# Oldest working tug at this time?



## chain shot (Jul 3, 2010)

(Thumb) AT least according to a magazine I recently read , the oldest working tug is a 760HP, 64' x 19'8", single screw tug built in 1895 and still working on the great lakes . She is Canadian. If this is true, its freaking amazing ?


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## goelette (Sep 20, 2009)

Unfortunately that tug (the Argue Martin) was scrapped about 2002. But there are lots of old ships and tugs on the Great Lakes, both US and Canadian, that are ninety years old or more.
Fresh water and an eight to nine month navigation season (most ships don't operate in winter due to ice) do wonders for the life of an iron or steel hull.
Also as inland vessels, the inspectors go easier on them than if they were expected to put to sea.


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett (Mar 13, 2007)

Years ago, 1979 I think, I asked Pieter Doesksen how old their tug "Stortemelk" was, since she was described as "rebuilt 1956" in Doesksens brochure. After a bit of coughing and spluttering he confessed that she was from 1911 (but with a wrought iron hull, you understand...)

Alas, she is now rebars. But a pretty good innings!


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## Blackal (Jan 29, 2008)

The Norwegian tug 'Lars' dates back to 1893.

Still owned by Buksér og. Berging I believe.

Al


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## gudrun (Jun 12, 2010)

In Norway Ruggen from 1874 must be one of the oldest still in use? http://www.tugboatlars.se/Mellos.htm


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## Old Se Dog (May 21, 2015)

*Tugs in South Africa*

We have no less then three preserved tugs in South Africa - JR More and Ulundi - both in Durban - and the Alwyn Vincent - which is now in Villiersdorp after spending years in Cape Town


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Auckland Harbour has the twin screw, coal fired steam tug William C Daldy still in an active role as an excursion vessel that take people on the Harbour daily .
She was built on the Clyde in 1934 for the AHB.

Bob


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## harry t. (Oct 25, 2008)

*SS Tug "Coya"on Lake Titicaca, Peru*

William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton on the River Clyde, Scotland built Coya in 1892 in "knock down" form; that is, they assembled her with bolts and nuts at the shipyard, dismantled her into thousands of parts small enough to transport, shipped the parts to Lake Titicaca where she was reassembled with rivets and launched in 1893.
In 1975 the Peruvian Corporation was nationalised and Coya's ownership passed to the state railway company ENAFER. In 1984 Coya was grounded by flooding of the lake that then receded and left her beached on dry land. In 2001 she was rescued, restored and refloated as a restaurant.


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## Old Se Dog (May 21, 2015)

*south african tugs*

Further to my posting on the three tugs that i posted - i forgot to mention - that none of them are working tugs - the jr more and ulundi are at the port natal maritime museum - ( together with the sas durban ) and the alwyn vincent is 100 km inland from capetown being restored - for interest we have a cable ship - cable restorer and the sas somerset in cape town as well


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

Although not working but active and doing passenger trips, the oldest surviving steam tug in the world is the "Mayflower" in Bristol. Built in Bristol in 1861.


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