Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Thanks to Tom Caine for posting the pics in today's News Gallery, confirming the Reuben Johnson has indeed been cut up. A sad end for a fine old tug, looks like her steel was still in good shape too, considering she was only a couple years away from her 100th birthday.

Fraser cut up several workboats a few years ago, including the Troy L. Johnson, but the Reuben Johnson was not cut up at that time. She was still intact and afloat when I was out there in the fall of '08. If her document was renewed just this past June, it sounds like her scrapping must have been a very recent development.

In the Public Gallery, I remember Franz having a gallery of the shearing of all those workboats at Frazer.

That's sad. When did it happen? Are the pictures online anywhere?

She's razor blades. Saw pictures of the hull on the dock being cut down.

Can anyone confirm one way or the other if the Reuben has indeed been scrapped? I know they were unwilling to sell or donate her as of a couple years ago and had plans to put her back into service. Would be a shame if they actually did scrap her though, she was the most original of the surviving "City" class G-tugs (she was formerly the Buffalo), would have made a nice museum tug or a project for somebody.

Franz has no operation left as of a couple years ago. All of his tugs were seized by the county.

That does seems strange, considering that Fraser renewed her documentation on 30 June 2010. She is 98 years-old, however, and I believe only 450-bhp.

I heard that Fraser Shipyard has scrapped their old tug Reuben Johnson. Why? I thought it was in operational condition. Why didn't FRanz VonRiedel's preservation society take over the tug? They're right there. Can anyone clue me in?