2024 TBR Winners and Awardees

Tugboat Roundup Awards

• Tug of the Year: New York State Marine Highway's Sarah D.

• Bart Brake Lifetime Achievement Award: Brian U. Stratton, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation

• People’s Choice: Carver Companies’ Caroline M.

• Little Toot Award: Tuggin' Teeth

• Best in Show: New York State Marine Highway's Nathan G.

• Best Vintage Tug: New York State Marine Highway's Benjamin Elliot

• Grand Marshal: William Curry

Line Toss Competition

• First Place: David Riddick, Donjon Marine

• Second Place: Dwayne Hart, Carver Companies

• Third Place: Mike Gallo, Moran Towing Corporation

Tug Chug 5K

• Men's Division: Cole Griner

• Women's Division: Melissa Wasco

From Church Steeples to Tugboats: The Evolution of NYS Marine Highway Transportation Company

It all started, strangely enough, with a niche construction specialty – rehabilitating old churches. RPI architectural school grads Rob Goldman and Tim Dufel founded Regenerative Building Construction which quickly became known as the “go to” firm for the repair, renovation, and reconstruction of churches.

As the company continued to grow and evolve, to assist with projects requiring maritime construction capabilities, the partners designed and built a small tug and barge combination named Mame Faye after the infamous Troy madame. This marked the beginning of a forty-year journey with New York’s inland waterways and maritime industry, filled with unforeseen twists and turns.

After being awarded a contract to run the City of Troy’s municipal marina, a fleet of canal “narrowboats” for hire quickly followed, as well as a second tugboat: the 2000 Waterford Tugboat Roundup Tug of the Year, and recipient of the prestigious Theordore Tugboat “Floating Friend” Award, Benjamin Elliot. At its core, Regenerative Building Construction remained a construction company, with a growing interest in the maritime industry. But bigger things were on the horizon.

Today, NYS Marine Highway Transportation Company is a major player in the tug and barge industry, on the inland waterways of New York State and beyond. Owners Goldman, Dufel, and Michelle Hayes have expanded operations to include bulk transportation, project cargo, ship docking, and marine construction. The fleet that traces its roots back to the diminutive Mame Faye has expanded exponentially over the years and now includes eight tugboats, 6 barges, a quarters barge, and two cranes. The company’s two sites in Troy, where it all began, include an administrative office downtown, and a maintenance yard in the historic Lansingburgh area, near where Herman Melville’s study of vessels transiting the Hudson River would later inspire some of the greatest literary works ever produced.

The company’s initial foray into shipping through New York’s historic Canal System concentrated moving project cargo. Project cargo refers to oversized or heavy items of high value that cannot be easily transported over land due to their dimensions or weight. Over the years, this has included generators produced at General Electric in Schenectady (historically known as the city that lights the world) and other large electrical equipment such as rotors, generators, and transformers; huge “paper dryers” for commercial paper mills; condensers; cranes; rebar towers for highway bridge projects, electrical cable; other manufacturing equipment; and nuclear submarine sonar arrays for the U.S. Navy.

While project cargo laid the foundation, NYS Marine Highway soon took on the challenge of reviving bulk cargo transportation through the Canal System. The NYS Marine Highway team was eager to challenge another widely-accepted “fact” about New York’s Canals – that bulk cargo could no longer be moved through them efficiently. Over the years, the company has dispelled that myth, moving soybeans along the Oswego Canal, specialty wheat from the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, and – more recently – bulk aggregate projects from Fort Ann on the Champlain Canal to the New York metropolitan area. The latter has produced a renaissance in bulk transportation on the Canal and has been covered in trade publications such as Professional Mariner and Marine News, as well as news outlets in New York’s Capital Region.

According to Steve Hayes, Operations Officer for Marine Highway and Tugboat Roundup Planning Committee Member, balancing all of the company’s obligations and operations is a challenge, but one the company is certainly up to.

“What you plan to do or deal with on any given day invariably turns out to be different from what you actually do or deal with,” Hayes, a SUNY Maritime graduate, said. “It is never boring, and that’s part of what we love about it. We also love that our vocation represents a mix of both business development and historic preservation. We are preserving a vital part of our past, and in doing so we help keep an industry which we believe is equally important for our future, viable.”

From steeples to tugboat masts, the growth of NYS Marine Highway Company has been rapid. Still, throughout much of the firm’s evolution, there had been one constant. The tugboats acquired were capable of transiting the New York State Canal System – renowned since long before Thomas S. Allen’s iconic staple “Low Bridge” for its low bridges – in order to move project and bulk cargo through the 524-mile inland waterway. In some cases, like the Mame Faye and the Benjamin Elliot, the wheelhouses were low enough to clear the bridges. In other cases, the tugboats featured “telescoping” wheelhouses – essentially going up and down on elevator shafts as necessary to see over the barge, while being capable of lowering to get under those low bridges. Today, the Marine Highway fleet features four such tugboats: the Margot, Frances, Lucy H., and Edna A.

Today, nearly half of the firm’s tugboat fleet are larger, river and coastal tugs with fixed wheelhouses, meaning the tugboats are too large to transit the Canal System. However, the bridge immediately to Waterford’s south, the 112th Street Bridge connecting Troy and Cohoes, affords greater vertical clearance than other structures upstream. Formerly a draw bridge, the span was maintained in an operable condition well into the 1980s to support operations at the Matton Shipyard in Cohoes. Large, ocean-going tugboats built at the shipyard had to transit south, necessitating the opening of the bridge. Though the mid-1990s replacement of the bridge came well after the closure of the shipyard, a slightly greater vertical clearance of about 27 feet was maintained. This allows larger tugboats (and a Tugboat Roundup favorite, the NYSC Fireboat John J. Harvey) to make it to the wall in Waterford for the annual event.

This is also the case with NYS Marine Highway’s flagship and this year’s Tug of the Year: the Sarah D. Acquired in 2016 from Moran Towing Company, the boat was formerly known as the Helen D. Coppedge. At 90 feet in length, a 162-ton displacement, and 2,000 horsepower – the tugboat is one of the largest and most powerful in the fleet. Honoring the Sarah D. for the 25th anniversary of the Tugboat Roundup is altogether fitting, as it is not just the vessels, but the people and the companies who ply these waters – and invest in the future of our waterways – that we celebrate. For Michelle Hayes, Rob Goldman, Tim Dufel, and the entire NYSMH team, the recognition is a validation of the investment they’d made, the people they’ve employed, and the New York State businesses and industry’s they’ve help keep competitive and thriving due to the availability of marine transportation.

We sat down with Capt. Goldman to talk about the history of the company, the last 25 years of TBR, and the recognition of the Sarah D. as this year’s TOTY.

TBR: 25 years. You have been integral to the success of the event since year one – can you believe we’re still doing this?

Goldman: Honestly, no. We should probably stop. Seriously, the growth of the event has mostly paralleled the growth of our company. Michelle, Tim, Chris, Steve and I could not be prouder to help support this event each year.

TBR: Knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision to get out of the construction business and focus on marine work?

Goldman: Absolutely. We’ve had great years and less great years, and some hits and misses, but the trajectory has consistently been up and we are grateful.

TBR: Despite the continued viability of project cargo through the Canal System, as bulk transportation dropped off in the early 90s there was a thought that it wouldn’t come back. Despite that assumption, NYSMH was convinced it could. What made you so sure?

Goldman: Canalling is a game of inches. This is true with project cargo, but it is also true with bulk. The key question is, where is the product and where does it need to go, and are both of those places near the water? And if the answer is yes, what is it worth, and how efficiently can we move it. We have the knowledge and the experience to move product efficiently by barge whether on the Canals, the Hudson River, the Great Lakes. It’s just a matter of the logistical considerations you need to account for with those different operations.

TBR: There will always be project cargo, but do you think we’ll continue to see growth in bulk transportation by barge, specifically on the Canals?

Goldman: Yes. There is no more efficient and environmentally friendly means of moving materials than by water. Moving the same tonnage that you would on land, you’ll use a fraction of the fuel – and create a fraction of the emissions – when you move that product on water. So, both the economics and the environmental considerations favor it.

TBR: Even on the Canal?

Goldman: Even on the Canal. For years, the State tracked tonnage two different ways. Tonnage, and originating tonnage. The idea was that originating tonnage represented an exponentially greater value to the State because it was a product, or crop, or commodity that was produced by a New York company, employing New York workers, paying New York taxes, etc. You still have those companies – farms, quarries, manufacturers – and in many cases those products can still be moved by water. And in many cases, that can still provide a strategic advantage to businesses in New York State when compared to similar businesses in other states which don’t have the ability to ship by water.

TBR: What’s your favorite part of the job?

Goldman: The people. The crews on the boats, the people work in the yard. We have an extraordinarily talented team and I am proud to work with them. And I think all of us feel like this is more than a job. It’s a calling.

TBR: Still a calling after all these years.

Goldman: For me, yes. And of course I spent early years at the wheel, and then in the office, and my role continues to change as I am less day-to-day operations and more on the business development and client relations side. But that’s where I am so gratified to see Steve taking the role that he has taken and it’s reassuring to know that there’s another generation. We’re not getting any younger.

TBR: What’s your favorite part of the Roundup?

Goldman: I love the whole thing. We enjoy hosting friends and clients during the parade on Friday. And again, for the fireworks Saturday night. I love the speakers and meeting people who used to work on our boats or used to run the Canal. It’s like a reunion for Canallers. And it’s definitely the highlight of the tugboat social season.

TBR: Are you aware of who the Tugboat Parade Grand Marshall is this year?

Goldman: I don’t believe I am, but I am sure it is a worthy recipient.

TBR: None other than William Curry.

Goldman: As I said, a worthy recipient! What an amazing man. A great boatman, first-rate engineer, a Navy veteran, and a good friend. We’ve done a lot with Bill over the years. He is an amazing man. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the recognition.

TBR: Do you think the future is bright for New York’s inland waterways, and for the Canal System specifically?

Goldman: Yes, I believe so. As the focus on reducing fossil fuels and greenhouse emissions grows, inland waterway transportation will play a larger role in the supply chain. While challenges like unpredictable weather and infrastructure maintenance persist, we're pleased to see New York investing in the Canal System. Reflecting on our journey, it’s remarkable how far we’ve come. Twenty-five years ago, it was said that the Canal was only for recreation, which was disheartening. Now, we’re recognized as key players in New York’s competitiveness, and I believe we’re in a much better place.

TBR: So Bart Brake’s famous saying might not apply after all?

Goldman: No comment.

TBR: I think that was the first “no comment” of the conversation, which I did not expect. Thanks for the conversation, see you on the Canal.

Goldman: See you on the Canal.

2024 Tug of the year, sarah d.

Music at the Roundup

Friday, September 6th

• 4:00 PM: Live music with George Ward and Friends

George Ward is a traditional folk singer, folklorist, and occasional songwriter with a deep connection to the folk history of New York and New England. He has spent much of his life preserving and sharing the rich musical traditions of rural New York State, particularly those associated with the Erie Canal. George began his journey into folk music and folklore in the 1960s and has since become a respected figure in the field, known for his work in collecting, performing, and educating others about folk music.  George is accompanied by Joy Bennett and Chris Koldewey

• 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Live music with Flood Road

Flood Road featuring J Peter Yakel (guitar/vocals), Bruce Barker (guitar), Pete Murphy (Bass) and Chris Schultz (banjo,) plays American roots music; folkgrass, mixing self-penned compositions with alternative versions of classic rock, bluegrass and folk songs. Flood Road was a longtime regular band at Tugboat Roundup and we are thrilled to have them back this year.

