Waterford’s Tugboat Roundup Celebrates 20 Years
A modest event designed as a get-together for commercial workboat operators in upstate New York is now celebrating 20 years as a three-day community festival.On September 11, 1999, local resident John Callaghan had an idea to bring in some friends who ran tugs on the Hudson River and NYS Canal System for a quick one-day get together, right at the entrance to the famed Erie Canal. Callaghan, then a tug captain himself for the state canal system, brought in seven tugs and cooked several dozen hot dogs.
America’s First Marine Highway Comes Back to Life
The New York State Canal System, once forgotten as a commercial shipping option, is on the rise again, after years of decline. The shorter, greener and smarter route(s) make increasingly good sense for high value cargoes. Commercial utilization of America’s original superhighway – the Erie Canal – is on the rise again in recent years after years of decline. The third generation of the famed Erie Canal – the “Barge Canal” was constructed between 1905 and 1918. Designed to accommodate up to 10 million tons of cargo per year, the modern Erie Canal peaked at just over 5 million tons in 1951. Then, and with growing competition from railroads and highways, and the opening of the St.
Airborne Oil Spill Response System May Take Off
An investment research report draws attention to Scout Exploration, Inc. developers of a unique airborne oil spill technology response system. The system is designed to contain offshore and shoreline oil spills, of which there are hundreds every year, ranging from tens of millions of gallons to millions of barrels of oil in size, causing up to tens of billions of dollars' worth of ecological and business damages. Through a recent transaction, Scout has acquired the rights to what may be the most effective method of oil spill containment and remediation.
A Tale of Tugs of Two Cities Year: A Tough Season on the Circuit
It's been a rough year for tugmeets. Charleston, Boston, and Portland, whose Musters we've covered in the past, were respectively, skipped, canceled, and postponed. The World Ship Society tells us they'll be back next year with the Boston event, and the Portland muster, pre-empted by Hurricane Charlie, is taking place as this is written. We wish we could have gone north. While there are all sorts of good reasons to attend a tugmatch, we, being media people, think mostly about the good press they bring the business. The way things are shaping-up in such realms as national security, the price of fuel, environmental cleanliness and such, waterborne transport displays more and more advantage for the good of all.
