Ever seen that amount of wake thrown by a cruise ship?   Recognize the cruise ship?  Know the location?

Blount Small ships once cruised these waters, but this is not one of theirs.  Have you heard of Bremen IV?

There’s no doubt this was the Barge Canal back in

the summer of 1962.  The Lilliputians admired the canal corridor views from behind glass, and all was well until they required the services of 

a pilot.

In fact, two pilots were needed given the complexity of the issues both technological and linguistic.

 

Given the intervention of Günter Bos and Günter Buse, the Lilliputians continued west, stopping here at lock E-7.  In the case of Bremen IV, “shore visits” were re-defined as folks from the shore gathering on the lock wall to visit the cruisers.  The end.

Except this is not what ever happened.  

What really happened was that two German enthusiasts by the names of Günter Bos and Günter Buse built a 1:25 scale model of the original Bremen, 39′ and 10 tons and powered by two 38 hp Mercedes diesels, and traveled the world, including a portion of the Barge Canal.  For source of the image below, click on the image itself.

Throngs came out to welcome the two Gulliveresque Günters and their creation.  This looks like the top of E-2.

This location–Hotel Van Curler–had a respectable welcoming party. 

The reserved sign is notable, especially that it refers to the folks for whom it’s reserved as “yachtsmen.” 

I wonder which buoy boat that is.

Bremen IV still floats and can be seen here about 50 miles south of the airport in Frankfurt Germany.

The location of the top image with the water tower is the Knolls Power Lab in Niskayuna NY.

Other notable vessels that have traveled the NY Canals–as they are referred to today–include the following:  Draken Harald Hårfagre and Hōkūleʻa and  Ra and current Oliver Hazard Perry  and the presidential yacht Sequoia  [a short account of their transit can be read here]  and Pilgrim and Bounty and Nikawa, which means “river-horse” in the Osage language….  Bremen IV is certainly part of this august fleet that has sailed into NYS Canals lore.

Have your own favorite vessels to add to the roster of famous NYS Canals transiteers?

All photos from the CSNY collections.