Saturday, September 7th

• 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Live music with Brian Kane

Brian Kane is known for his soulful performances and captivating stage presence. Whether he's playing solo or jamming with his band (Brian Kane and the Beginnings) Brian's performances are always a crowd-pleaser. Brian has a residency at the SPAC VIP lounge performing at legendary shows including Dead & Company, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tedeschi Trucks.

• 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Live music with Troy Samba (east of the Peebles Island Bridge)

Troy Samba is a percussion performance group based in Troy, NY playing Brazilian batería style music in the Capital Region and beyond.

• 6:00 PM: Live music with River Junction

River Junction is Waterford based band playing classic party rock that goes a bit deeper into the catalogs of the artist they cover. They can be thought of as a "B side" cover band that enjoys 70's one hit wonders while sometimes morphing into a jam band that goes psychedelic.

Sunday, September 8th

• 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Live music with Curragh

Curragh plays traditional Irish music throughout Capital District and Bennington County, VT

2024 Tug Talks

Saturday

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Title: Rebuilding History: The Seneca Chief and the Erie Canal Bicentennial

Speaker: Brian Trzeciak, Executive Director
Organization: Buffalo Maritime Center

Bio:
Brian Trzeciak is the Executive Director of the Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC), a role he has held for the past seven years. He holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in Humanities from the University at Buffalo. Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in design, education, and community organizing to the Buffalo Maritime Center. He is committed to preserving maritime heritage and the values of craftsmanship while expanding hands-on learning opportunities throughout the community.

Description of Presentation:
The Buffalo Maritime Center has built a traditional, full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, which originally opened the Erie Canal in 1825. The Erie Canal Boat Project has aimed to engage the community through hands-on experiences and historical exploration. In 2025, the Seneca Chief will embark on its Bicentennial Voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor, commemorating Gov. DeWitt Clinton’s 1825 inaugural journey. This voyage offers Buffalo and communities across New York State a chance to explore the past and plan for the future. Join Brian Trzeciak as he discusses this ambitious project and shares the plan for the historical Bicentennial Voyage.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Title: The Erie Canal and Albany: The Past and the Future

Speaker: Len Tantillo, Historical and Marine Artist

Bio:
Len Tantillo is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a licensed architect who transitioned to a career in fine art, focusing on historical and marine painting. Since 1986, his work has appeared internationally in exhibitions, publications, and film documentaries. Tantillo is the author of four books, a recipient of two honorary degrees, and a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists. His work is included in the collections of the Fenimore Art Museum, the Minnesota Museum of Marine Art, and many other institutions. In 2004, the Metropolitan Museum of Art commissioned him to create a painting depicting the Daniel Winne house as it may have appeared in 1755. He has produced over 300 paintings and drawings of New York State history and was elected a Fellow of the New York Academy of History in 2016.

Description of Presentation:
Len Tantillo will discuss his vision for Albany’s future, inspired by its rich historical connections to the Hudson River and the Erie Canal. He will share his long-term vision of reconnecting the city with its waterfront by potentially unearthing Lock One of the Erie Canal and extending it from the Warehouse District down Broadway. Tantillo's artwork, which includes a painting of the Warehouse District in the late 1800s, serves as a foundation for reimagining Albany’s future.

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Title: Bridging the Past and Present: Transporting Buffalo’s Newest Bridge Through America’s Most Enduring Waterway

Speakers:

• Captain Brian Moore

• Captain Tom Feeney

• Organization: Carver Marine Towing

Description of Presentation:
This presentation will discuss the transportation of the Ralph Wilson Park Bridge, a significant component of the redevelopment of Buffalo’s waterfront, through the Erie Canal. The bridge, transported in sections from Italy, traversed New York Harbor and up the Hudson River before reaching the Capital Region. The crew from Carver Marine Towing navigated the complex journey along the canal, traversing 34 locks and managing various clearance challenges. The bridge will ultimately connect Buffalo’s Lower West Side to the transformed Ralph Wilson Park, which is scheduled to start opening in phases in 2026

Sunday

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Title: A Tugboat Roundup Retrospective: A Discussion on a Bad Idea That Turned Out Great 25 Years Later

Speakers:

• Rob Goldman, Chief Operating Officer of NYSMH

• John Callaghan, Founder of Tugboat Roundup

Description of Presentation:
Rob Goldman and John Callaghan will discuss the formation of the Tugboat Roundup, from its inception as a seemingly bad idea to its growth into a successful event 25 years later. They will share stories from the early days and highlight some of the colorful characters involved in the event’s history.

Tugs of the 2024 Tugboat Roundup

Participating vessels at the Tugboat Roundup

8th Sea

Description: The 8th Sea was built at the American Electric Welding Company in Fells Point, at the foot of Carolina St, in Baltimore Maryland in 1953 for the United States Army. The 8th Sea’s original use was as a harbor tug in the Charleston, South Carolina Harbor. Compared to seagoing tugs, harbor tugboats are generally smaller and the width-to-length ratio is often higher, due to the need for a lower draft.

In the 70’s the 8th Sea found work more suited to her name. She worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway (leading to the Great Lakes, a.k.a the 8th Sea). She was used to scan the entrance to locks to determine where to dredge. She worked along side the Tug 4th Coast.

In the 1990’s, the St. Lawrence Seaway refitted the 4th Coast and auctioned off the 8th Sea. She found her first, and only, private owner, Bill Curry, then owner of the Lake Towing and Salvage in Plattsburgh, NY. The 8th Sea worked in towing and salvage until 2000.

Since 2000, the 8th Sea has served the purpose of summer home, cruise ship, evening gathering spot, meeting location, hide and seek base, and rescue boat. She is a staple in Waterford and Troy. Her captain spends his summers with the 8th Sea and his winters in Grand Cayman Islands.

Alyssa Brooke

• Vessel Type: Working Tug

• Owner: CD PERRY LLC

• Primary Port: Troy Sea Wall

• Builder: St John Boat Builders, Panama City, FL

• Year of Build: 2016

• Length Overall: 27'

• Beam: 14'

• Engine Type: Cummins Diesel, 800 HP

Description: Alyssa Brooke is a pusher-style tug built in 2016 by St. Johns Boat Builders in Panama City, FL. Designed for versatility, the Alyssa Brooke is transportable over highways, allowing it to be easily relocated to different job sites. This tug is a familiar sight on both the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, where it is frequently engaged in various work projects. Currently, the Alyssa Brooke is stationed at the mouth of the Hudson River, near Catskill Creek, where it is assisting with repairs using a 140-foot crane barge.

ATLANTIC HUNTER V

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Owner: Cap'n Ben

• Business: Blue Dolphin Marine Towing & Salvage

• Primary Port: Norwood, MA

• Builder: Custom by owner

• Year of Build: 2024

• Length Overall: 25'

• Beam: 8'

• Engine Type: Outboard, 200 HP

Description: ATLANTIC HUNTER V is a custom-built mini tug, designed to the exact specifications of its owner, Cap'n Ben. This new addition to the fleet showcases the latest in tugboat design and innovation.

Bath Jr.

• Vessel Type: Restoration Project | Mini Tug

• Business: Granite State Towboat

• Length Overall: 25'

• Beam: 8'

Description: Bath Jr. is a mini tug under restoration by Joe Lannan. This 25’ mini tug, built 2016, is TBR regular and fan favorite.

Benjamin Elliot

• Vessel Type: Working Tug

• Owner: NYS Marine Highway

• Primary Port: Troy, NY

• Length Overall: 48'

• Beam: 15'

• Engine Type: Two Detroit Diesel 6-110 engines

Description: Originally built in 1960, Benjamin Elliot has served multiple roles, including for the Monahan Towing Company. Now, under the New York State Marine Highway, it continues to operate with the same name. At 640 hp, powered by two, Detroit Diesel 6-110 diesel engines, the Ben is the smallest tug in the NYS Highway Marine fleet.

Caprice

• Vessel Type: Tug Trawler

• Primary Port: Geneva, NY

• Builder: North Castle Marine, Goderich, Ontario

• Year of Build: 1985

• Length Overall: 40'

• Beam: 14'

• Engine Type: Westerbeke Diesel, 100 HP

Description: Caprice is a well-traveled vessel on New York State waterways, previously owned by the former Director of NY Canals. It has been a fixture at the Schenectady Yacht Club and now enjoys life on the Finger Lakes.

Caroline M.

• Vessel Type: Twin Screw Tug

• Owner: Carver Marine Towing Company

• Primary Port: New York, NY

• Builder: Rayco Shipbuilders and Repair, Bourg, LA

• Year of Build: 1979

• Length Overall: 65.7'

• Beam: 24'

• Engine Type: Caterpillar 3412E Diesel, 1,440 HP

  Description: Originally built as the Bayou Babe in 1979 by Rayco Shipbuilders and Repair, the Caroline M. has a rich history of service and several name changes. She was first acquired by Misener Marine Incorporated of Tampa, Florida, before being renamed Wauwinet under the ownership of Great Point Towing Company in 1988. In 1996, she was acquired by Weeks Marine Incorporated and renamed Virginia. Most recently, in 2023, the tug was purchased by the Carver Marine Towing Company and renamed Caroline M. Powered by twin Caterpillar 3412E diesel engines, the Caroline M. is a powerful and versatile vessel, with a towing capacity supported by a Smatco 44-DPS-75 towing winch. With a hailing port in New York, NY, the Caroline M. continues to be a vital part of the towing industry.

Frederick Skene (parade only)

• Vessel Type: Debris Collection Vessel

• Owner: Albany Field Office, New York District Army Corps of Engineers

• Year of Build: 2024

• Length Overall: 45'

• Beam: 15'
  Description: Named after a former New York State Engineer, the Frederick Skene is a new Debris Collection Vessel designed to keep New York waterways safe by clearing driftwood and other hazardous materials. The vessel operates from Lake Champlain down to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Equipped with a 40-ton crane on a floating plant, it tackles large debris while a smaller craft assists in shallow waters. This vessel replaces an older model that served since 1963, ensuring continued safety for commercial and recreational traffic along the Hudson River.

G AN' SEA

• Vessel Type: Mini Kayak Tug

• Length Overall: 8'

• Beam: 24"

Description: The G AN' SEA, although diminutive in size, exudes a unique and endearing charm. She is a special vessel of the kayak origins, captained by the skilled Gina L. Freeman during the Tugboat Roundup. Her primary port of call is Waterford, N.Y. Another Ben Grudinskas masterpiece, she is both resilient and lightweight. With an air draft of just 4 feet and a water draft of a mere 6 inches, she is perfectly suited for shallow waterways and can slip through low bridges with ease. Her compact dimensions of 8 feet in length and 2 feet in beam make her an agile and efficient vessel. Powered by an electric engine, she offers eco-friendly cruising. The G AN' SEA may be tiny, but she embodies the spirit of innovation and passion for boating, making her a delightful addition to the Roundup.

Goosed

• Vessel Type: Monk 36 Trawler

• Length Overall: 40'

• Beam: 13'

Description: Goosed is a Monk 36 Trawler, a type of pleasure vessel, offering a smooth and leisurely cruising experience,

Heave Ho

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Year of Build: 2009

• Length Overall: 17'

• Beam: 7'

• Engine Type: 2-cylinder diesel, 10 HP

Description: Heave Ho is a mini tug with a sturdy build and a determined name. This is her first visit to the Roundup.

Henry

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Primary Port: East Greenwich, RI

• Year of Build: 2023

• Length Overall: 18'

• Beam: 8'

• Engine Type: Diesel, 25 HP

Description: Henry is a mini tug built by its owner, Chris Prata, by refurbishing a 50-year-old marshall cat sanderling and installing a tug-like wheelhouse.

