Condolences to the families, comfort to all the friends, and gratitude to those who so quickly responded.
I took these photos in March 2008. The tragedy touched me and a lot of folks I know quite hard.
Let me share this photo that comes from William Lafferty, who says “Here’s something of historical interest, perhaps. It’s the Brother Collins in the midst of being transformed into the Curly B. at the dock of the Calumet Marine Towing Corporation under the Skyway Bridge on the Calumet River at South Chicago, in 1979. The transformation took a long time, and wasn’t completed until 1982, begun, I think, in 1977. It would, of course, become the ill-fated Specialist.”
Here’s one of my favorite hymns, which seems to fit entirely here.
tugster: a waterblog 
6 comments
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March 17, 2016 at 11:20 am
sleepboot
Thank you Will.
John.
March 17, 2016 at 11:41 am
bpfran23@aol.com
Please add me to your list of subscribers…my e- ail is: kenwayne@4grc.com
Thanks…
March 17, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Anonymous
Thank you.
Meow Man
March 17, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Daniel Meeter
I think my opa used to listen to that hymn in Dutch, maybe by some Urker zangers, but I can’t remember the title in Dutch.
March 17, 2016 at 3:27 pm
Jim Gallant
Thanks for sharing that hymn, Will – it says a lot about saving those “lost at sea”, both literally and “figuratively”. – Jim Gallant.
March 17, 2016 at 11:23 pm
sfdi1947
Have always been concerned about the safety of commercial tugs, too many sub-standard designs with limited compartmentalization an sprung frames. When combined with substandard pumping arrangements most are Titanic’s waiting for the ice to form. Army Brigadier (128′) have twelve compartments including two engine rooms the Navy Tribals (225′) have 40.