Paddleducks
Paddler Information => Research => Topic started by: Eddy Matthews on April 01, 2006, 04:40:59 AM
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I was just wondering about American paddlers, and it occurred to me that I've never seen anything about an american paddletug - Sternwheel towboats by the dozen, sidewheel and sternwheel ferries and passenger craft, but no tugs.... Were any actually built/used in the States?
Some photos and a bit of history would be nice if anyone knows of any...
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That's a good question. I've never heard of any, but when it comes to tug I'm a little on the stupid side. I'll ask around.
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I've talked to a couple of people and they can't think of any tugs built.
The closest thing they can think of is the SUNCO boats but they were a caterpillar drive towboat later converted to side wheel for a short time.
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Thanks Joe,
It does seem very strange that there weren't any - I'll certainly keep looking and see if I can come up with anything though...
Do any of our other American members know of any paddletugs built in the USA?
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Surely side-wheel paddle tugs must have operated in New York Harbour and other major coastal ports of North America during the 19th Century. I'm sure I've seen a pictures of them in New York berthing sailing ships. It strikes me that sternwheelers wouldn't be as manoeuvrable as side wheelers for berthing tugs. However, I know of only a couple of side-wheel tugs that operated here in Victoria Canada and that was the old "SS Beaver" and the ex Russian "Politosvzky" this area. There were hundreds of side-wheel passenger vessels all over North America so why not side-wheel paddle tugs? It's a fascinating question and I hope we get some answers.
----- Original Message -----
From: Eddy Matthews (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 3:42 PM
Subject: RE: American paddle tugs?
Thanks Joe,
It does seem very strange that there weren't any - I'll certainly keep looking and see if I can come up with anything though...
Do any of our other American members know of any paddletugs built in the USA?
Regards
Eddy
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Surely side-wheel paddle tugs must have operated in New York Harbour and other major coastal ports of North America during the 19th Century. I'm sure I've seen a pictures of them in New York berthing sailing ships. It strikes me that sternwheelers wouldn't be as manoeuvrable as side wheelers for berthing tugs. However, I know of only a couple of side-wheel tugs that operated here in Victoria Canada and that was the old "SS Beaver" and the ex Russian "Politosvzky" this area. There were hundreds of side-wheel passenger vessels all over North America so why not side-wheel paddle tugs? It's a fascinating question and I hope we get some answers.
Hi PJ,
Have you seen the book and plans for the SS Beaver by John McKay? I picked them up a few years back at Vanwell Publishing, I almost have to have a towel handy when I look through them, boy what a model that would make ?
Regards,
Gerald
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Right folks. In WARSHIPS AND BATTLES OF THE U.S. CIVIL WAR byTony Gibbons. Published 1989 ISBN number1 85028 094 0 I have found the following index of vessels taken into service in the Confederate Navy. Each is indexed with the word Tug in their descriptions along with the Ships name, tonnage and fate.. There are nine listed as SIDEWHEEL TUGS. Eleven listed as SCREW TUGS. Six listed as STEAM TUGS and one listed just as a tug. If required, I will list their names and details but it will be a long typing job!.
I have not yet been through the Unionist index , butI will if anyone wants me to.
I think that probably the usage of the word tug fell away after that time in favour of towboat.
It could be that up to and including the Civil war that a large number of ships crews and skippers came from the UK and the word tug was in common usage. Regards to all, Walter.
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Yes, Gerald I thoroughly agree...I do have the book and, as you say, the plans are really something to behold. This is the most definitive work ever written on this famous Canadian vessel and those amazing plans would certainly yield a great model. Nobody I know of here on the Island has build a model of her and I wonder if anyone in your Club has either. By the way, very best wishes to you all at the Toronto Club and wonder if you have any photos from this years Sportsmens Show.Â
Â
Regards
Â
PJ, Victoria BCÂ CanadaÂ
Hi PJ,
Have you seen the book and plans for the SS Beaver by John McKay? I picked them up a few years back at Vanwell Publishing, I almost have to have a towel handy when I look through them, boy what a model that would make ?
Regards,
Gerald
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Hi PJ,
There are a couple of people in our club that have the book besides myself, but no models of the Beaver yet. I think you are confusing the boat show with the Sportsmens Show, we had exhibited at the Boat show for the first 25 years it ran, and then they decided that they needed the space for more paying exhibitors so we haven't been there for a number of years.