J. Arnold Witte

Description: The J. Arnold Witte, recognized as the 2022 Tug of the Year, is an impressive vessel with a bright future ahead. She was meticulously crafted in 2021 by the skilled hands at the DonJon Shipbuilding and Repair Company of Erie, Pennsylvania, bearing the distinguished hull number 145, and commissioned for the esteemed DonJon Marine Company Incorporated of Hillside, New Jersey. This triple-screw towboat, measuring 78 feet in length and 26 feet in breadth, exudes power and grace, perfectly designed by Boksa Marine Design to navigate the intricate waterways of the 524-mile NYS Canal System, New York Harbor, Hudson River, and beyond. With a draft of nine feet and a telescoping wheelhouse, she's primed for versatile cargo handling from her homeport in Port Newark, NJ. Powered by three robust Mitsubishi S6R2-Y3MPTAW diesel engines, complemented by ZF 3350 reduction gears, and turning three mighty 66-inch four-bladed stainless steel propellers, the J. Arnold Witte commands an impressive 2,400 horsepower. Her electrical needs are expertly met by two Kohler 65EOZJC generators, driven by two John Deere 4045TFM85 engines. With capacities including 29,281 gallons of fuel, 521 gallons of lube oil, 521 gallons of slop oil, 4,578 gallons of potable water, and 20,681 gallons of ballast, she's well-equipped for her maritime duties. Tug enthusiasts and maritime aficionados alike are undoubtedly captivated by her two 40-ton Nabrico DF-1-11L winches on the bow and one Nabrico DF-HC-15 capstan on the stern. As the youngest tug to be named Tug of the Year, the J. Arnold Witte's legacy is only just beginning, symbolizing the future of maritime excellence.

Joncaire

Description: The Joncaire is a 43 foot tugboat built in 1979. Its original was to install and remove ice booms on Lake Erie for the Niagara the Power Authority. Now she is owned and operated by the NYS Canal Corporation and works the canal system.

Jolly Bobber

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Length Overall: 14'6"

• Beam: 7'6"

Description: .Jolly Bobber is a homemade 14”6’ mini tugboat built in 2021 that embodies the joy of boating. With its compact size and cheerful design, it promises to be a crowd-pleaser at the event.

Knot at Work

• Vessel Type: Houseboat

• Business: Mohawk Maiden Cruises

• Length Overall: 40'

Description: Knot at Work is a houseboat operated by Mohawk Maiden Cruises. It serves as a comfortable and functional vessel on the water, providing a unique cruising experience on the rivers.

KO~HOG

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Length Overall: 14'3"

• Beam: 7'

Description: KO~HOG is a mini tug that, despite its small size, is packed with personality. . Her home port is on Cape Cod where her owner enjoys shell fishing. She’s named for the hard shell clam “quahog.”

Lady Gabrielle

• Vessel Type: Other

• Length Overall: 32'

• Beam: 11'

Description: This Nordic Tug is a member of the Troy   Yacht and Canoe Club, just across the river. Lady Gabrielle was purchased in Annapolis, Maryland in August of 2012. The boat left Maryland a month before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast.

Michael S. Noonan

• Vessel Type Vessel Type: Working Tug

• Owner: Barden's Boat Yard, Inc.

• Primary Port: Marion, MA

• Builder: Homemade, Marion, MA

• Year of Build: 1986

• Length Overall: 32'

• Beam: 14'

• Engine Type: Inboard, Twin Detroit Diesel, 110 HP each

Description: The Michael S. Noonan is a working tug built in 1986 in Marion, MA. Originally equipped with a single Cummins engine, the tug was purchased by Barden's Boat Yard in 2002 and has since been upgraded with twin Detroit diesel engines. The tug is primarily used for boat yard operations and has recently undergone a fresh coat of paint. With a draft of 4 feet and a robust steel hull, the Michael S. Noonan continues to serve effectively in its role, demonstrating the reliability and versatility of homemade maritime craftsmanship.

Moor Than E-nuff

• Vessel Type: Pleasure Tug

• Length Overall: 28'

• Beam: 8'6"

Nathan G.

• Vessel Type: Towing Vessel

• Ship Builder: Marine Industries Inc., Morgan City, Louisiana

• Year Built: 1977

• Length Overall: 73.3'

• Beam: 24.3'

• Hull Depth: 8.1'

• Gross Tonnage: 132

• Net Tonnage: 89

• Hailing Port: Troy, NY

• Engine Type: Two Detroit 12 149 diesel engines

• Horsepower: 1,200 HP

• Propulsion: Twin screw, cast steel, fixed pitch propellers

• Previous Names: Brute Force, Hinton, Joan McAllister

Description: Nathan G. was originally built in 1977 by Marine Industries Incorporated as the Brute Force. Over the years, the vessel has seen several name changes and ownership transfers. It was first acquired by Seabrook Towing Incorporated and renamed Hinton. In 1987, it was purchased by McAllister Brothers Towing Company and was later renamed Joan McAllister in 2004. Finally, in 2017, the tug was acquired by the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company and renamed Nathan G. This steel-hulled vessel is powered by two Detroit 12 149 diesel engines, providing a combined output of 1,200 horsepower, making it a reliable workhorse on the water.

Other Office

• Vessel Type: Express Cruiser

• Primary Port: Schuylerville, NY

• Builder: Wellcraft

• Year of Build: 1997

• Length Overall: 43'

• Beam: 14.5'

• Engine Type: Caterpillar, 420 HP x2

Description: Other Office is an express cruiser owned by David Mathis, serving as a summer residence. It has been a beloved part of family life, particularly enjoyed by Mathis’s grandson during the summer months on the river.

Reliant

• Vessel Type: Trawler

• Length Overall: 32'

• Beam: 12'

Description: The Reliant is a 1988 Nordic Tug. She’s 32 feet with a beam of 11 feet. She’s powered by a reliable Cummins Inboard engine. With a draft of 3 feet and 9 inches, the Reliant is designed to navigate a range of waterways with ease. 

Sarah D.

• Vessel Type: Working Tug

• Owner: NYS Marine Highway

• Primary Port: Troy, NY

• Length Overall: 90'

• Beam: 29'

Description: The Sarah D, a distinguished tugboat, has been a stalwart presence in the maritime world since her construction in 1975 by Putnam Shipbuilding of Palatka, Florida. Originally known as the Lauren S. Coppedge, she was initially commissioned by Wayland T. Coppedge Jr. of the White Stack Towing Company in Jacksonville, Florida. However, the White Stack Towing Company later decided to rename her as the Helen D. Coppedge. In 1978, the White Stack Towing Company became part of the Turecamo Coastal and Harbor Towing Corporation of New York, New York, but the tugboat retained her name. Then, in 1998, when Turecamo was acquired by the Moran Towing Corporation of New Canaan, Connecticut, the Helen D. Coppedge continued to proudly bear her name. It wasn't until 2016 that she found a new home with the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company of Troy, New York, where she was lovingly rechristened as the Sarah D. As a twin-screw tug boasting a robust 2,000 horsepower, the Sarah D stands as a testament to maritime excellence and tradition, and her legacy is further underscored by her past accolades, including being a former Best in Show winner at Tugboat Roundup. She is not just a vessel but a maritime legend in her own right.

Shoofly Pie

• Vessel Type: Historic Tug

• Owner: Tideland Institute

• Primary Port: Brooklyn, NY

Description: Tugboat Shoofly Pie was designed to be a Distribution Box (L Type) Boat for the US Army, meant to work on harbor mines in the early years of WWII. She laid submarine detection cables in Maine, then spent the rest of the war working as a tugboat. After the war she continued as a tug in Texas, spent a few years working as a fireboat, then as a tug again in the Caribbean and on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Her current home port is Brooklyn.

Spirit of Albany

• Vessel Type: Port Security Vessel

• Owner: Albany Port District Commission

• Primary Port: Albany, NY

• Builder: Pasch Marine

• Year of Build: 1966

• Length Overall: 64'

• Beam: 15'

• Engine Type: 2 12V71 Detroit Diesel engines for propulsion, 453 Detroit Diesel engine for electrical power

Description: The Spirit of Albany, a Port Security Vessel owned by the Albany Port District Commission, is primarily used for inspections and as a work platform for wharf repairs. Originally serving as the survey boat "Sentry" for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the vessel has a storied history, now continuing its service at the Port of Albany.

TooT TooT

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Primary Port: Middleboro, MA

• Builder: Mike Magnant

• Year of Build: 2002

• Length Overall: 14'3"

• Beam: 7'4"

• Engine Type: Tohatsu, 20 HP

Description: TooT TooT is a Berkley designed mini tug that was built by Mike and Louise Magnant. Mike actually built the boat around the steering wheel that Louise gave him for   Christmas way back in 1996. Before Mike could build the tug however, he promised Louise that he would build her a three season room on the side of   their house. It took four and a half years, working part time, before TooT TooT was launched in August 2002. TooT TooT is 14'3" long and 7'4" wide and has participated and won many awards in events all over the northeast.

Tender 3

• Vessel Type: Workboat

• Owner: New York State Canals

• Year of Build: 1926

• Length Overall: 43'

• Beam: 10'

• Engine Type: Detroit Diesel, 220 HP
  Description: Built in 1926, Tender 3 is a classic workboat based in Waterford, NY, and serves as a crucial part of the New York State Canals fleet. This vessel, which is a sister ship to Tender 5, was the first boat the captain ever operated within the NYS Canals system. With a length of 43 feet and a beam of 10 feet, Tender 3 is primarily used in dredging operations and for yard work. The boat is powered by a robust 220 HP Detroit Diesel engine, making it well-suited for its demanding tasks. Despite its age, Tender 3 continues to be a dependable and essential vessel in maintaining the canals.

Toto

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Length Overall: 21'

• Beam: 6'

Description: Toto’s owner was on duty as a firefighter during a tornado in Massachusetts in 2011 when a tree worker brought a stranded kitten into the firehouse. Jonathan has since written a book about the Toto the Tornado Kitten and named a tug boat after her. Toto (the boat, not the kitten) is a 21’ 2014 Ranger 21EC.

Tracy’s Landing

• Vessel Type: Ranger Tug

• Length Overall: 25'

• Beam: 8.5'

Description: Tracy’s Landing is a 25’ Ranger Tug, designed for both comfort and function.

Tuggin Teeth

• Vessel Type: Mini Tug

• Primary Port: Califon, NJ

• Year of Build: 2007

• Length Overall: 29'

• Engine Type: Diesel

Description: Tuggin’ Teeth is a 29-foot long, 8-foot wide mini tug now owned by Russ O'Connell. Originally known as the Atlantic Hunter II, the 2017 Tug of the Year. The Atlantic Hunter II was built by Ben Grudinskas. After changing hands, Russ O'Connell purchased the vessel and, with the help of Ben, undertook a refurbishment to restore and enhance its distinct character.

The tug’s interior is adorned with solid wood paneling, mahogany and teak trim, and working bronze portholes, all sourced from 1960s-era wooden boats. This craftsmanship, combined with its steel fore and aft “H” bitts and quarter bitts, makes Tuggin’ Teeth both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

USCGC WIRE

• Vessel Type: Icebreaking Coast Guard Cutter

• Owner/Business: U.S. Coast Guard

• Primary Port: Saugerties, NY

• Builder: New Bern, NC

• Year of Build: 1963

• Length Overall: 65'

• Beam: 19'

• Engine Type: Caterpillar 3412 DIT, 500 HP

Description: Commissioned in 1963, USCGC WIRE has served New York for 61 years, primarily in icebreaking and Maritime Law Enforcement on the Hudson River. It remains a vital vessel in ensuring the safety and navigability of the waterways.

