The Great Tug Race

Engineer's Day makes for a pretty busy weekend.  They always hold a tug race on the day after.  During the evening, they have a parade.  We had the fortune to be ahead of that parade.

 A Coast Guard 45 foot utility boat.  This one is stationed at the Soo.

 The Wendy Anne is a tugboat owned by St. James Marine Company.  She was built in Florida in 1954 by the US Army.  She would spend her time in England until 2003 when she came back to the States.  She was acquired by her current owners in 2007.

 A view of the tug parade.  I think it was pretty cool.

 Another angle of the Coast Guard boat.

 The Regan was built in 1942 in Owen Sound, Ontario.  Her current owner purchased her in 1986 and gave her complete refit.

 The Whitefish Bay is a tug operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

 The Gerald D. Neville was built as a yacht in 1924.  In 1941, she was used in various tug roles.  In 1974, she was acquired by Gerald D. Neville's grandson and restored.

 The Missouri was built in 1921 and is owned by Great Lakes Towing.  She is one of 50 tugboats owned by them.

 I don't have any details about this tug.

 Another view of the Missouri.

 Another view of the Coast Guard boat.

 We were ahead of the parade going back into the locks.

 The front view of the Missouri.  Usually I see these tugs near a ship and they don't look so big until you are right next to them.

 Another shot of the Whitefish Bay.

 A Coast Guardsman waiting for the water to go down in the Lock.

 One of the drivers waiting.

 The Whitefish Bay pulling out of the Lock.  I'd imagine she's made this trip a few times.

 The rest of the parade.

 Another shot of the Missouri.

 A couple shots of the Whitefish Bay.  Of the pictures I took of her, this is probably my favorite.

The Avery Bay used to be an Army Corps of Engineers tug which was built in 1942.  She served New Orleans until 1951 when she was moved to Chicago.  She served there until the 1970's.  She was bought by her current owners in 2004.