Even with the aid of computers, a tugboat captain must keep a vigilant eye on the elements. Unpredictable weather, massive waves, powerful currents and dangerous terrain are hurdles even the most experienced captains must carefully consider. One wrong signal and a tug can easily be pulled over, capsized if the tow line is not cut fast enough or run around. Tugs explores the fascinating stories, mechanics and lore of the world's hardest-working boats. From the Back Cover Whether pulling barges on the Mississippi River, docking ships in Hong Kong Harbor, setting up oil rigs in the Arctic or fighting fires in Vancouver, tugs are without a doubt the world's hardest working boats.
Bollard pull is a measure of a tug's potential towing power under certain conditions.
Usually given in pound or ton units, it describes the amount of engine power that is directed to the towline's pull. At the time of its construction in 1825, the Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River was the largest canal in the world. The Story of the Sudburys by Pat Wastell Norris. Its greatest years were the fifties and sixties. The big tugs were initially acquired for the towage of ships to the scrapyards, which was a thriving business in those years.