American paddle tugs?

[Eddy Matthews]

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...

[towboatjoe]

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.

[towboatjoe]

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.

[Eddy Matthews]

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?

[PJ]

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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[steamboatmodel]

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

[Walter Snowdon]

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.

[PJ]

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 
 Regards
 Â 
 PJ, Victoria BC  Canada 
 

  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

[steamboatmodel]

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 
 Regards
 Â 
 PJ, Victoria BC  Canada 
 

  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

[DavidMilne]

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.

[Eddy Matthews]

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

[Markds]

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. :-)

[greateastern]

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

[greateastern]

yet another

[Eddy Matthews]

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