Empire City — The 6:40 harbor ferry completed Monday's crossing in nine minutes, a record for the route, having departed without passengers, without crew, and, according to the port authority, without a stated reason.
The previous record was nineteen minutes, set in 1974 by a ferry that was on fire.
Forty-one commuters were waiting at the near berth and watched it go. Several described the departure as orderly. One described it as punctual, which the port authority has quoted twice since.
“The 6:40 ran to schedule,” said harbourmaster Anselm Roque-Dietrich. “I would like that on the record before anything else is. Whatever is said about Monday, the service ran to schedule for the first time since June.”
The Far Berth
The vessel arrived at the far berth, slowed, turned, and moored.
Its ropes were tied. This newspaper has seen photographs of the ropes, which are the only photographs anyone has managed to obtain in connection with any story this week, a fact the photo desk has asked not be dwelt upon.
The port authority has not said who tied them. Asked directly, Mr. Roque-Dietrich said the question was “operational” and referred the Times to a department that closed in 2004.
The knots were described by an independent rigger as “correct, and quickly done.”
The Queue
The forty-one commuters remained at the near berth for the following two hours, on the grounds that a second ferry was scheduled and might also be worth watching.
By half past eight the group had grown to sixty. The Department of Buildings, which was not asked, classified the gathering as a queue — the second gathering it has so classified this month, after the one on the Vandemeer Crossing.
Three of those waiting reported seeing something above the water shortly before the ferry left.
This newspaper's photo editor, Desmond R. Quail, was dispatched at 6:52 and arrived at 7:15. He photographed the berth.
The berth was empty. Mr. Quail has confirmed that the photograph is in focus.