PHOTOS: It was quite a sight to see the Fireboat John D. McKean arrive at Pier 25. On one of the most beautiful days of the year, there were bagpipers from the FDNY to welcome it on the pier, and its (her?) cousin, the John J. Harvey, which is docked in Hudson River Park at Pier 66 Maritime, gave a water display as a welcome.
The scene resembled some sort of fireboat mating ritual (which is weird now that I already said they were cousins): the Harvey fired up all its water cannons as it sailed down the middle of the river. The McKean then chugged over towards it and did a 180 in front of the boat — and at one point, was perfectly lined up in its shadow with the spray as a backdrop. Then the McKean launched its own water cannons — and at one point snuck over so close to Pier 26 that they doused the folks on the end of the pier, much to the pleasure of the rest of us watching from 25.