Xanadu

• Vessel Type: Antique Cruiser

• Primary Port: Schenectady Yacht Club

• Builder: Pacemaker

• Year of Build: 1963

• Length Overall: 39'

• Beam: 12'

• Engine Type: Gasoline, 600 HP
  Description: The Xanadu is a beautifully preserved antique cruiser built in 1963 by Pacemaker. With a wooden hull and a length of 39 feet, this vessel boasts a rich history and classic design. Rebuilt in 1984 by Everett Klein, the Xanadu has been carefully maintained to ensure it remains in excellent condition. The cruiser, which has an air draft of 14 feet and a water draft of 4 feet, is powered by a gasoline engine with 600 horsepower. Homeported at the Schenectady Yacht Club, Xanadu offers a timeless cruising experience on the water, combining vintage charm with modern reliability.

Tugboat Parade

A Tugboat Parade will kick off the start of the 2024 Tugboat Roundup. The parade starts at 3:30pm in Albany. Moving north up the Hudson River will be working tugs from New York State Marine Highway, Carver Companies, and C.D. Perry Companies, privately owned tugs like the 8th and the Shoofly Pie, as well as other vessels including the Port of Albany’s Spirit of Albany. Hand built mini tugs like the Ko-Hog and Toot Toot, and will join above the Federal Lock in Troy. This is a magnificent display of New York’s maritime industry.

Viewing locations and times are below. All times are approximate. Live updates will be shared on Facebook and Twitter (@tugboatroundup)

3:30

USS Slater

Broadway and Quay Streets

Albany, NY 12202

3:40

Jennings Landing and Riverfront Park at the Corning Preserve

1 Quay St

Albany, NY 12207

4:10

Mohawk Hudson Bikeway

Fourth Street Parking Lot

Watervliet, NY

4:30

Hudson Shores Park

Watervliet, NY

4:40

Troy Riverfront Park

River St.

Troy, NY

4:40

Dinosaur BBQ

River St.

Troy, NY

4:55

Ingalls Avenue Boat Launch

Ingalls Ave

Troy, NY

5:40

105th Street Riverfront Park

Troy, NY

5:50

112 Street Bridge, Between Cohoes and Waterford

From bridge, or small park on north side of Bridge in Lansingburgh

6:00

Peebles Island

Overhang deck behind pavilion on east side of the island

6 - 6:30

Waterford Harbor

2023 Tugboat Roundup Winners and Awardees

Bart Brake Lifetime Achievement Award – George Ward

Tug of the Year – James Turecamo, Moran Towing

Grand Marshal - Thomas Doin

Line Toss Competition

• Winner - First Place: Robert Fioretti, Carver Companies

• Second Place – Jeff Keating, Carver Companies

• Third Place - Mike Kahler, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company

• Junior Division Line Toss Winner: McKinley Kahler

People’s Choice: CMT Otter, Carver Companies

People's Choice’s runners up: John J. Harvey and Herbert P. Brake

Little Toot Award (by popular vote): Jolly Bobber

Little Toot Award runners up: Ko-Hog and G’ and Sea

Best in Show: Nathan G, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company

Best Vintage Tug: Margot, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company 

Mini Tug Push Off Winner: Ko-Hog

Tug Chug 5K Winner: Christopher Bradt

2023 Participating Vessels

John J. Harvey

The Fireboat John J. Harvey, launched in 1931 in Brooklyn, was named in honor of FDNY pilot John J. Harvey, who lost his life fighting a ship fire. This historic vessel was a pioneering fireboat, being the first powered by internal combustion engines and capable of both pumping and maneuvering simultaneously. It was the largest and fastest firefighting machine of its time, able to pump an impressive 18,000 gallons per minute, equivalent to 20 terrestrial fire trucks. The John J. Harvey played a crucial role in protecting New York Harbor for over six decades, responding to significant fires such as the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932 and the Normandie fire in 1942. Decommissioned in 1994, it was saved from the scrapyard by dedicated volunteers and transformed into an operational museum and education center. Notably, it was reactivated by the FDNY on September 11, 2001, alongside other fireboats, pumping water for 80 hours to combat the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. This heroic action inspired a book and earned it the title of 2018 Tugboat Roundup Boat of the Year. The John J. Harvey remains a symbol of maritime innovation and bravery.

Joncaire

The Joncaire is a 43 foot tugboat built in 1979. Its original was to install and remove ice booms on Lake Erie for the Niagara the Power Authority. Now she is owned and operated by the NYS Canal Corporation and works the canal system.

Lady Gabrielle

This Nordic Tug is a member of the Troy Yacht and Canoe Club, just across the river. Lady Gabrielle was purchased in Annapolis, Maryland in August of 2012. The boat left Maryland a month before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast. She’s been a regular Tugboat Roundup participant for  the last decade.

Reliant

The Reliant is a 1988 Nordic Tug. She’s 32 feet with a beam of 11 feet. She’s powered by a reliable Cummins Inboard engine. With a draft of 3 feet and 9 inches, the Reliant is designed to navigate a range of waterways with ease.

Moor-Than-E-Nuff

The Moor Than E-Nuff is Ranger tug built in 2007 by Ranger. She is well-suited to withstand the rigors of river life. With a modest air draft of 12 feet and a water draft of 2 feet and 9 inches, she's perfectly designed to navigate the Hudson. Measuring 28 feet in length and boasting a beam of 8 feet and 6 inches, the Moor than e-nuff offers ample space and stability for her maritime journeys. She is powered by a dependable Yanmar four-cylinder diesel engine, delivering 110 horsepower to propel her gracefully through the river's currents. Notably, she also features a diesel cabin heater, ensuring comfort during those colder river cruises. Since her purchase in 2007, she has called the Hudson River her home, embodying the spirit of adventure and exploration that this iconic waterway represents.

At Last

Crafted in 2000 by Nordic Tugs in Burlington, Washington, the At Last has called the Great Lakes home. Initially hailing from Sandusky, OH, under her original owner until 2016, presently, she graces the Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland. Notably, she's equipped with a distinctive Kahlenberg "tugboat whistle" and air horn, adding a touch of nostalgia and grandeur to her presence. This Nordic Tug 32, with her semi-displacement hull, is an oyster white beauty with a dark blue hull stripe and trim, exuding timeless elegance. Capable of accommodating six for drinks, four for dining, and two for restful sleep, she's a vessel that combines functionality with comfort. The At Last embodies the spirit of exploration and has spent her entire life cruising the picturesque Great Lakes. This is her first visit to the Tugboat Roundup.

Sonny

The Sonny, a splendid Ranger Tug, has been a cherished vessel for the past six years on the waters of the Hudson and Connecticut River. Crafted with precision in 2012, she showcases the enduring craftsmanship of Ranger Tug. This beauty stands at 21 feet in length, with a comfortable 8-foot beam, offering ample space for her maritime endeavors. Powered by a reliable Yanmar engine delivering 30 horsepower, the Sonny glides gracefully through the waterways. She's perfectly suited for navigating both open waters and shallower river passages. Her home port is at the Middlesex Yacht Club in CT.

Jolly Bobber

Homemade 14”6’ mini tugboat built   in 2021.

Toot-Toot

TooT TooT is a Berkley designed mini tug that was built by Mike and Louise Magnant. Mike actually built the boat around the steering wheel that Louise gave him for   Christmas way back in 1996. Before Mike could build the tug however, he promised Louise that he would build her a three season room on the side of   their house. It took four and a half years, working part time, before TooT TooT was launched in August 2002. TooT TooT is 14'3" long and 7'4" wide and has participated and won many awards in events all over the   northeast.

Ko-Hog

Mini-tug. 14’3”. Launched unfinished in 2015, still getting her finishing touches. Her home port is on Cape Cod where her owner enjoys shell fishing. Named for the hard shell clam “quahog.”

My Pal Sal

The My Pal Sal is a delightful mini-tug, a charming vessel that pays homage to the rich history of the NY canal system. Built in 2020 with a blend of wood and fiberglass, she embodies a blend of classic craftsmanship and modern materials. Measuring 14 feet in length, she may be compact, but she packs a lot of character into her design. Powered by a 20 hp outboard motor, she's both nimble and delightful.  Her name is a nod to the Erie Canal's most illustrious mule, and her vibrant paint job in NYS Canal Corp colors proudly showcases her connection to this iconic waterway. My Pal Sal won the Little Toot award in 2022, a well-deserved accolade for this beloved vessel. Her primary port in Johnstown, NY.

Atlantic Hunter IV

This 19-foot custom constructed Glen-L design wood hull boat, "Beau-Jest" model was constructed in constructed in 2001 with Southern Arkansas Yellow pine and marine plywood. All wood is encapsulated in multiple applications of West Systems Epoxy She features a double bunk with ample head room, flushing head, freshwater facilities, paneled wheel house, rear lounge with built-in seating, and a full size pass-thru window between wheel house and rear. The boat was acquired in mid-2022 and has undergone many changes from the original to bring it up to specifications of the ATLANTIC HUNTER succession of boats. She sailed on waters from Florida (her origin) to Minnesota and Massachusetts before this acquisition and has been well maintained during that 21 year period. An onboard fire in the fall 2022 required some repairs to make her TBR ready again.

This is the fourth named boat to display the ATLANTIC HUNTER name and wear the insignia of the Blue Dolphin Marine Towing and Salvage company.

Bath JR

This 25’ mini tug built 2016 is TBR regular and fan favorite.

Tracy's Landing

25’ ranger tug.

Tuggin’ Teeth

Tuggin’ Teeth was originally built as the Atlantic Hunter II by Ben Grudinskas. Her distinct features include real working bronze portholes, solid wood paneling interior adorned with mahogany and teak trim, showcasing wood reclaimed from 1960s-era wooden boats. Steel fore and aft "H" bitts and quarter bitts add to her character. Tuggin’ Teeth has not only participated in the Tugboat Roundup but has also claimed prestigious titles under her previous name; Little Toot award and the 2017 Tug of the Year. She’s been rebuilt by her current owner Russ O'Connell of Lebanon Township, NJ.

Caldwell Belle

The Caldwell Belle is a true gem of the waters, an authentic and chain-driven sternwheel paddleboat with a rich history. Originally built in Wisconsin, this remarkable vessel found her way to the Capital Region after a stint in Louisiana, thanks to the efforts of Captain Bob and Marie Foster, who operated her as a tour boat. Today, she is proudly owned and operated by Mohawk Maiden Cruises of Schuylerville, embodying the spirit of riverboat nostalgia. As one steps into her wheelhouse, a massive steering wheel commands attention, showcasing the authenticity of a stern-wheeled riverboat. Her main level is thoughtfully enclosed, providing comfort and shelter for passengers. Powered by a Ford Lehman 120 HP diesel engine, meticulously maintained, and equipped with bilge pumps for safety. The Belle serves at the stage during Tugboat Roundup.

G AN' SEA

The G AN' SEA, although diminutive in size, exudes a unique and endearing charm. She is a special vessel of the kayak origins, captained by the skilled Gina L. Freeman during the Tugboat Roundup. Her primary port of call is Waterford, N.Y. Another Ben Grudinskas masterpiece, she is both resilient and lightweight. With an air draft of just 4 feet and a water draft of a mere 6 inches, she is perfectly suited for shallow waterways and can slip through low bridges with ease. Her compact dimensions of 8 feet in length and 2 feet in beam make her an agile and efficient vessel. Powered by an electric engine, she offers eco-friendly cruising. The G AN' SEA may be tiny, but she embodies the spirit of innovation and passion for boating, making her a delightful addition to the Roundup.

