A "Hatteras" tug boat (few were built)

[(Nobody You Know)]

Don't know if this made it in the Forum before I came along. I think Hatteras made an attempt at building a few tug boats. Locals claim they were very worthy vessels:

(Be as it may, DON'T TRY THIS WITH YOUR BOAT)

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~soldier/towboat.htm (The Molly Brown)

Capt'n Bill

[Freebird]

Never heard of a Hatteras tug. You reckon it has aframosia teak on the inside?

I'll bet you'll be hearing from yachtsmanbill on that one. He's the tugboat captain.

[MikeP]

WOW! Can't believe it went under, came back up and just continued on her way. Definitely a WET RIDE that day! Interesting to read the story as well. I love the quote,

"the music was playing faster than he could dance to..."

I've sure been at a few of those dances myself!

[(Nobody You Know)]

"aframosia teak on the inside? "

Probably not, but according to the article it did have several tons of cement in the bilge just for that purpose. Talking about planning ahead!

This took place on the Warrior River above Demopolis, AL.

Capt'n Bill

[CDB101]

Pretty amazing to be pushed under that far and pop back up. Make sure to read the whole story at the bottom of the page. They purposely let go of the barges, go around under the draw bridge section, and then go catch up w/ their barges and continue. At least that was the plan.

[Paul45c]

Can you imagine the sound of the scraping steel on the underside concrete of the bridge? Wow, that's gotta be like nails on a blackboard BUT WITH FEELING!

[Boss Lady]

WoW! hey, I bet the captain's wife had a hard time getting the stain out of his pants after that one!

[yachtsmanbill]

"aframosia teak on the inside? "

Probably not, but according to the article it did have several tons of cement in the bilge just for that purpose. Talking about planning ahead!

This took place on the Warrior River above Demopolis, AL.

Capt'n Bill

Most tugs are balasted one way or another since weight is of very little concern. Bow model tugs typically are filled with concrete from the stem to frame 2 or 3 along with the rub rails being filled. Impacts with walls, bulkheads, or ships will not collapse them that way. Navy units are usually filled with oil for rust control.That is evidenced by 1/4" pipe plugs at each end. They are usually drained before selling to the public. The cabins usually have a 3 or 4 inch concrete floor on the steel deck on the commercial units. Mr.Stephan

[spartonboat1]

Tugs rolling over is often fatal, although personally I would have thought they would be more bouyant. However, I guess if the watertight doors were open, too much gets aboard too rapidly.

At any rate, about 20 years ago, a fuel oil/gasoline hauling freighter on the Great Lakes lost main power. They requested a tug, which arrived and took her in tow. While underway heading into the area known as Grand Traverse Bay, near Traverse City, MI, the tug also lost power. Why she was headed into GT Bay I don't know, but back then there was an off-shore delivery point.

At any rate, the freighter of about 500' or so, the Wisconsin I believe, continued on due to her momentum and continued past the essentially stopped tug. The towing cable dropped under the tug, and due to the pull from the freighter, pulled the tug over 180 degrees causing her to sink rapidly with loss of all hands.

That part of the bay is about 500' feet deep and cold, so none of the hands were ever found. The saying is that some parts of the Great Lakes don't give up their dead. Case in point, is the 700+ Fitzgerald that went down N. of Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior. On the very last authorized dive on her wreck, cameras found a body about 100' forward of the bow. Since this was the first every body discovered (or allowed to be reported), an investigation ensued. It was determined that the body was from a tug that sunk in 1913!

Sorry, not a Hatt story...but did involve a boat!

[yachtsmanbill]

Well now ! Not a lot of people know this story, and I am very surprised you remember it. That happened nov.4,1980. The tug was the LAUREN CASTLE out of Sturgeon Bay. Am I on target yet? Against instructions, she was placed in front as the steering boat with no towing gear other than an H bit. The AMOCO WISCONSIN had no steerage and veered off coarse and tripped the tug. She layed on her side and since all the doors were open she swamped and sank in 15 seconds, with my dad in the engine room. He was the only crewman lost, and never recovered. This occured on the west bay of traverse bay about a half a mile east of Lee point.
That boat belonged to Curly Selvic and 6 years prior to that, upon their return home from a cross lake tow the realized that his son was gone and he was never found.
Every few years I run my Roamer (my dads boat) to suttons bay and pick up Father Charley and go say a mass for the old man.
Small world aint it? Thats why I am so GOD DAMNED adamant about seamanship and safety. Thanks for remebering this! Bill Stephan