"Bob" wrote
I’m not going to play chicken with a tug.”

Words to live by.

Out of curiosity, does anybody know why a boat that tows barges behind it is
called a tugboat, while one that pushes them in front is called a towboat?

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:14:49 -0400, "Ernest Scribbler"
wrote:

"Bob" wrote
I’m not going to play chicken with a tug.”

Words to live by.

Out of curiosity, does anybody know why a boat that tows barges behind it is
called a tugboat, while one that pushes them in front is called a towboat?

Actually ocean going tugs sometimes push. They have special barges
with a notch that matches the bow of the tug. If it gets too rough,
they then use the regular tugboat half mile long wire. Sometimes they
lash a barge to the side of the tug. The call that: on the hip.

I bought some books at New York Nautical, one of them on tugs.

Casady

"Richard Casady" wrote
Actually ocean going tugs sometimes push. They have special barges
with a notch that matches the bow of the tug.

Interesting. I've never seen that. I'm on an inland river, and all our
towboats look like this: http://blizzard.zmm.com/tug/capned3.jpg
And they always push, never pull.

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:56:12 -0400, "Ernest Scribbler"
wrote:

"Richard Casady" wrote
Actually ocean going tugs sometimes push. They have special barges
with a notch that matches the bow of the tug.

Interesting. I've never seen that. I'm on an inland river, and all our
towboats look like this: http://blizzard.zmm.com/tug/capned3.jpg
And they always push, never pull.

I live in Iowa. The state is between two big rivers with barge
traffic. I call them pushboats.

Casady

"Ernest Scribbler" wrote in message
...
"Richard Casady" wrote
Actually ocean going tugs sometimes push. They have special barges
with a notch that matches the bow of the tug.

Interesting. I've never seen that. I'm on an inland river, and all our
towboats look like this: http://blizzard.zmm.com/tug/capned3.jpg
And they always push, never pull.


One of our little guys will push, pull ...whatever.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16046216@N08/2089290925/

Richard Casady wrote:
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:14:49 -0400, "Ernest Scribbler"
wrote:

"Bob" wrote
I’m not going to play chicken with a tug.”
Words to live by.

Out of curiosity, does anybody know why a boat that tows barges behind it is
called a tugboat, while one that pushes them in front is called a towboat?

Actually ocean going tugs sometimes push. They have special barges
with a notch that matches the bow of the tug.

These are a regular sight on the Seaway, Seaway Control refers to them
as "tugboats" on the radio... This configuration is used for obvious
reasons, think "locks".

Cheers
Marty