Other Office

The Other Office is a versatile pleasure craft. Measuring 43 feet in length and boasting a beam of 14.5 feet, she provides ample space and stability for passengers to enjoy a variety of experiences on board. Whether it's a day of productive towing or an evening of fine dining, the Other Office is a pleasure craft that seamlessly transitions between her roles, offering a unique and memorable journey on the water.

Toto

The story of Toto is a heartwarming story that stems from the courageous actions of her owner, a firefighter, during a tornado in Massachusetts back in 2011. During that fateful day, a stranded kitten was brought to the firehouse by a tree worker, and the firefighter, Jonathan, took the little kitten under his wing. So moved by this experience, Jonathan penned a book titled "Toto the Tornado Kitten" to immortalize the incredible tale. Not stopping there, he also named his cherished tug boat after the beloved feline, creating a heartfelt connection between the two. Toto, the boat, is a 21-foot 2014 Ranger 21EC, bearing a special significance in her name. She's equipped with a 30 HP Volvo Penta 3-cylinder Diesel Inboard engine, ensuring reliable performance on the water. With factory options and thoughtful additions, Toto is equipped for both comfort and adventure. Jonathan's dedication to Toto and his heartwarming story make this vessel not just a boat but a vessel with a soul, carrying the spirit of resilience and compassion that inspired her name.

Spirit of Albany

The Spirit of Albany is owned by the Albany Port District Commission and based and operated in the Port of Albany, NY. It is primarily used for inspections of the Port District's waterfront facilities and as a work platform for wharf repairs. Prior to the Albany Port District Commission's acquisition it served the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District as the survey boat "Sentry" in New York Harbor for over thirty years. Built by Pasch Marine in 1966 the boat measures 64' LOA, and is powered by 2 12V71 Detroit Diesel engines for propulsion and a 453 Detroit Diesel engine for electrical power

Herbert P. Brake

The Herbert P. Brake, a sturdy vessel with a rich history, was meticulously handcrafted by Bart Brake in 1992 along the Champlain Canal, using recycled steel. This tug boasts a formidable Cummins diesel engine, capable of generating 800 horsepower, ensuring its reliability and power. With a length of 60 feet, a hull depth of 7 feet, and a gross tonnage of 52, the Herbert P. Brake embodies the essence of classic canal tugs while integrating modern features like its hydraulic retractable wheelhouse and twin pushing knees on the bow. For years, this venerable tug plied its trade, engaging in regular towing duties within the canal system and along the east coast under the banner of DMC Marine at the Port of Coeymans. It also enjoyed a prominent presence at the Tugboat Roundup during its early years, with Captain Brake being an enthusiastic supporter of the event and a beloved figure within the canal community. In 2014, the DonJon Marine Company acquired the Herbert P. Brake, subsequently renaming her the Rebecca Ann, ensuring that her legacy continues on a new journey in the maritime world.

The Hebert P. Brake was the 2005 Tug of the Year!

8th Sea

The 8th Sea, with a rich history dating back to its construction in 1953 at the American Electric Welding Company in Fells Point, Baltimore, Maryland, originally served the United States Army as a harbor tugboat. Harbor tugboats are distinct for their smaller size and higher width-to-length ratio, designed to navigate shallow waters with ease. In the 1970s, the 8th Sea embarked on a new chapter, finding work that truly resonated with its name. Operating along the St. Lawrence Seaway, famously known as the "8th Sea" leading to the Great Lakes, it played a pivotal role in scanning lock entrances to identify dredging needs. Collaborating with the Tug 4th Coast, it contributed significantly to the Seaway's operations. However, by the 1990s, the 8th Sea transitioned to private ownership under Bill Curry, who owned Lake Towing and Salvage in Plattsburgh, NY. Since 2000, the 8th Sea has served the purpose of summer home, cruise ship, evening gathering spot, meeting location, hide and seek base, and rescue boat. She is a staple in Waterford and Troy. Her captain spends his summers with the 8th Sea and his winters in Grand Cayman Islands.

Lucy H

The Lucy H. has a fascinating and diverse history of ownership and name changes spanning several decades. Originally built in 1980 at Eymard and Sons Shipyard in Harvey, Louisiana, with the hull number 14, she was christened as the Gary J. Eymard for the Louis Eymard Towing Company of Marrero, Louisiana. Over the years, it underwent numerous transformations, with name changes such as Christopher D., Eagle, Miss Tammy, Mr. Lane, HR Beaver, and HR Beaver. In 2013, under the ownership of the General Electric Company of Albany, New York, the tug underwent a significant overhaul, including the addition of a retractable pilothouse. In 2016, it found a new home with the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company and was finally named Lucy H. This twin-screw tug, boasting 800 horsepower and measuring 52.3 feet in length with a gross tonnage of 88, continues to navigate the waters under its latest identity from its hailing port in Troy, New York, marking the latest chapter in its storied maritime journey.

CMT Otter

The CMT Otter, with a history spanning several decades and multiple name changes, is a robust towing vessel with an interesting maritime journey. Originally built in 1980 by the Louis G. Ortis Boat Company in Krotz Springs, Louisiana, with hull number 89, she was first known as the Papa Tom and served under Mire Marine Services Incorporated of Franklin, Louisiana. Over the years, she underwent several transformations, including being renamed the Miss Bert under the ownership of Inland Marine Company in 1986 and later the Delta Ram when it was acquired by the Delta Towing Company in 2004. In 2013, under the General Electric Company's ownership, she was renamed the HR Otter and underwent a significant transformation with the addition of a retractable wheelhouse. In 2016, she became the CMT Otter under the Coeymans Marine Towing Company, which currently operates this twin-screw towboat powered by two Cummins KTA-19 diesel engines, boasting a rating of 1,200 horsepower. Measuring 62 feet in length with a gross tonnage of 85, the CMT Otter continues to navigate the waters from its hailing port in Coeymans, New York, marking the latest chapter in its maritime legacy.

Margot

The Margot, originally named the Hustler II and built in 1958 at Jakobson Shipyard Incorporated in Oyster Bay, New York, carries a rich history through her various owners and names. She began her maritime journey under the banner of the Oil Transfer Corporation of New York, New York. In 1962, the Moran Towing Company of New York acquired her, giving her the name Margot Moran. Over the years, she underwent several transitions, bearing names like Jolene Rose under the Metropolitan Petroleum Company and simply Margot when she joined the Kosnac Floating Derrick Corporation of Staten Island, New York, in 1993. In 2002, the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company became her new home, where she retained the name Margot. This single-screw tug, powered by a Fairbanks Morse OP diesel engine with a rating of 1,440 horsepower, stands as a testament to her enduring presence in the maritime world. With a length of 84.8 feet, she continues to serve from her hailing port in Troy, New York, boasting a gross tonnage of 141 and offering essential capacities for fuel, lube oil, fresh water, and potable water, ensuring her readiness for the challenges of the towing industry.

Nathan G

The Nathan G, originally christened as the Brute Force, is a storied towing vessel with a rich history spanning several decades. Constructed in 1977 by Marine Industries Incorporated in Morgan City, Louisiana, she initially bore the name Brute Force. A year later, Seabrook Towing Incorporated of Charleston, South Carolina, acquired the tug and renamed her the Hinton. In 1987, the McAllister Brothers Towing Company of New York, New York, took over Seabrook Towing, but the tug retained her name. It wasn't until 2004 that the vessel's name changed to Joan McAllister under McAllister Towing and Transportation. In 2017, she found a new home with the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company of Troy, New York, and was rechristened as the Nathan G. With her twin Detroit 12-149 diesel engines producing 1,200 horsepower and her enduring steel construction, the Nathan G continues to play a vital role in maritime transportation along the coastwise routes.

Sarah D

The Sarah D, a distinguished tugboat, has been a stalwart presence in the maritime world since her construction in 1975 by Putnam Shipbuilding of Palatka, Florida. Originally known as the Lauren S. Coppedge, she was initially commissioned by Wayland T. Coppedge Jr. of the White Stack Towing Company in Jacksonville, Florida. However, the White Stack Towing Company later decided to rename her as the Helen D. Coppedge. In 1978, the White Stack Towing Company became part of the Turecamo Coastal and Harbor Towing Corporation of New York, New York, but the tugboat retained her name. Then, in 1998, when Turecamo was acquired by the Moran Towing Corporation of New Canaan, Connecticut, the Helen D. Coppedge continued to proudly bear her name. It wasn't until 2016 that she found a new home with the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company of Troy, New York, where she was lovingly rechristened as the Sarah D. As a twin-screw tug boasting a robust 2,000 horsepower, the Sarah D stands as a testament to maritime excellence and tradition, and her legacy is further underscored by her past accolades, including being a former Best in Show winner at Tugboat Roundup. She is not just a vessel but a maritime legend in her own right.

CGC Wire

The Wire, an impressive vessel with a compelling history, was poised to claim the coveted title of Boat of the Year in 2011. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans as the 2011 tugboat Roundup was canceled due to the disruptive force of Hurricane Irene. However, her remarkable qualities could not be denied, and in 2012, the Wire rightfully earned the prestigious title of Boat of the Year. Built in 1963 by Barbour Boat Works, this 65-foot tugboat hails from Saugerties, NY, and boasts a draft of 6 feet and 6 inches. The Wire belongs to the USCG 65' small harbor tug class, a group of fifteen tugs utilized by the United States Coast Guard for various critical functions, including search and rescue, law enforcement, aids-to-navigation work, and even light icebreaking. These tugs are renowned for their icebreaking capabilities, with the ability to break through 18 inches of ice when moving forward and 21 inches when backing and ramming. Originally equipped with a single 400 horsepower diesel engine, some have since been upgraded to more powerful 500 horsepower main drive engines, ensuring their continued effectiveness and service.

J. Arnold Witte

The J. Arnold Witte, recognized as the 2022 Tug of the Year, is an impressive vessel with a bright future ahead. She was meticulously crafted in 2021 by the skilled hands at the DonJon Shipbuilding and Repair Company of Erie, Pennsylvania, bearing the distinguished hull number 145, and commissioned for the esteemed DonJon Marine Company Incorporated of Hillside, New Jersey. This triple-screw towboat, measuring 78 feet in length and 26 feet in breadth, exudes power and grace, perfectly designed by Boksa Marine Design to navigate the intricate waterways of the 524-mile NYS Canal System, New York Harbor, Hudson River, and beyond. With a draft of nine feet and a telescoping wheelhouse, she's primed for versatile cargo handling from her homeport in Port Newark, NJ. Powered by three robust Mitsubishi S6R2-Y3MPTAW diesel engines, complemented by ZF 3350 reduction gears, and turning three mighty 66-inch four-bladed stainless steel propellers, the J. Arnold Witte commands an impressive 2,400 horsepower. Her electrical needs are expertly met by two Kohler 65EOZJC generators, driven by two John Deere 4045TFM85 engines. With capacities including 29,281 gallons of fuel, 521 gallons of lube oil, 521 gallons of slop oil, 4,578 gallons of potable water, and 20,681 gallons of ballast, she's well-equipped for her maritime duties. Tug enthusiasts and maritime aficionados alike are undoubtedly captivated by her two 40-ton Nabrico DF-1-11L winches on the bow and one Nabrico DF-HC-15 capstan on the stern. As the youngest tug to be named Tug of the Year, the J. Arnold Witte's legacy is only just beginning, symbolizing the future of maritime excellence.

