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a party at the GMD dock. Party boats, fishermen, the occasional dinner cruiser, all murmured in the dark- ening waters within designated areas on the upper bay and East River near the Williamsburg Bridge, with vessels less than 65-feet directed to view from Butter- milk Channel. When the moment arrived, the boats off the Statue had two shows to see. The main event, the really big show by the sponsor's description, was up around midtown on the East River, with a lot of Manhattan blocking the view. A smaller display, though still larger than average, was fired from near the South Street Seaport. That one was easy to see from the upper bay position, though still diminutive in the visual field. At hand near the statue was the smallest, in sheer number of fire- works, but it definitely filled the sky. Then it was over, and everyone went home. Were they all fireworked-out, after such a spectacular? We wouldn't bet on it. Unlike ice cream or cake, fireworks are not filling. They're easy to consume in continual succession, a point to remember throughout every July. On the sixth, for example, we were due back at the Statue aboard the Megan McAllister, for another display. It was to celebrate the premiere of the movie, "The Fantastic Four." But first we'd appear on the fifth, in Erie Basin, to see how a Grucci crew sets-up a job. Decorating the Heavens Fireworks displays go off over land, of course, but the oohs and ahhs are most heartfelt for a show over water. "The Royal Fireworks Music," after all, was written for an orchestra on a barge in the Thames. It is that much safer, and besides, the water reflects and doubles the fun. A west-coat concern sent the winning bid for Macy's this year, but the Gruccis have done it on Fourths previous, and are oth- erwise steady customers of the harbor. "We do around 30 water-based shows on New York waters a year," Phil Grucci told us, "which means 30 tug calls and 60 barges, because the fire department wants a spacer barge between the fireworks and the tug for safety." The FDNY is noted for its conservatism on the subject of fire prevention. Most sources agree it's cheaper than putting them out. At least two inspectors stay on- site at all times during the barge set-up, this time in the Hughes portion of Erie Basin. Three more inspectors ride with the tow on the night of the show, two on the tug and one on the spacer barge, in a booth at the end nearest the tug. This is where a few people with notebook computers fire the show. Part of the production cost for a fireworks display is a fee for the presence of a few days of inspectors. It seems a fit- ting pro forma, fireworks, like other lines of work aboard barges, having at times 28 • MarineNews • August, 2005 AROUND THE HARBOR We have ignition! We have liftoff! We have an idea why FDNY wanted sand on wooden barge decks, and why we prefer not to light fire- works with railroad flares anymore. (Photo: Don Sutherland.) AUGUSTMN2005 4(25-32).qxd 8/1/2005 4:50 PM Page 28
