Boatnerd Discussion Forum

The first straight decker to have a bow thruster was the Frank R. Denton in 1963.

Brent wrote:The second Tug/Barge would have been the Wiltranco.

I believe the key word in bhale's post was integrated tug-barge (ITB). Not sure if the Wiltranco arrangement was anything more than a tug wired into the notch. There were probably many other such rigs on the lakes around that time, but the type of physical connection denoted by ITB was unique to the Carport/G1 until the Presque Isle came along.

Does anyone have anymore photos of the Carport?

The second Tug/Barge would have been the Wiltranco.

The 1st bow-thruster on the Great Lakes actually was installed in the 287-foot long Barge G-1 in 1950.

In 1950, Christy Corp. launched the Tug Carport, Barge G-1 for Cargill, Co. The 64-foot long Tug fit in a notch with a tongue-and-groove arrangement in the stern of the Barge. The Tug was secured to the Barge by 3 large turnbuckles at the Tug's bow. The Carport/G-1 was probably the 1st Integrated Tug-Barge on the Lakes (Litton's Presque Isle being the 2nd). I have included a photo of the Carport but was unable to find a photo of the G-1.

"The most unique feature of the barge was a 48 inch propellor mounted athwartships in a tunnel in the bow that was probably the first bow-thruster employed on the Great Lakes. The truster was powered by a GM 6-71 diesel engine remotely controlled from the tug pilot house." Great Lakes Ships We Remember III, p. 145

Here is the same concept 1890's style, back when labor was cheap

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/det/4 ... 04019v.jpg

Called a bow boat, they were lashed across the head of a raft or tow in areas where steering was critical. Went ahead or astern based on whistle signals from the main boat. I suspect the barge is there to keep any floating logs from holing the hull of the small stern wheeler, although it may also have been used to refuel both boats midstream.

From a posting on the coast guard channel community
Just a little history. I have not seen this anywhere. Cowslip was the first US ship to get a tranverse bow thruster. It was the second in the world. The first was a German ship, unknown what kind.

Which vessel was the first to have stern thrusters?

The William G Mather had her thruster installed in 1964.

The first laker to receive a bow thruster was the J. R. Sensibar in 1961. Other early conversions were the J. F. Schoellkopf Jr (1961), the Detroit Edison (1962), the W. W. Holloway (1962), the Fred Manske (1962), and the Harris N. Snyder (1962)[Lake Carriers Bullitin, August-September, 1962].

When did bow thrusters first begin to be used on Great Lakes Freighters?