Regards,
Gerald
Yes, Gerald I thoroughly agree...I do have the book and, as you say, the plans are really something to behold. This is the most definitive work ever written on this famous Canadian vessel and those amazing plans would certainly yield a great model. Nobody I know of here on the Island has build a model of her and I wonder if anyone in your Club has either. By the way, very best wishes to you all at the Toronto Club and wonder if you have any photos from this years Sportsmens Show.Â
Â
Regards
Â
PJ, Victoria BCÂ CanadaÂ
Hi PJ,
Have you seen the book and plans for the SS Beaver by John McKay? I picked them up a few years back at Vanwell Publishing, I almost have to have a towel handy when I look through them, boy what a model that would make ?
Regards,
Gerald
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This is the paddle tug NORWICH somewhere on the Hudson River.
Built in 1838 for passenger service New York to Norwich Connecticut. Converted to a tug in 1842 and not withdrawn till 1924. She appears to have been used for towing on the Hudson between New York and Albany.
I have also seen references to side wheelers SILAS O PIERCE and RATTLER (c1880). These references were in the Tugboat Enthusiast Society's website.
Better late than never, I suppose.
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Thanks for that David, I'd drawn an almost total blank, so it's good to see something new come to light.... If anyone has any further info on this vessel I'd be very interested, especially if drawings exist for her somewhere?
Regards
Eddy
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http://www.taubmansonline.com/ I suspect the reason you have not seen a great deal on American tugs is because your browser is set for UK search default whereas I live in the US so mine is here. Any help I can offer please let me know. :-)
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will a stern wheel towboat do? Here are some drawings to contemplate. The jpegs are a bit small than the original pdf's which I can upload to the plans files if anyone is interested.
dave
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yet another
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I know this is an old thread but rather than start a new one I think it better to perhaps maintain a single record than start a new thread.
Thanks for that, but the Eppleton Hall was a British tug, built in 1914 by Hepple and Company of South Shields, for the Lambton and Hetton Collieries Ltd, and named after the house near Penshaw owned by the Hetton Coal Company. She was designed to tow seagoing colliers from sea to wharf side and back, primarily in the River Wear and to and from the River Tyne.
Regards
Eddy
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Hi Torontobuilder
First, welcome to the forum!
The EH is well documented at the library of the congress, I have downloaded the plans and pics, and scaled the plans to 1:50 measure. She will be a former project for me, I have two builds at work at the moment. Most of the real american paddlers were sternwheelers, a far as I know. They are very interesting ships, maybe I will an american one in a far-away future?
Regards
Gerhard
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Sorry Eddy, I should have read their citation... I didnt expect that the LOC and the historical record would have documented the last of the British paddleboats to be built... now I wonder how she came to lie where she does... still a great source to create plans from.
I'll delete that entry to eliminate any confusion in future.
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Hi folks. US Must have had sidewheel tugs as several of the small cotton clad and tinclad sidewheelers pressed into civil war service are referred to in history books as TUGBOATS. regards, Walter
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... now I wonder how she came to lie where she does...
The EH came across the ocean on her own power, and passed trough Golden Gate bridge in 1970. She will be rebuilt to her original state. The original colors will be repainted, and the steering house will kept removed. The house was only mounted for the travel to San Francisco.
Regards
Gerhard
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Hello Gerhart. The Eppleton hall was converted from coal firing to oil firing to cross the atlantic but even with a deck cargo of oil barrels she had to stop to refuel at islands and the south American coast. She also sailed part of the way, as she was rigged with two masts and carried a barquentine sailing rig (Jibsail, Square rig on the foremast and gaff rig on a new mast behind the funnel). a superb book called EPPLETON HALL written by the curator of the San Francisco museum was published in USA which told the story of the rescue from a scrapyard and the rebuild and her epic voyage. A super well illustrated read. I got a copy about twenty years ago which was unfortunately "borrowed" by someone at my model club and I havnt been able to replace it.I walked the decks of the EH in 1947 as a 6th birthday present at Seaham harbour, when I Sailed on a smaller paddler called the SEAHAM.!! Hows that for first hand knowledge!. Regards, Walter
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Hello Walter
When I`m building her, she will appear in her original look, without the second (rear)mast and steering house, I was in mailcontact with theodore Miles from the maritime national park library for that, he gave some more infos to me, so I can post this here for information of all interested PD`s. Sorry for the loss of this interesting book, do you have more info about the writer? Maybe we can find it at Hathitrust? I Will keep that in mind for my next search!
Regards
Gerhard
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Gerhard,
I think the book Walter mentioned is The Eppleton hall, (1971) written by Scott Newhall published by Howell North Books which is still in copyright so it won't be on the net or Hathi. Newhall was the captain of the tug for the voyage. Karl Kortum was the head of the SF Maritime Museum but is not the author of this particular volume. There are a few photos and a GA of EH but nothing better that what is available for the gov't drawings that you already have.
dave