The SS Jeremiah O’Brien in Dry Dock

Pre-Departure From The Flying BridgePre-Departure From The Flying Bridge
Sagittarian and BearcatSagittarian and Bearcat
Pushing SagPushing Sag
Ghost On DeckGhost On Deck
Tugs and AlcatrazTugs and Alcatraz
Dawn SkylineDawn Skyline
Late Night WeldingLate Night Welding
Flight Through The MoonFlight Through The Moon
The Blue TubeThe Blue Tube
Funnel ShadowplayFunnel Shadowplay
Aft From The Flying BridgeAft From The Flying Bridge
Ammo LockersAmmo Lockers
The Past is Calling For YouThe Past is Calling For You
Pier 70 PilesPier 70 Piles
Jeremiah RefitJeremiah Refit
Moonwalk CatwalkMoonwalk Catwalk
Her Good SideHer Good Side
Underwater TomorrowUnderwater Tomorrow
  • Pre-Departure From The Flying Bridge
  • Sagittarian and Bearcat
  • Pushing Sag
  • Ghost On Deck
  • Tugs and Alcatraz
  • Dawn Skyline
  • Late Night Welding
  • Flight Through The Moon
  • The Blue Tube
  • Funnel Shadowplay
  • Aft From The Flying Bridge
  • Ammo Lockers
  • The Past is Calling For You
  • Pier 70 Piles
  • Jeremiah Refit
  • Moonwalk Catwalk
  • Her Good Side
  • Underwater Tomorrow

In January 2012, I was invited to ride on the Jeremiah O’Brien for its trip to dry dock for repairs, cleaning and repainting. The JO’B is one of the last surviving Liberty Ships from WWII, now converted to a museum, permanently docked in San Francisco.

We left at 5:30 . . . before dawn . . . on a cold and rainy morning. The heaving ship and dark conditions forced me to work at maximum ISO to freeze the action with mostly sub-1-second shots, as tugboats shoved us around SF’s waterfront, from Fisherman’s Wharf to the BAE shipyards at Pier 70. It was a really fun and surreal experience, definitely out of my element.

She was in dry dock for about a month. I was lucky enough to be on the short list of people allowed into the shipyard to shoot her and I was the only one to do it at night.

I managed 3 trips to the yard that month to shoot the restoration progress.