James Turecamo

The James Turecamo, rightfully hailed as this year's Tug of the Year, is a maritime masterpiece that has graced the waters since her construction in 1969 by Matton Shipyard about a half mile from the site of Tugboat Roundup. Originally christened for the Turecamo Harbor and Coastal Towing Corporation of New York, New York, she has remained steadfast in her name, a testament to her enduring legacy. Powered by two formidable twelve-cylinder Caterpillar 399 diesel engines and equipped with cast steel, fixed-pitch propellers driven by Wagner rotary vane pumps, this twin-screw tug is a formidable force on the seas, boasting an impressive 2,000 horsepower. Her electrical needs are met by two reliable 60kW generator sets. With a capacity of 38,833 gallons of fuel and 13,472 gallons of ballast, the James Turecamo is well-prepared for her maritime missions. Her towing prowess is exemplified by a World War II surplus Almon Johnson towing winch mounted proudly on her stern. As a maritime gem with a storied past and a promising future, the James Turecamo commands respect and admiration, rightfully earning the title of Tug of the Year for her exceptional contributions to the world of towing and maritime excellence.

Tug Talks

Don’t the 2023 Tug Talks!

The Champlain Canal at 200!

Presenter: Russ Vandervoort

Date and Time: Saturday, 9/9/2023, 10:00 AM

Description: Explore the early days of the Champlain Canal, its impact, and the stories of pioneers like John Edlict and Erastus Gay.

Presenter's Bio: Russ Vandervoort is Waterford's Historian and the 2022 Tug Parade Grand Marshal. He is a dedicated advocate and historian of the NYS canal system.

 The Rise and Fall of Russell Brothers Towing including Captains' memories of adventures and daily life on the tugs.

Presenter: Hilary Russell

Date and Time: Saturday, 9/9/2023, 2:00 PM

Description: Discover the maritime activities of the Russell family from 1844- 1962 -- their sail lighterage firm,the tugboat company, shipyards, iron works, and machine shop.

Presenter, Hilary Russell, the author of Tugboats and Shipyards: the Russells of New York Harbor, 1844-1962 will cover the family's immigrant story, technological innovations, the rise of the family business, the forces that contributed to the business' closing, and the daily lives of boatmen.

Matton Shipyard: Preservation & Adaptive Reuse Initiative

Presenter: Andy Kitzman

Date and Time: Saturday, September 9th at 5:00 PM

Presentation Title:

Description: Matton Shipyard, located a half-mile from the site of Tugboat Roundup, is a historic shipbuilding facility situated along the Hudson River. The shipyard's legacy is inextricably tied to the maritime history of the region. This year’s “tug of the year”, James Turecamo, was one of the hundreds of tugs built at Matton Shipyard over its more than 60 year history.

This presentation will explore that history, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor’s work to preserve the site, and what is next for this historic maritime and cultural treasure. Presenter's Bio: Andy Kitzman is the Assistant Director at Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and a former curator at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse. He is an Erie Canal enthusiast, historian, and expert.

Rewatering Albany

Presenter: Len Tantillo

Date and Time: Sunday, 9/10/2023 at 11:00 AM

Description: Learn about the transformative Albany Waterway project and its potential impact on Albany's historic, social, and economic connections to the Hudson River and Erie Canal.

Presenter's Bio: Len Tantillo is a licensed architect turned historical and marine painter. He has received honorary degrees and is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists. His work is internationally recognized, and he is an expert in New York State history.

2023 Tug of the Year: James Turecamo

In 1850, the latest in a long line of 13-year-old boys began a job as a “hoggee” – leading mules towing barges along the Erie Canal. His name was Michael Moran, son of a 61-year-old unemployed stonemason who had recently emigrated from Ireland with his family, settling along the Canal in upstate New York’s Herkimer County. After these humble beginnings, a few years later, Michael became a boat owner himself, beginning a career as a shipper of goods along the Erie Canal. Not long afterwards, Michael’s gaze turned south, toward New York Harbor, and a brighter future. At the age of 27, Michael rented a desk in a lower Manhattan tavern, marking the beginning of Moran Towing.

In 1899, John E. Matton opened a small shipyard on the mule-drawn era Champlain Canal in Waterford. He built and repaired wooden barges that were still being towed through the canals of New York State by animals and lately (increasingly) small, steam-powered tugboats. But in 1903 the New York State Legislature followed the instructions of then-Governor Theodore Roosevelt just a few years earlier who had declared “The present canal must be enlarged!” That year the Barge Canal Act passed, which would construct an entirely new State Canal System (the 3rd full iteration of the waterway) which would accommodate barges pushed and towed exclusively by tugboats, not animals. Knowing his business would soon be located on an abandoned waterway, Matton looked nearby for a suitable location to expand, and construct a facility which could service the new canal. He found such a place just to the south on Van Schaick Island in Cohoes. In 1916, the John E. Matton Barge Plant, later John E. Matton & Son, opened in Cohoes New York, hard by the junction of the Champlain & Erie branches of the new Barge Canal, which would open in its entirety in 1918.

In 1892, a young (8-year-old) Bartholdi Turecamo emigrated with his family from Isola Lipari – described in a 1998 Baltimore Sun article as a flyspeck island between the northern coast of Sicily and the toe of the boot of Italy. In 1900, as a 16-year-old, he embarked on a career in the construction business, which would become Turecamo Coastal and Harbor Towing Corporation, ultimately one of the largest marine towing companies on the east coast. Two sons, Bart Turecamo and Bart Turecamo, Jr., would go on to lead the firm.

These great men, their lives and legacies, would take decades to intersect and intertwine. This is the story of our Tug of the Year. It is the very context of this twin-engine workhorse with its beginnings on these waters, the James Turecamo.

If Waterford was (and is) a tugboat town, and its waterways its “Main Street”, then invariably Matton Shipyard was the anchor store of the business district. Municipal boundaries don’t mean much to boatmen; what is typically an obstacle to be got across (or a municipal boundary itself) is their workplace. As such, whether Matton Shipyard was in Waterford, Saratoga County or Cohoes, Albany County meant no difference…it was here.

And so, after over two decades of celebrating working vessels which have plied New York waters for decades, storied in their own right, each distinctive in a different way, we celebrate a tugboat which began her life in this very spot at Matton Shipyard. In so doing, we also recognize the enduring legacy of the Matton, Moran, and Turecamo families.

After a half-century of operation at the Cohoes location, and after the passing of John E. Matton’s son, Ralph, the Matton Shipyard was sold to Bart Turecamo. It was said that Turecamo appreciated the traditional methods employed by craftsmen at the shipyard, and these practices continued during his ownership, with care and quality the hallmarks of the operation. From the time Turecamo purchased the shipyard in 1966 and its closing 40 years ago in 1983, Turecamo built nine commercial tugs and four launches for the New York City Police Department. One of those tugs was the James Turecamo.

“Canallers” hold a special place in the hearts of tug fans and Tugboat Roundup attendees. The graceful lines of these low-slung behemoths harken back to an earlier time of shipbuilding, with the crest of the low, unassuming pilothouse just peeking slightly over the rest of the superstructure. Since the 1950s, though, these canallers have been equipped with telescoping pilothouses which rise up to see over a barge ahead – like a praying mantis poised for the strike – and then slink back down to earth to clear the low bridges of the Canal. A whole generation of similar tugs built for New York’s canals and contiguous waterways have had one thing in common in addition to this general appearance: a single wheel.

While single-screw boats may not offer the same level of maneuverability as their twin-screw counterparts, the canal presented a unique challenge where this disadvantage became less significant compared to the risk of propellers getting entangled with the armored banks, especially in tight bends. The advantage of having only a single, centrally positioned wheel was that it inherently maintained a greater distance from the canal's banks at all times, a crucial consideration for canallers, making them exclusively designed as single-screw boats.

In 1969, a brand-new boat slid down the ways at the Turecamo-run Matton Shipyard. She was a canaller. Built to Turecamo’s exacting specifications, by Matton’s skilled craftsmen, appropriately festooned and adorned in the trademark “woodgrain” paint scheme for which Turecamo boats were known – she was the quintessential canaller through and through in every respect save one…the James Turecamo had two wheels.

This twin-screw canaller went right to work on New York’s waters and became a ubiquitous sight in New York Harbor, but not terribly much on the Canal System. As a twin-screw boat she was ideal for many jobs but the narrow canal wasn’t one of them. Still, as one of the last canallers built at the Cohoes yard, she bridged the gap between a generation of traditional canallers and the larger, ocean-going tugs which would be built over the next nearly decade and a half, slipping through the outstretched and raised arms of the 112th Street lift bridge enroute to deeper waters and higher bridges.

Today, Capt. Bill Powers continues a family legacy of service aboard the James. His father, legendary Capt. Bill "Salty" Powers served on the boat when she was first launched in 1966, continuing a career he began in 1937. In 1978, Salty Powers broke in a new mate on board: his son. Aboard the James, Capt. Powers recently reminisced about his father's legacy and his own career, long and distinguished in its own right. "I'm grateful for the career I've had, from working with my dad aboard the James, to making captain in 1979, to being back aboard the James doing what I love all these years later," Capt. Powers said. "Running boats from Norfolk, Virginia to Bangor, Maine and everywhere in between over the last 45 years - including working as captain of the James in New York Harbor from 1988 to 2002 and again today - I've had a career I once could only dream of."

In 1998, as the James Turecamo continued to push, pull, prod and cajole barges and ships of all shapes and sizes, the company Michael Moran had envisioned along the towpaths of the Erie Canal, and formed in a New York City barroom, was thriving. The Moran Towing Corporation had become not just one of the largest marine towing companies on the east coast, or even in the country, but globally. That year, they grew just a little bit larger, with the acquisition of the Turecamo Coastal and Harbor Towing Corporation and (by extension) the venerable James Turecamo.

Like the Matton family, the Morans had moved from Mules to Tugboats, and had built a legacy which endures today. The addition of the Turecamo fleet grew the business and the company’s overall capabilities but also, importantly, reconnected these stories of immigration, family, enterprise, and success.

This year, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the closing of Matton Shipyard under Turecamo ownership, we also celebrate the rich tradition of boat building and tugboating that is the very foundation of this annual event. And pay tribute to these three amazing families whose stories have woven together over a century and a half to bring the James Turecamo home to her birthplace.

JAMES TURECAMO

USCG Doc. No.: 523580

Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL

Year Built: 1969

Ship Builder: MATTON SHIPYARD COMPANY

Hull Number: 338

Length: 92.4 feet

Hull Depth: 12 feet

Hull Breadth: 27 feet

Gross Tonnage: 225

Net Tonnage: 153

PDF Version here.

Tug Tunes!

Tugboat Roundup features live music all weekend! Checkout the lineup below.

George Ward with Joy Bennett and Chris Koldewey.

Friday, 4:00PM at the Hurst Harbor Visitor Center

George is a canaler of the finest sort. He’s been bringing canal folk music alive at the Tugboat Roundup for over two decades. This year his is joined by Joy Bennett and Chris Koldewey. Joy is a member of the Johnson Girls, an internationally known and well-travelled women’s sea chantey group and Executive Director of Old Songs Inc. Her husband Chris was for years part of the chantey program at Mystic Seaport. He's currently doing educational / musical programs on the Wavertree at South Street Seaport and has crewed on square riggers.

Flood Road aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Friday, 6:00 PM to 8:30PM

Flood Road featuring J Peter Yakel (guitar/vocals), Bruce Barker (guitar), and Chris Schultz (banjo,) plays American roots music; folkgrass, mixing self-penned compositions with alternative versions of classic rock, bluegrass and folk songs.

Flood Road was a longtime regular band at Tugboat Roundup and we are thrilled to have them back this year.

