Random Tugs 173

Let’s pick it up in Toledo, OH and the century-old GL tug Mississippi.

“Dieselized” 41 years after its launch, it still steers with a brass tiller in the wheelhouse, as demonstrated here by Captain Stabler.

Keep good paint and in repair, and a 1929 tug like  Nebraska still has lots of life left.  Compare that boat to its terrestrial counterpart, a 1929 Mack truck.

Mighty John III is a 1962 tugboat. The bands in the water distinguish sunlight from shadow in the Maumee silt water.

 

Sea Eagle II is Louisiana built but now flagged Edmonton, AB.

 

Pioneerland dates from 1943.

Titan, here in the River Rouge, dates from 1940.

Sheila Kaye is 65′ loa built in 1943.  Was it originally a government boat?

Here in the St. Clair River is a small unit about which I know nothing.  That’s Canada on the far bank.

Karen Andrie dates from 1965.

And finally, from my sister in Frankfort MI, it’s the 1956 Kurt R. Luedtke.

The last photo comes from my sister;  all others by Will Van Dorp.

 

Go West Leg 9

Here’s the reference map;  leg 9 took us into Cleveland, where Federal Maas is in port.

William C. Gaynor was anchored on the west side of the Cuyahoga.

Eagle pushed a deck barge outbound.

A small boat analyzed the river, and

Iowa went by light.

A visit to William G. Mather was compulsory, of course.

I noticed where her anchor was cast.

And finally, Iowa towed in Alberta-registered Sea Eagle II moving St. Mary’s Cement II.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who has since moved on to leg 10.

 

Really Random Tugs 16

Here was RRT15.

All the fotos in this post come from my sister, who is currently making her way south along the Jersey shore heading into retirement aka Bahamas for Christmas.  In mid-August, they departed Muskegon, near where they took this foto of Samuel de Champlain in June 2011.   SDC was built in 1976 and is loa 142.’

She passed Demolen–older sister of Ellen McAllister– several times, once on August 26, 2013.

She took the next three fotos on August 28, 2013.  Mike Donlon is 53′ and christened in Philly in 1999.

J-Krab, 25′ built in 2010.

Wilfred M. Cohen is a 1948 Newport News-built railroad tug now flying the Canadian flag.   Click here to see lots of fotos of her on tugboathunter.   Also, here’s a great Great Lakes search site.

The next day in the vicinity of Detroit, she ran into this huge unit.  ITB Presque Isle, launched 1972, loa 148′ with a 31′ draft . . . uses 14,840 hp to move a 978′ barge by the same name.

Here’s St Mary’s Cement II pushed by Sea Eagle II, 1979 launched at Modern Marine Power although also Candian-flagged, I think.

That’s the Detroit skyline in the distance.

On September 6, she passed Invincible, 94′ loa and 1979-built in Fort George, FL.

She also passed this unidentified unit.  Anyone help?

Last one for now, on September 16, already in the western end of the Erie Canal, she ran into this vessel.  Guess her age?

Dahlke was built in Ferrysburg, MI in 1903!!   That puts her only two years younger than Urger, built there as well.  Here’s quite the Ferrysburg historic vessel page.

Ah . . . the Great Lakes . . .  Anyone interested in a summer project to cruise from the sixth boro to Duluth and back and forth to catch more of these eclectic vessels?

And if you’re interested in following my sister, click here.