The Travels of Tug 44


Waterford Tugboat Roundup 2012
Waterford, NY



The Waterford Tugboat Roundup 2012 was another terrific show. Seeing old friends again was great and we had the usual crazy stuff and cannonfire and screams in the night. Some very fine new entries and the return of some regular ones. And Saturday night we even had a wedding of two friends in the engine room of Grand Erie! No floods this time, but we did have a windstorm Saturday that shredded some of the vendors' tents. But it wouldn't be the Roundup if nothing exciting happened!



Everybody's perrenial favorite the 111 year old flagship of the Canal Corp, Tug Urger.



Tug Frances (formerly Frances Turecamo) was recently acquired by NYS Marine Highway Corp, and is in process of restoration to a working boat. At this time she is not yet self-propelled but her engine does run. Seen here she is being pushed by her sister-ship Tug Benjamin Elliott. This year the Frances took the vote for Best In Show.



Tug Cornell waits on the Troy wall. Her captain is Matt Pericone.



Heavy-duty Tug Gowanus Bay was piloted this year by friend Capt. Tim Ivory, and Capt. Jessica Dulong was also aboard.



Tug Grand Erie is Canal Corps' biggest pusher, and was used as a floating stage for various bands & performers.



Tug 8th Sea with Capt. Bill Curry at the helm enters the Federal Lock at Troy and then provides still yet another example of fine seamanship as she gets completely sideways in the lock.



Tug Buffalo, owned by the Village of Waterford, is manned by her large crew of volunteers who helped restore her.



Tour Boat Evening Star, formerly known as Erie Canal Boat, later provided boat rides for visitors. She was originally built as a buoy tender.



U.S. Coast Guard Tug Wire was this year's Boat of The Year, and her photo appears on the t-shirts, etc.



A new entry, Tug Wendy B.



Another new entry, this is only her 2nd time in the water, is Stuart Pate's mini push tug Dragonfly.



Pleasure boat, Tug Oasis.



Converted fishing tug, the Tug Betty June.



Crewboat Spirit of Albany, formerly known as the Frank Dunham.



A nice looking Nordic Tug 32', this is Bill Johnson's Tug Anny W.



One of the most "to scale" replica tugs ever, the mini Tug Atlantic Hunter.



The cutest boat in the show, the mini Tug Toot Toot. She has a big windup key on her other side which rotates as she moves.



Here's something you don't see everyday. This is the ship Onrust, a replica of Dutch sailing merchant ships in the 1600's. The venerable Tug Chancellor is tied up to her right.



The usual mass of heavy iron boats trying hard to crush my Tug 44 in the Federal Lock at Troy during the Tugboat Parade Friday afternoon. Photo taken from my Tug 44's roof.



As the Parade comes into the Waterford piers, Tug 44 is tied up to a barge across from the pier for the best photos. Our crew left to right, Will Van Dorp (Tugster website), Brian Gauvin (Professional Mariner Magazine), Elizabeth Wood, Fred Wehner (me), Betsy Haggerty (B.H. Marine Media), and Capt. Jack Wright (retired former Capt of the Urger). The flag is being held up by the crane barge provided by NYS Marine Highway Corp. Photo by Howard Ohlhous.



Saturday afternoon, the fireworks barge is being readied. A windstorm delayed the show til Sunday.



In the middle of all that, we had a wedding, in the engine room of the Grand Erie. On the left, our friends Gina & Chris just tied the knot. Gotta love the wedding attire, those matching "I Require A Tug" t-shirts were perfect. On the right, the next day, Gina accepts the "Tying The Knot" award from Tom Beardsley, the Roundup's manager. Photo by Stuart Pate.



Sunset over Waterford Harbor Saturday evening.



And then the fireworks over the Waterford Harbor and the tugs! This photo by Brian Gauvin of Professional Mariner Magazine.



The fireworks show went on Sunday evening and was a stunner as always. Here's a 2 minute clip. View this on full screen with your volume cranked up!



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