation since 1898.

 

The oil barge is of the 50K BBL capacity class; if loaded 100% full, it could hold 56K+ BBL.  It was built in 2006 by Jeffboat of Jeffersonville, Indiana.  That company closed down in 2018; the site on the Ohio River had located a shipyard since 1834, initially as the Howard Shipyard, which built steamboats.

The tugboat "Choptank" is the fifth "Patapsco" class tug designed by Frank Basile of Entech and Associates of Houma, Louisiana.  It was constructed by Thoma-Sea Boat Builders of Lockport, Louisiana.  In all, fifteen "Patapsco" class tugboats were produced between 2004 and 2009.  Naval architect Frank Basile passed away in 2018; over 600 vessels of his designs were built.

 

Green tab

 

Hanging and waiting

 

Firmly attached to the facade of an old building, the original purpose of this hooked metal tab is long forgotten.  It remains functional to this day, hanging ready for use if it should be asked to do so.

Orange and grey

 

Even with the outside and inside signage, the food service equipment, and the customer seating having been removed, this combination of grey and orange interior colors in this closed establishment readily identify it as once having been a franchisee of a multinational doughnut cookery and coffee dispensary chain.   

 

 

Entrancing view of food and beverage consumption space

 The customer entrance is on the left side; the doorway to the "back room" is seen in the far distance.

 

Orthogonal to entrancing view

The customer entrance is on the left; the counter layout directs customers to the order and pick up area.

 

This empty place of burnt orange walls and counters and grey tiles is presented as a relaxed view 3d stereograph.

 

Grey walls

 

Doorways

 

This empty store front beckons a look inside.  Presented as a 3d relaxed view stereograph.

 

Flush fill cap

 

Slightly recessed

This flush fill cap has skinny "fingers".   Installation slightly below sidewalk level keeps this oil tank cap from being tread upon by wayward soles.  That allows the non-ferrous metal to acquire a slight patina.

 

Fill cap keys are used to screw and unscrew these caps.  These keys come in different styles, typically two way or six way.  The two way usually fits only specific fill cap models.  A six way key may fit up to ninety percent of the caps it encounters. 

 

Double vee gas

 

Square GAS cover

This 'double vee' GAS cover is seen in the street beneath our feet.  

 

A close look in the upper left corner reveals a small "ej", the  EJ company corporate logo.

BPM worn

 

Dinged and dented

 

A well worn =BPM= PENALTY ||FOR|| REMOVAL cover seen in the street beneath our feet.  This one is not as pristine as the one seen earlier.