Brian Kane aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Saturday, 11:00AM to 2:00PM

Brian Kane is known for his soulful performances and captivating stage presence. Whether he's playing solo or jamming with his band (Brian Kane and the Beginnings) Brian's performances are always a crowd-pleaser.

This summer, Brian has a residency at the SPAC VIP lounge performing at legendary shows including Dead & Company, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Live music with Troy Samba by the Shoofly Pie, just east of the Peebles Island Bridge,

Saturday, 1:00 PM

Troy Samba is a percussion performance group based in Troy, NY playing Brazilian batería style music in the Capital Region and beyond. https://www.troysamba.com/

Live Music with Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Saturday, 6:00 PM

Captain Squeeze (Greg Speck) started Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers in 1995 and had their first gig was at a Mardi Gras party in February, 1996. They’ve been delighting crowds since with their Louisiana bayou party music seasoned with zydeco, funk, reggae, rock and blues all mixed in with audience jamming and dancing. Since relocating to New Orleans, Greg reunites the band for short tours around New England. We are thrilled to have CSZM back and Tugboat Roundup this year.

Shannon Tehya and the Troupe aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Sunday, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Shannon and her band (Hunter Frost, Neil Goes, and Jade Minor) play original music and well-loved classics of multiple genres.

This talented band has been winning over audiences with their live performances. Their genuine connection with the crowd has contributed to their rapid rise in popularity throughout the region.

Shannon has already made her mark with an impressive music video and her verified artist status on Spotify.

And the winners are...

Bart & Betsy Brake Lifetime Achievement Award - Gina and Chris Freeman

Boat of the Year - J. Arnold Witte, Donjon Marine

Tug parade Grand Marshal: Russ VanDervoort, Waterford Canal and Towpath Society

Line Toss Competition
Winner - First Place: Dwayne Hart, Donjon Marine
Second Place - Josh Riddick, Donjon Marine
Third Place - Chris Southard, Coeyman’s Marine Towing

People’s Choice: Sarah D,

Little Toot (By public vote): My Pal Sal

Best in Show: Nathan G, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company

Best Vintage Tug: W.O. Decker, South Street Seaport

Live music at the Tugboat Roundup

The Tugboat Roundup features live music all weekend.

Live music with George Ward with Joy Bennett and Chris Koldewey.

Friday, 4:00PM at the Hurst Harbor Visitor Center

George is a canaler of the finest sort. He’s been bringing canal folk music alive at the Tugboat Roundup for over two decades. This year his is joined by Joy Bennett and Chris Koldewey. Joy is a member of the Johnson Girls, an internationally known and well-travelled women’s sea chantey group and Executive Director of Old Songs Inc. Her husband Chris was for years part of the chantey program at Mystic Seaport. He's currently doing educational / musical programs on the Wavertree at South Street Seaport and has crewed on square riggers.

Live music Tres Amigos with aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Friday, 6:00 PM to 8:30PM

Tres Amigos (formerly Dos Amigos) features local legend Todd Hanhurst (The Refrigerators, Burners U.K.) on percussion and vocals accompanied by area veteran Drew Costa (Soul Session, Groove Syndicate) on keys and vocals. A little band with a big sound! More here: https://radioradiox.com/2019/02/03/uncovered-dos-amigos/

Live music with Judy Blu aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Saturday, 11:00AM to 3:00PM

Live music with Judy Blu. Judy Blu is a duo made up of Katy Dwyer and Maggie Doherty. Both Katy and Maggie play throughout the capital district, especially in Saratoga. Learn more about Maggie here: https://www.maggiedoherty.com/

Live music with Troy Samba at Lock E2 Park

Saturday, 1:00 PM

Troy Samba is a percussion performance group based in Troy, NY playing Brazilian batería style music in the Capital Region and beyond. https://www.troysamba.com/

Live Music with River Junction aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Saturday, 5:30 PM

River Junction is Waterford based band playing classic party rock that goes a bit deeper into the catalogs of the artist they cover. They can be thought of as a "B side" cover band that enjoys 70's one hit wonders while sometimes morphing into a jam band that goes psychedelic.

https://www.facebook.com/River-Junction-556889064400726/

Live music with Tom Harding aboard the Caldwell Belle in front of the Hurst Harbor Center

Sunday, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Tom Harding is a solo artist with the energy and sound of three. He plays crowd favorites new and old while engaging the audience and putting on a delightful fun performance.

Tugboat Trolley

Tugboat Roundup features a tugboat trolley! Follow the signs to our satellite parking lot and take the trolley to either festival drop off point; Lock 2 or the Hurst Harbor Center. Take a break from the festivities and take the trolley over to Corcoran’s Towpath Tavern and back again! The trolley will stop at each location about every 20 minutes from 10AM to 9:45PM on Saturday, and 10AM to 2PM on Sunday.

NOTE: The trolley will not stop at the Visitor Center after 7:30PM on Saturday night.

Stops are:

o    Town garage parking lot by Garrett Field (Address for GPS is 59 Burton Ave. Waterford, NY 12188)

o    Lock 2 Access Road (5th St & Broad)

o    Harbor Center parking lot on 2nd St, by the Peebles Island Bridge

o    Corcoran’s Towpath Tavern, 31 Saratoga Ave, Waterford, NY 12188

And the Tug of the Year is.....

 The J. Arnold Witte!

Historic tugs dominate the list of past Tug of the Year honorees. This year is a little different. The J. Arnold Witte was built in 2020 and will hold this year’s Tug of the Year title. The 78-by-26-foot, 2,400 horsepower tugboat is the newest tug in Donjon Marine’s fleet. 

The J. Arnold Witte was designed by Boksa Marine Design (BMD), a Florida based naval architecture and marine design firm. The triple-screw boat's dimensions, telescoping wheelhouse, and nine-foot-draft are all reflective of what BMD and Donjon Marie see as continuing - and renewing - opportunities to move cargo through the nearly two-centuries-old, 524-mile New York State Canal System and connected waterways such as the Hudson River, New York Harbor, and the Great Lakes.

The 2022 Tugboat Roundup won’t be the J. Arnold Witte’s first pass through Waterford. Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair (DSR) built the vessel at its Erie, PA facility and transited the Canal eastbound in 2021, passing through the Port of Waterford, enroute her homeport of Newark, N.J. 

Check her out in person at the Roundup and to learn more, come to the Tug Talk at 4:30PM on saturday, presented by Bill Sullivan of Donjon Marine, “J. Arnold Witte: A New Tugboat for a Storied Waterway”

Full schedule of Tug Talks and descriptions at https://www.tugboatroundup.com/.../2022/8/3/2022-tug-talks

2022 TBR Lineup

While things are always subject to change, we present to you the 2022 Tugboat Roundup Lineup

J. Arnold Witte

Tug of the Year! Built in 2020, this Donjon 2,400 horsepower, 78-by-26-foot tugboat J. is a triple-screw boat with a telescoping wheelhouse and nine-foot-draft.

8th Sea

Built for the U.S. Army as a harbor tug. Worked in the 70s on the St. Lawrence Seaway (leading to the Great Lakes, a.k.a the 8th Sea). Bought at auction in the 90s by her current owner, then proprietor of Lake Towing and Salvage in Plattsburgh, NY. More here

 Ben Elliot

The Benjamin Elliot was originally name the El-Jean when she was built in 1960, by the Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding Company for the Monahan Towing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

The Troy Town Dock acquired the El-Jean in 1962 and renamed her the Benjamin Elliot. In 2007, the tug was acquired by New York State Marine Highway.

At 640 hp, powered by two, Detroit Diesel 6-110 diesel engines, the Ben is the smallest tug in the NYS Highway Marine fleet.  More here.

 Edna A

Built in 1980. Acquired by the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company in 2016. Powered by two, GM 12V71 diesel engines. with MG-514 reduction gears, at a ratio of 6:1. Turning two, 60(in) by 48(in), stainless steel, fixed pitch, propellers. She is a twin screw towboat, rated at 900 horsepower.

 Margot

This Oyster Bay, Long Island built "super canaller" was acquired in 2002 by NYS Marine Highway Transportation Co. Since then, she has become ubiquitous on the waters of the Canal.

Sarah D.

Built in 1975, acquired in 2016 by New York State Marine Highway. She is twin screw tug, rated at 2,000 horsepower.

Shoofly Pie

Tugboat Shoofly Pie was designed to be a Distribution Box (L Type) Boat for the US Army, meant to work on harbor mines in the early years of WWII. She laid submarine detection cables in Maine, then spent the rest of the war working as a tugboat. After the war she continued as a tug in Texas, spent a few years working as a fireboat, then as a tug again in the Caribbean and on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Her current home port is Brooklyn.

CMT Otter

One of nine tugs owned and operated by Coeymans Marine Towing, a division of Carver Companies. 62’x24’, draft 7’6”, 1200 hp, twin screw.

Alyssa Brook

Alyssa Brook is a transportable pusher style Tug. Designed and built for pushing Crane Barges or material barges, she weights in at 45000 lbs. This tug can be taken apart and moved on a low bed trailer to almost any destination. With the assist of a mobile crane C.D. Perry can address work that is needed on waterways with almost no access. A very shallow draft of 4' allows very good mobility. The Alyssa Brook spends most of her days working on the Hudson and Mohawk rivers locally.

W. O. Decker

The last surviving New York-built, wooden tugboat W.O. Decker was built in Long Island City, Queens, in 1930 by the Newtown Creek Towing Company. Originally named Russell I, after the towing company’s owners, she was renamed W.O. Decker in 1946 after being sold to the Decker family’s Staten Island tugboat firm.  The tugboat was donated to the Seaport Museum in 1986. W.O. Decker is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an exemplary model of the types of steam tugs that were once an abundant sight in New York Harbor. This unique vessel is a true testament to New York City’s maritime heritage, which is a direct factor in the city’s global prominence today.

Spirit of Albany

Operated in the Port of Albany, NY, primarily used for inspections of the Port District's waterfront facilities and as a work platform for wharf repairs. Prior to the Albany Port District Commission's acquisition it served the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District as the survey boat "Sentry" in New York Harbor for over thirty years. Built by Pasch Marine in 1966 the boat measures 64' LOA, and is powered by 2 12V71 Detroit Diesel engines for propulsion and a 453 Detroit Diesel engine for electrical power.

Mame Faye

The Mame Faye was built in-house by New York State Marine Highway and includes an upper station that provides enhanced visibility over high tows. She is single screw tug and features flanking rudders for exceptional backing control and a closed cooling system for operation in ice or turbid water.

Hawser

The USCS Hawser is a 65' harbor tug. She is one of fifteen tugs used by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, aids-to-navigation work and light icebreaking. The Hawser is capable of breaking 18 in of ice with propulsion ahead and 21 in of ice backing and ramming.

Joncaire

Joncaire is a 43' tugboat built in 1979 used by NYPA to assist in installing and removing an ice boom on Lake Erie. NYPA commissioned a new tug, the Joncaire II, designed to fit the barge used for the job, making the Joncaire available for other uses in 2019 when she began her service on the canal. Her first task was to bring down a brand new hopper scout from the Niagara River all the way down to Lyons New York.

Atlantic Hunter IV

This 19 foot custom constructed Glen-L design wood hull boat, "Beau-Jest" model was constructed in constructed in 2001 with Southern Arkansas Yellow pine and marine plywood. All wood is encapsulated in multiple applications of West Systems Epoxy She features a double bunk with ample head room, flushing head, freshwater facilities, paneled wheel house, rear lounge with built-in seating, and a full size pass-thru window between wheel house and rear. The boat was acquired in mid-2022 and has undergone many changes from the original to bring it up to specifications of the ATLANTIC HUNTER succession of boats. She sailed on waters from Florida ( her origin) to Minnesota and Massachusetts before this acquisition and has been well maintained during that 21 year period. This will be the fourth named boat to display the ATLANTIC HUNTER name and wear the insignia of the Blue Dolphin Marine Towing and Salvage company.

