Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Step Inside The Gowanus Canal's Mysterious Panama Loujaine
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Apr 29, 2014
Modified Apr 29, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 30
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Apr 29, 2014
Modified Apr 29, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A permanent resident of the Gowanus, the Panama Loujaine has forsaken her days of transatlantic voyage for retirement at the mouth of the canal.
Not nearly as visible in the skyline as her neighbor, the Red Hook Grain Terminal, the Loujaine is often assumed abandoned by the few who do notice her, "a hidden treasure" in the harbor. But she's currently utilized as a non-mobile floating storage hulk for cement products and cranes, and is managed by John Quadrozzi, the same man who owns the Grain Terminal.
Loujaine's former life was as a cement and dry cargo ship. Built in 1966 in Nagoya, Japan for the Saudi Arabian company Arabian Bulk Trade (ABT), Loujaine was originally named Bahma. ABT's logo, green stripes and a white center with the silhouette of a running jaguar, is still visible on her funnel.
In 1985 the ship lost its certification, was re-acquired by ABT and converted for cement handling. ABT renamed her the “Abu Loujaine,” and it arrived in Brooklyn shortly after. Today she's known only as the Loujaine and sports the Panama flag.
Loujaine's made guest appearances in Lorde and David Bowie music videos and, unlike her crumbling neighbor, is kept active and in usable shape as a reminder of the canal's industrial past.
Hannah Frishberg is a 5th generation Brooklynite. Earlier she explored Red Hook's giant grain elevator and Fort Tilden's recent ruins.
Tagged
Loujaine
gowanus canal
original
Hannah Frishberg
Hannah Frishberg covers New York City arts and culture. Got a tip? Email Hannah at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .