Updated with news about its possible disposal one of these days.
Lazygal reports on this thing's annual visit and wonders:
Year Two for this object: floats in and out on the tide for a couple of months, then floats off for the winter. Anyone know what this is?
Scott Cawley answers:
That is a marine Hydrophore pressure tank. I'm guessing part of an offshore or ship's fresh water/reverse osmosis system, but I'm not sure on its exact use. It's on my morning walk and it's definitely become a landmark of sorts.
City Councilor Gabriela Coletta (East Boston, North End, Charlestown), reports the thing, whatever it is exactly, has been at the center of somewhat vexing discussions for awhile now between various city, state and federal officials and Clippership Wharf, on whose shoreline it washed up.
In early August, a Clippership Wharf official e-mailed Coletta and other Boston and Massport officials to say that the Boston Police marine unit and the Coast Guard had determined that even though the residential complex didn't dump the thing in the harbor, the fact that it wound up on its property means it's now responsible for its disposal - but that that could take awhile:
Since it has been investigated and determined to not be leaking any hazardous materials and it is not a water travel impediment, it is up to us if we want to wait for it to get washed back out into the harbor or if we want to pay to have it removed.
I have been in contact with some junk removal companies to obtain some quotes for getting this removed. This will undoubtedly be time consuming but I will email this group when I have an update.
In 2012, a similar situation arose when a 50-foot-long dead whale floated into Boston Harbor, briefly landed on Rainsford Island, off Hull, then went back out to sea, with nobody really wanting to deal with it. It finally wound up on a remote, rocky beach in Rockport, where the state and feds said that meant it was now that town's responsibility. Town officials at first figured they could just leave it there to decompose, but a group of volunteers with filet knives carved what was left of the whale into chunks that were then buried in a hole dug out of the beach's gravel parking lot.
Earlier:
The Floating Dutchman on the Charles River.
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Comments
Refugly.
By Lee
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 1:53pm
Magoo.
Costello.
Take your pick.
Ha Ha
By John Costello
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 10:02am
How did you find time to type this while getting peed on in your tub?
As I told your common ancestor wife, Costermonger…
By Lee
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 12:47pm
… what pleases you after mass behind lace curtains sounds very special. However it just isn’t my thing. Thank you anyway, dear.
Both yours and this comment deserve to be deleted.
Don't Pick A Fight
By John Costello
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 2:47pm
And then expect to hide behind someone's skirt Pee Wee.
Yes, Mrs C told me …
By Lee
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 4:06pm
… all about your special dress up clothes. Hair skirt no less!
Bless you, John Boy.
Maybe it's looking for ...
By adamg
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 1:55pm
The new lake on Maverick Street.
It would fit nicely as sinkhole fill.
By Lee
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 4:57pm
Problem solved!
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 1:59pm
Magoo knows the identity of this canister. Many moons ago Magoo was traveling the seas on Magoo’s vessel, The Slippery Oyster. Magoo had this canister on The Slippery Oyster and Magoo would use this canister to stash oopsies made by Magoo in Magoo’s adult diaper. Yoo see, Magoo would take long fishing voyages on The Slippery Oyster but Magoo didn’t have a toilet (head, in the parlance of mariners) so Magoo would wear adult diapers and when soiled Magoo would place them in this canister. One time an evil dolphin attacked Magoo while Magoo was soaking his footsies in the deep blue sea. Without any means of defense, Magoo threw the canister at the evil dolphin. Said canister bounced off the dolphin’s bottle nose and Magoo has just discovered migrated to East Boston. Magoo.
Now we know.
By jmeltzer
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 5:16pm
Now we know.
I will never know.
By Lee
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 2:47pm
If 20 people like Magoo’s schtick, then let them enjoy.
I don’t read the Gamoo stuff unless it’s short and lends itself to a clever retort.
He/She/It isn’t vicious, cruel or obsessed with anyone but itself. That’s kind of redeeming even if it’s message is meaningless fluff and fecal matter.
I remember in the ‘90s ……
By Lee
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 1:59am
… or so a small whale’s body washed up on one of Manchester’s lesser known beaches. It was there for months after bloating in the sun, deflating and eventually becoming a puddle of slime. It gave off a special unforgettable smell.
It's a good thing
By jmeltzer
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 5:57pm
no one tried to blow it up.
You've all seen that clip, right?
My dad knew some of the responsible parties ...
By SwirlyGrrl
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 8:53pm
They were demoted and sent out to Eastern Oregon to work on what is now I-84, starting at the Idaho border.
Does this qualify as "flotsam"?
By SwirlyGrrl
Sun, 09/10/2023 - 8:51pm
Or is it "jetsam"?
Interesting question
By Gary C
Mon, 09/11/2023 - 2:15pm
Flotsam is debris that fell into the water by itself (like a broken tree branch.) Jetsam was "jettisoned" into the water, typically by a human (like a soda can.) This is clearly a man-made object and perhaps it broke off a ship or off-shore platform. So if it just FELL into the water, it sounds like flotsam, as it wasn't jettisoned by anyone. Still, man-made junk is more often called jetsam, so the true definition is unclear.
Really? What’s the goal here?
By anon
Mon, 09/11/2023 - 9:58am
“it is up to us if we want to wait for it to get washed back out into the harbor or if we want to pay to have it removed.”
Wow. What a stupid policy. This seems designed to make sure junk stays in the water.
Why doesn’t our society collectively take responsibility and have a government agency clean up stuff like this?
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