Bath Jr

Mini tug built 2016. 25’

Caprice

40-foot, retro-styled Pilgrim tug designed by British yacht designer and builder Ted Gozzard. Built in 85. One of fewer than 50 such builds.

Jolly Bobber

Homemade 14”6’ mini tugboat built in 2021.

Knot at Work

Houseboat. She has two berths, head, galley, flybridge and can sleep 6 comfortably. She travels the Champlain and Erie Canals and moors at Lock 1 Marina.

KO~HOG

Mini-tug. 14’3”. Launched unfinished in 2015, still getting her finishing touches. Her home port is on Cape Cod where her owner enjoys shell fishing. Named for the hard shell clam “quahog.”

Lady Gabrielle

This Nordic Tug is a member of the Troy Yacht and Canoe Club, just across the river. Lady Gabrielle was purchased in Annapolis, Maryland in August of 2012. The boat left Maryland a month before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast.

Little Giant

Mini-tug built in the style of 1930’s railroad tug. This 29’ tug has been the only mini-tug to hold the title of Tug of the Year (2017). She’s since been renamed and refurbished by her current owner.

My Pal Sal

Mini-tug built in 2020. A nod to the NY canal system, named after the Erie Canal’s must illustrious mule and painted in NYS Canal Corp colors.

Reliant

1988 Nordic Tug

TooT TooT

TooT TooT is a Berkley designed mini tug that was built by Mike and Louise Magnant. Mike actually built the boat around the steering wheel that Louise gave him for Christmas way back in 1996. Before Mike could build the tug however, he promised Louise that he would build her a three season room on the side of their house. It took four and a half years, working part time, before TooT TooT was launched in August 2002. TooT TooT is 14'3" long and 7'4" wide and has participated and won many awards in events all over the northeast.

Toto

Toto’s owner was on duty as a firefighter during a tornado in Massachusetts in 2011 when a tree worker brought a stranded kitten into the firehouse. Jonathan has since written a book about the Toto the Tornado Kitten and named a tug boat after her. Toto (the boat, not the kitten) is a 21’ 2014 Ranger 21EC.

Wahoo

1992 home built fishing trawler

2022 Tug Talks

The 2022 Tugboat Roundup will feature four tug talks and the Mariners’ Roundtable. All Tug Talks take place inside, upstairs, in the Hurst Harbor Center. The full schedule is below.

Boomland: 140+ years of commercial vessels on NYS Canals

Saturday, 9/10/22, 10 AM

Speaker: Will Van Dorp

Using vintage photos from the New York Canal Society archives, Will’s lecture will portray a time when tugboats & barges were ubiquitous on New York’s inland waterways, particularly on the Barge Canal, which opened as the Erie Canal’s third iteration in 1918.  His talk will examine the different types of cargo vessels that passed through Waterford and other Barge Canal towns during a time the canal was primarily a commercial waterway.

Will Van Dorp is an independent writer/photographer based in NYC.  He grew up near the Barge Canal in Wayne County NY.  His stories/photos have appeared in Professional Mariner, Pacific Maritime, The New York Times, and other publications. Since 2006, he has documented/photographed tug/ship traffic in NYC and elsewhere on the maritime blog at this URL: https://tugster.wordpress.com. He has posted over 5300 times, with tens of thousands of photos, which have been seen/read more than 2.9 million times. He taught English in US, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, and Congo, where he first rode on a tugboat four days and four nights non-stop up the Congo River to get to his first professional job. He was director/writer for the documentary "Graves of Arthur Kill," a study of a marine scrapyard in the Arthur Kill between Staten Island and Carteret NJ. From 2016 until 2019, he was onboard lecturer on Blount Small Ship Cruises vessels Grande Mariner and Grand Caribe, the only overnight passenger vessels using the NYS Canals between New York City and the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence River. And most important of all, he worked as deckhand on Urger in the 2014 navigation season.

The Seneca Lake Deep-Water Survey: A Project to Discover Forgotten Canal History

Saturday, 9/10/2022, 11:30 AM

Speaker: Art Cohn

Through underwater exploration, the Seneca Lake Deep-Water Survey aims to preserve the history of New York’s Canals by using state-of-the-art equipment to capture never before seen images of intact Canal shipwrecks from the early 19th century discovered in the deepest parts of the lake. Art Cohn, the project’s principal investigator and scholar, will present on his team’s incredible findings over just two years of survey work, including the identification of the only known intact “Clinton’s Ditch” era packet boat on the bottom of Seneca Lake. The project is a collaboration between the New York Power Authority, NYS Canal Corporation, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Museum, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Middlebury College, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, and the Finger Lakes Boating Museum.

Art Cohn, an underwater archaeologist, professional diver, historian, educator and advocate, is co-founder and former director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and Research Institute. Cohn has coordinated and participated in Lake Champlain’s archaeological projects for the past thirty years. Cohn has a B.A. in sociology from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH, and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. In 2000 and 2001 Cohn was a Member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization’s convention for the protection of underwater cultural heritage. Cohn is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology at both the University of Vermont and Texas A&M University, as well as a member of the Ferrisburgh Volunteer Fire Department, a chaplain and a tugboat captain.

I Was There and Survived: Free Time with Wunder

Saturday, 9/10/2022, 1 PM

Speaker: Captain Steven R. Wunder

Capt. Wunder will take attendees of this talk on a voyage of discovery through the people, vessels, places and stories that mark his long and storied career on New York’s Canal System.  Some material may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Captain Steve Wunder is a lifelong canal and tugboat enthusiast. He is a 32-year veteran of the NYS Canal Corp and long-time captain of the Tug Urger. Captain Wunder was integral to the development of the Urger’s educational program brought the story of the Erie Canal and to thousands of people all along New York’s waterways.

Mariner’s Roundtable

Saturday, 9/10/2022, 2:30 PM

Professional mariners, retired and working, gather to swap stories, tell tales, and take questions.

J. Arnold Witte: A New Tugboat for a Storied Waterway

 Saturday, 9/10/2022, 4:30 PM

Speaker: Bill Sullivan

Bill Sullivan will discuss the design and construction of Donjon’s newest build and the 2022 boat of the year: J. Arnold Witte.  He will discuss why Donjon chose to invest in a vessel capable of transiting the dimensions of the NYS Canal System at a time when commercial utilization is thought by some to be diminishing, but is really seeing a resurgence.

Bill Sullivan, Manager of Regulatory Compliance and Vessel Repair at Donjon Marine. Donjon Marine was founded in 1964 by J. Arnold Witte as a marine salvage and transportation company. Today Donjon operates the largest shipyard of its kind on the Great Lakes and has dredging, recycling, heavy lift marine operations spanning the globe.

And the winners are...

Bart Brake Lifetime Achievement Award - Sharon Leighton

Boat of the Year - Day Peckinpaugh

Line Toss Competition
Winner - First Place: Tyler Wofford, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company
Second Place - Shaun McMahon, NYS Canal Corporation
Third Place - Mike Fitzgerald, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company

People’s Choice: Shoofly Pie

People's Choice Runner Up: Wahoo

Best in Show: Sarah D, New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company

Best Vintage Tug: Tender 3, NYS Canal Corporation

Rookie of the Year: Mystic Queen

The Tugboat Roundup was also recognized this year! The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway won a 2021 Byway Community Award for the Waterford Tugboat Roundup from the National Scenic Byways Program. The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway’s Eric Hamilton presented the Town of Waterford and the Roundup Committee with some kind words and a lovely award.

Tugboat Parade

A Tugboat Parade will kick off the start of the 2021 Tugboat Roundup. The parade starts at 3:30pm in Albany. Moving north up the Hudson River will be working tugs from New York State Marine Highway, Carver Companies, and C.D. Perry Companies, privately owned tugs like the 8th and the Shoofly, as well as other vessels including the Port of Albany’s Spirit of Albany. Hand built mini tugs like the Ko-Hog and Toot Toot, and will join above the Federal Lock in Troy. Fire companies from along the Hudson will escort the parade in the water and provide water curtains from the shore. This is a magnificent display of New York’s maritime industry.

Viewing locations and times are below. All times are approximate. Live updates will be shared on Facebook and Twitter (@tugboatroundup)

3:30
USS Slater
Broadway and Quay Streets
Albany, NY 12202

3:40
Jennings Landing and Riverfront Park at the Corning Preserve
1 Quay St
Albany, NY 12207

4:10
Mohawk Hudson Bikeway
Fourth Street Parking Lot
Watervliet, NY

4:30
Hudson Shores Park
Watervliet, NY

4:40
Troy Riverfront Park
River St.
Troy, NY

4:40
Dinosaur BBQ
River St.
Troy, NY

4:55
Ingalls Avenue Boat Launch
Ingalls Ave
Troy, NY

5:40
105th Street Riverfront Park
Troy, NY

5:50
112 Street Bridge, Between Cohoes and Waterford
From bridge, or small park on north side of Bridge in Lansingburgh

6:00
Peebles Island
Overhang deck behind pavilion on east side of the island

6 - 6:30
Waterford Harbor

2021 Tug Talks

NYS Marine Tugs at Work

Saturday, September 11th, 2021

10:00 AM

Presented by Captain Rob Goldman. Captain Goldman is the principal owner of New York State Marine Highway Transportation LLC. Born in Philadelphia, attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and currently resides in Troy NY.

Captain Goldman along with his partners Michelle Hayes and Tim Dufel started NYS Marine in 1991 with one tug.

Capt Goldman’s primary focus is business development. During his tenure at NYS Marine the fleet has grown to include 9 Tugboats ranging from 265 hp to 2500 hp. Four of which have elevating wheelhouses facilitating travel on the entire NYS Canal System.

NYS Marine services include transportation of; oversized/overweight project cargo; bulk aggregates into the NY/NJ and CT metropolitan markets in support of concrete and asphalt paving production; ship assist and contractor support.

NYS Marine typically transports over one million short tons of bulk aggregates per annum and is strategically poised to step up services in support of future anticipated infrastructure projects.

Finding a Future for the Day Peckinpaugh by Looking at its Past

Saturday, September 11th, 2021

2:00 PM

Presented by Craig Williams. Williams retired in 2014 as  senior historian at the New York State Museum in Albany, after more than thirty years of service.  At the Museum, he helped lead efforts to document and preserve artifacts from the Willard Psychiatric Center, resulting in the much-acclaimed 2004 exhibition "Lost Cases, Recovered Lives - Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic".  He coordinated the Museum's curatorial team at the World Trade Center site after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The largest historic artifact that he ever collected was the 1921 canal motorship, the "Day Peckinpaugh".  This nearly three-hundred-foot-long vessel was headed in 2005 for a scrapyard near Erie, Pennsylvania. The "Peckinpaugh" was converted to a mobile exhibition gallery for 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, traveling between Plattsburgh and New York City.

From 1978 to 1983 he was the director of the DeWitt Historical Society of Tompkins County, now The History Center in Tompkins County.  He was the curator at the Erie Canal Museum from 1976 through 1977.

Williams will provide an illustrated presentation on the history of this historic 1921 canal motorship and how it can still serve to preserve the legacy and appreciation of New York's Erie Canal.

Sunday, September 12th, 2021

11:00 AM

Presented by Duncan Hay, historian of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor