Local company to lead tugboat festival
WATERFORD >> A Troy towing company has had one of its flagship tugboats selected as Tugboat of the Year for the upcoming Waterford Tugboat Roundup.
The honor is awarded each year by the event’s planning committee to celebrate a boat’s contribution to history and the ongoing success of inland waterway transportation.
The tug Frances, built in 1957 and now owned and operated by New York State Marine Highway, will lead the parade of tugs opening the 17th annual event on Friday. The three-day festival takes place along the waterfront every year at the junction of the Hudson River and the Erie Canal, attracting tugs from the East Coast, the Great Lakes, up and down the Hudson River and along the state canal system.
Over the years, the roundup has become recognized by the tug industry and draws fans from around the country, as well as attention from the trade press around the world.
New York State Marine Highway, a private company, counts nine boats in its fleet, including flagship boats the Frances and the Margot. The company also recently acquired three of the larger tugs used in dredging operations on the Champlain Canal.
The Frances is used along the Hudson River, East Coast and Great Lakes, as well as the state canal system. The company is one of a handful operating on the canal and expects to carry more cargo on the canal system this year than has been carried by all companies in any one year since the 1980s.
The Frances weighs 146 tons and is 90 feet long. Built in 1957 by Jakobson Shipyards of New York City, it is a “Canaller” type of tug, with a wheelhouse capable of rising and lowering, going up to see over the length of barges being pushed but then going down to duck beneath the lower bridges on the canal system.
The Waterford Tugboat Roundup is a sponsor-supported event produced annually by the town of Waterford. The regional festival draws 30 to 40 boats each year, along with 100 or more vendors with arts, crafts, local foods, historical exhibits and displays and features a large fireworks show Saturday night.
Local sponsors this year include Stewart’s Shops, Maximum Security Products, Brookfield Power, the state Canal Corp. and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Industry sponsors include Professional Mariner, DonJon Marine, the Port of Albany, Tugboat Wines and New York State Marine Highway.
For more information on the event, including a complete schedule of activities, visit www.tugboatroundup.com.